Motor Authority - blog Category: XC90

The poor car market has led many carmakers to take drastic action with their workforces, to ask for government assistance or to offer unprecedented incentives, but so far most carmakers haven't taken the knife to their base pricing. Volvo bucks the trend today by cutting the price of their XC90 SUV by 8%, saving about $3,250 on V8 models.

The price cut is there to help get customers back into dealerships - with the lower sticker price, there's a better starting point for negotiation. Base pricing for the XC90 now starts at $37,000 for the 3.2 trim, $38,205 for the 3.2 R-Design, and $46,300 or $47,550 for the V8 AWD and V8 AWD R-Design... The poor car market has led many carmakers to take drastic action with their workforces, to ask for government assistance or to offer unprecedented incentives, but so far most carmakers haven't taken the knife to their base pricing. Volvo bucks the trend today by cutting the price of their XC90 SUV by 8%, saving about $3,250 on V8 models. The price cut is there to help get customers back into dealerships - with the lower sticker price, there's a better starting point for negotiation. Base pricing for the XC90 now starts at $37,000 for the 3.2 trim, $38,205 for the 3.2 R-Design, and $46,300 or $47,550 for the V8 AWD and V8 AWD R-Design trims, respectively. "The decision to re-price the XC90 was taken to provide a strong value message to our customers," said Doug Speck, president and CEO of Volvo Cars North America. "The XC90 has been one of the most successful vehicles for Volvo, and this action will help to continue that success." Along with the price change come model configuration differences: the XC90 will now only be available in a seven-seat configuration to make room for the new XC60 SUV. Priced at $37,200 in the U.S., the XC60 actually starts at the same price, prompting us to wonder if Volvo will also be chopping the price of the mid-size XC60 to keep it in line.2009 Volvo XC90 Read More

Volvo has been forced to postpone redesigning two of its vehicles due to a lack of funds and increasing focus on new technology and vehicle segments. Originally, Volvo's XC90 SUV was scheduled to be redesigned for 2010, but will now instead receive a facelift, with the redesign expected to be postponed by two or three years. Similarly, the S60 sedan will be redesigned in 2010, rather than early 2009 as originally planned.

The company has, however, hinted that it may be planning an all-new S40 sedan. Emerging markets such as Russia and China present a tempting target for luxury manufacturers such as Volvo, and there is also talk of an... Volvo has been forced to postpone redesigning two of its vehicles due to a lack of funds and increasing focus on new technology and vehicle segments. Originally, Volvo's XC90 SUV was scheduled to be redesigned for 2010, but will now instead receive a facelift, with the redesign expected to be postponed by two or three years. Similarly, the S60 sedan will be redesigned in 2010, rather than early 2009 as originally planned. The company has, however, hinted that it may be planning an all-new S40 sedan. Emerging markets such as Russia and China present a tempting target for luxury manufacturers such as Volvo, and there is also talk of an expanded small-car lineup at Volvo to capitalize on current downsizing trends, where the S40 would add another body style option. Meanwhile, cash flow remains an issue at Volvo. Developing technology such as the 'City Safety' crash avoidance system has drained Volvo of the required funds to redesign the XC90 and S60, and the introduction of the new XC60 range has forced Volvo to postpone updates to other vehicles, reports Automotive News. "It's all about priorities. To fit everything, you have 'X' money for development. That deteriorates when you have less revenue, and have to adapt where you spend money," said Lex Kerssemakers, Volvo's senior vice president of brand, business and product strategy. Other new technology developed to adapt to changing emissions laws, such as the DRIVe low-emissions range that debuted at Paris, and a diesel hybrid expected to debut in 2012, has also forced Volvo to tighten its purse strings. Coupled with its $271 million loss for the first half of 2008, Volvo's lack of cash is causing its product cycles to be longer than most luxury car makers would allow, a situation Volvo is unhappy with but which it must endure. While previously there was talk of Ford selling off Volvo, the Swedish auto manufacturer is insisting that they still "have full support from Ford" in regards to their major projects, and that the Blue Oval is not attempting to cut down Volvo's development budget. Read More

Volvo’s new sports inspired R-Design package is now available on the Volvo XC90 and will be on display at this week’s Detroit Auto Show. The R-design kits essentially replace Volvo’s current Sport trim levels and are similar to the S-line packs offered by Audi in that they offer merely styling accessories rather than actual performance mods.

R-Design specification for the XC90 adds 19in alloy wheels as standard with an option to upgrade to 20in units, dual exhaust pipes, aluminum skid-plates, a R-Design badge in the grille and rear view mirror caps in silk matt finish. To further accentuate the sporty nature and to create... Volvo’s new sports inspired R-Design package is now available on the Volvo XC90 and will be on display at this week’s Detroit Auto Show. The R-design kits essentially replace Volvo’s current Sport trim levels and are similar to the S-line packs offered by Audi in that they offer merely styling accessories rather than actual performance mods. R-Design specification for the XC90 adds 19in alloy wheels as standard with an option to upgrade to 20in units, dual exhaust pipes, aluminum skid-plates, a R-Design badge in the grille and rear view mirror caps in silk matt finish. To further accentuate the sporty nature and to create a sleeker appearance, the car loses its roof rails. Inside, the seats are covered in a contrasting black and cream leather lining and the standard steering wheel is replaced with a perforated leather lined unit embossed with the R-Design logo. Other R-Design interior details include aluminium pedals, a specially designed aluminium centre stack and door inlays, gear selector and tufted dark sport floor mats with contrasting leather piping.Volvo XC90 R-Design Read More

Volvo’s XC90 is one of the Swedish carmakers most acclaimed models, but despite the praise reports have emerged claiming the current model could be the last. The decision reportedly comes from parent company Ford, which is predicting a slump in SUV sales in the U.S., the single biggest market for the current XC90.

The news comes from Sweden’s Auto Motor & Sport, which claims the second-generation XC90 has been canceled because of a lack of environmentally-friendly powertrain options as well as increased costs required to develop expensive lightweight components.

The new XC90 was expected to be launch within the next two years... Volvo’s XC90 is one of the Swedish carmakers most acclaimed models, but despite the praise reports have emerged claiming the current model could be the last. The decision reportedly comes from parent company Ford, which is predicting a slump in SUV sales in the U.S., the single biggest market for the current XC90. The news comes from Sweden’s Auto Motor & Sport, which claims the second-generation XC90 has been canceled because of a lack of environmentally-friendly powertrain options as well as increased costs required to develop expensive lightweight components. The new XC90 was expected to be launch within the next two years but it seems the sudden decision has come as a complete surprise to even those close to the project. According to the source, OEM component suppliers are yet to even be informed of the model’s demise. Volvo is now expected to facelift the current model in 2009 and keep it on the market until 2012. Read More

Volvo tuning specialist Erst based in Osaka, Japan, has released a subtle performance pack for the Volvo XC90 SUV. Japan’s enthusiast market is so fond of Volvo that in fact, several tuning companies in the country specifically work on Volvo cars. Erst is one such company, a specialist in the tuning of Volvo wagons.

Its latest package includes new ribbed under-panel mountings, a matching rear under-panel, pumped out wheel arches, a unique set of alloy wheels, stiffer suspension springs and a chrome plated muffler tip.



Via: Autoblog.nl Volvo tuning specialist Erst based in Osaka, Japan, has released a subtle performance pack for the Volvo XC90 SUV. Japan’s enthusiast market is so fond of Volvo that in fact, several tuning companies in the country specifically work on Volvo cars. Erst is one such company, a specialist in the tuning of Volvo wagons. Its latest package includes new ribbed under-panel mountings, a matching rear under-panel, pumped out wheel arches, a unique set of alloy wheels, stiffer suspension springs and a chrome plated muffler tip. Via: Autoblog.nl Read More

Volvo’s 2007 XC90 SUV will feature DivX playback with its optional Rear Seat Entertainment System. Sourced from Visteon, the new player will be the first factory installed unit to support the DivX certification and allows you to play all your downloaded videos, legal or not. DivX is a video format that became popular because of its ability to compress large movie files into much smaller ones with relatively high-quality. A full movie can often fit onto a single CD.

As a DivX Certified device, Visteon's DVD player supports high quality playback of all versions of DivX video, purchased or rented DivX movies, and most of the content... Volvo’s 2007 XC90 SUV will feature DivX playback with its optional Rear Seat Entertainment System. Sourced from Visteon, the new player will be the first factory installed unit to support the DivX certification and allows you to play all your downloaded videos, legal or not. DivX is a video format that became popular because of its ability to compress large movie files into much smaller ones with relatively high-quality. A full movie can often fit onto a single CD. As a DivX Certified device, Visteon's DVD player supports high quality playback of all versions of DivX video, purchased or rented DivX movies, and most of the content available from the web. The system installed in the XC90 consists of two seven-inch LCDs mounted in the back of the driver and front-passenger headrests. To make sure the driver is not distracted, the unit comes with a pair of infrared wireless headsets for silent viewing. We're sure the other manufacturers will be releasing new models with DivX playback soon. Read More