Motor Authority - blog Tag: all-wheel drive

Crossovers are the new wagons, according to popular wisdom, but at Volvo the heritage is clearly visible. Its wagon-like crossovers in the XC line have met with great success in the U.S., together with the various wagon lines accounting for about half of the company's sales in recent years. The 2010 XC60, revealed at last year's Geneva Motor Show, adds a smaller, sportier angle to the company's repertoire. Today, the company has expanded the XC lineup in the U.S. with the addition of a new 3.2L model, which joins the existing 3.0L T6 turbocharged model.

Pricing for the 235hp (175kW) 3.2L FWD model has been set at $32,395 plus an $850... Crossovers are the new wagons, according to popular wisdom, but at Volvo the heritage is clearly visible. Its wagon-like crossovers in the XC line have met with great success in the U.S., together with the various wagon lines accounting for about half of the company's sales in recent years. The 2010 XC60, revealed at last year's Geneva Motor Show, adds a smaller, sportier angle to the company's repertoire. Today, the company has expanded the XC lineup in the U.S. with the addition of a new 3.2L model, which joins the existing 3.0L T6 turbocharged model. Pricing for the 235hp (175kW) 3.2L FWD model has been set at $32,395 plus an $850 destination charge, while the AWD version will set you back $34,395 plus the destination charge. Pricing for the 281hp (209kW) 3.0L T6 remains at $37,200 plus $850 in destination charges for the base FWD model. The XC60's new normally aspirated 3.2L is the same engine that powers the base S80 flagship sedan introduced in 2008 and comes standard with a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy is impressive, with a claimed 27mpg for highway and 18mpg for the urban cycle. Additionally, Volvo offers two version of the 3.2L engine with either ULEV-II (ultra low emissions) or PZEV (partial zero emissions) systems. Standard equipment includes 17in alloy wheels, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, Bluetooth with hands free capability, dual zone climate control, front fog lamps, HD Radio, an eight speaker stereo, and a six month subscription to Sirius’ satellite radio network. The XC60 is claimed to be the safest Volvo ever, featuring a host of new safety technologies including the latest ‘City Safety’ automatic braking system as standard. The City Safety feature is primarily aimed at mitigating damage in collisions at speeds at or below 19mph. Other safety features include anti-rollover stability, pretensioned seatbelts in all seating positions, an inflatable side curtain for front and rear passengers and a high-strength boron steel roof structure. Key competitors in the premium crossover market include the BMW X3, Land Rover LR2, Mercedes Benz GLK, and Audi Q5.Volvo XC60 Crossover Read More

Ask any racing fan what's the best drivetrain layout for speed and you're sure to get one of two answers: rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Front-engine, mid-engine or rear-engine, all will agree that front-wheel drive is wrong-wheel drive. But Ford set out to design the all-new Focus RS as a FWD car from the beginning. The question is: why?

They know a thing or two about making a FWD car fast, is why, and they thought they could come out with a car that performs better than an AWD equivalent. “Ford wanted to retain front wheel drive because it is lighter and more efficient than four wheel drive and for many it gives a more tactile... Ask any racing fan what's the best drivetrain layout for speed and you're sure to get one of two answers: rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Front-engine, mid-engine or rear-engine, all will agree that front-wheel drive is wrong-wheel drive. But Ford set out to design the all-new Focus RS as a FWD car from the beginning. The question is: why? They know a thing or two about making a FWD car fast, is why, and they thought they could come out with a car that performs better than an AWD equivalent. “Ford wanted to retain front wheel drive because it is lighter and more efficient than four wheel drive and for many it gives a more tactile driving experience,” explains Quaife technical director Michael Quaife. “The problem was how to put so much power through the front wheels without tremendous issues with traction and torque steer.” Cutting out the center differential and rear drive mechanism saves cost, complexity and weight - all enemies of high-performance and affordable hatchbacks. Instead they focused on making the front differential and suspension the best possible. For the limited-slip diff, they called on Quaife, a standard in the field, while they tapped their own engineers for the design of the RevoKnuckle suspension. Like all limited-slip differentials (LSDs), the Quaife unit allows some degree of freedom of rotation between the two drive wheels - that's what makes it possible to turn corners smoothly. But unlike an open differential, when one wheel starts to spin at a much higher rate than the other, it steps in to keep the spin from degenerating into futile burnt rubber. Sometimes this involves locking the wheels to spin at the same rate, and in others, it biases torque to the wheel with the most grip. How it accomplishes this task is what determines the type of differential, and there are many ways, including helical, clutch-type and viscous coupling LSDs. The Quaife is an active torque-biasing differential and relies on helical planetary gears for its traction duty. A sun gear on each drive shaft pairs with a set of six helical planet gears in the input hub to distribute torque through the mechanism. As one wheel slips, it spins faster, and the torque differential across the two sets of gears increases, progressively locking the set that's transferring the most torque, slowing its speed and sending more power to the wheel with more grip. While it may sound complex, in truth it is a simple, durable and cost-effective mechanical solution. “We believe that only a helical LSD can provide an appropriately high level of functionality without compromising other aspects of dynamics, such as steering feel and refinement,” says Michael Quaife. “Our system uses natural forces within a helical gear set so does not require the electronics or friction materials used in most other LSDs. It is a simple, highly robust solution that is also exceptionally effective.” One downside of the helical LSD, or any torque-biasing unit for that matter, is that if one wheel becomes unweighted or otherwise completely loses traction, the differential won't function - it becomes in essence an open differential. The upside is that it sends more power to the grippiest wheel, rather than simply locking them together and potentially losing even more traction, and they don't tend to grab and yank the drive wheels, making it particularly well-suited to an FWD application. The RevoKnuckle suspension system is designed to cope with the massive power and torque output of the Focus RS engine: 300hp (224kW) and 324lb-ft (440Nm) of torque. In a traditional setup, this much power plus a limited-slip diff could cause arm-breaking torque steer - a wicked and nasty habit of older generation hot hatches, including previous Focus RS models. To overcome the torque steer issue, the engineers used a standard MacPherson strut architecture, but added a two-piece knuckle that adds a 'C' shape to the lower suspension mount. What this does is move the king-pin offset (the distance of the steering axis of rotation for the wheel) closer to the wheel center than would otherwise be possible. A side benefit of the RevoKnuckle system is improved traction in addition to minimized torque steer thanks to greater freedom in configuring camber, caster and trail. Anyone that's done any significant performance work on a MacPherson-strut AWD car knows just how important - and difficult - these adjustments are to achieve. So in the end, Ford thinks it has come out with a product that will beat the competition thanks to a lighter, more tactile solution that offers a better combination of power, traction and driving dynamics. That's a tall order considering the car's competition - on paper, at least - is the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X and Subaru WRX STI, both proven and very capable AWD performers.Ford Focus RS hatch Read More

Crossovers are the new wagons, according to popular wisdom, but at Volvo the heritage is clearly visible. Its wagon-like crossovers in the XC line have met with great success in the U.S., together with the various wagon lines accounting for about half of the company's sales in recent years. The 2010 XC60, revealed at last year's Geneva Motor Show, adds a smaller, sportier angle to the company's repertoire. Today, the company revealed the new XC60 will start from $37,200 in the U.S.

The new model is claimed to be the safest Volvo ever, featuring a host of new safety technologies including the latest ‘City Safety’ automatic... Crossovers are the new wagons, according to popular wisdom, but at Volvo the heritage is clearly visible. Its wagon-like crossovers in the XC line have met with great success in the U.S., together with the various wagon lines accounting for about half of the company's sales in recent years. The 2010 XC60, revealed at last year's Geneva Motor Show, adds a smaller, sportier angle to the company's repertoire. Today, the company revealed the new XC60 will start from $37,200 in the U.S. The new model is claimed to be the safest Volvo ever, featuring a host of new safety technologies including the latest ‘City Safety’ automatic braking system as standard. The City Safety feature is primarily aimed at mitigating damage in collisions at speeds at or below 19mph (30km/h). The car is being launched with just one engine in the U.w., the turbocharged 3.0L T6 which produces 281hp (209kW), also found in the XC70 (read our review here). All models also come with AWD and Volvo's Instant Traction as standard. A pair of 2.4L five-cylinder diesels will be available in other markets, rated at 163hp and 185hp (121kW and 138kW). The new XC60 will compete against formidable rivals like the BMW X3 and Land Rover Freelander/LR2 plus the Mercedes-Benz GLK and upcoming Audi Q5. Production will be handled by the carmaker’s factory in Ghent, Belgium, and officials are expecting to sell up to 50,000 units per year, with most of the sales expected to fall in the U.S., Germany, UK, Russia and China. The production car’s styling remains true to the concept version unveiled at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, featuring the same S-shaped LED taillights, swooping headlights and sleek profile. Volvo calls the XC60 the first production expression of its new 'design DNA'. In keeping with a lifestyle theme, the XC60 also features a much more car-like ride height than many crossovers, and is devoid of any serious underbody protection. Three major options packages are available on the XC60, including a Technology Package ($2,700), a Collision Avoidance Package ($1,695) and a Convenience Package ($1,000). The technology package adds the usual suspects, including: a premium 12-speaker audio system, DVD navigation system and rear park assist camera. Equipping the collision avoidance package adds adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning system, collision warning with auto brake, distance alert and driver alert control. Finally, the convenience package adds an extra 12V power outlet, cargo net in the rear storage area, front and rear park assist, power tailgate and a Homelink garage door opener. The 2010 XC60 goes on sale this March, the same month as Audi's new 2009 Q5.Volvo XC60 Crossover Read More