Frankfurt Motor Show Premiere for Heico Sportiv’s Customized Volvo V60

Renowned Volvo tuner Heico Sportiv is heading to the 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt with a specially modified V60 featuring a customized interior, exterior goods and performance upgrades.
On the outside, Heico Sportiv has enhanced the V60′s appearance with a two-piece front apron and a rear diffusor with a carbon fibre inlay, while the station wagon model rides on a 30mm lower suspension and 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped around 245/35R19 Pirelli tires.
The Swedish model‘s interior has been clothed entirely in hand-trimmed leather including the seats, door panels, dashboard and center console while the headliner is dressed in Alcantara.
Heico Sportiv offers two separate ECU upgrades for the V60 series, the base “e.motion” and the more extreme “e.motion 2″ that allows the choice between three active driving programs (Eco, Sport and Performance) via the so-called HEICO Performance Button (HPB).
A larger set of brakes completes the tune.

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2012 MY Volvo XC90 Receives Mild Updates in Europe

Despite being launched way back in 2002, the XC90 is still holding on in the sales front –even recording its best-ever year in the UK in 2010 with 7,000 units, and global sales of 37,000 cars. Now Volvo has decided to introduce some mild updates for the 2012MY.
Exterior modifications of the 2012 XC90, which will be available in October, include new LED day running lights in the lower front bumper, LED rear brake lights, a redesigned bumper bar, new six-spoke 18-inch alloys and, finally, the addition of roof rails to the standard specification of all trim models.
The interior sports a new three-spoke steering wheel, different aluminum décor and white lighting for the instrument dials, while the tailgate comes with a color-coordinated leather handle.
The updated XC90 offers the option of Bluetooth connectivity in its On Call system, which has been upgraded with music streaming capability and a new mobile application for iPhone and Android cellphones that enables the owner to view the SUV’s location on a smartphone and acquire information about things like fuel level and average speed and consumption.
Furthermore, the driver can perform a “car health check” displaying on the smartphone’s screen info about the engine oil level and pressure or the coolant level.
Volvo is also introducing the Executive version that boasts a number of standard features like leather seats that come with ventilation and massage operation. The XC90 is also available in the R-Design specification, which has a sports chassis as standard and new upholstery, door panels and 19-inch alloy wheels.

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New Volvo Concept Heading to Frankfurt to Showcase Engine and and Platform Tech

[Volvo Universe Concept from the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show Pictured Above]

Volvo announced today that it plans to reveal a new concept car at next week’s Frankfurt Motor show. This new study, pictures of which have not yet been released, will highlight the Swedish company’s new downsized engine range, which will feature only four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines.
“It’s time to stop counting cylinders”, said Volvo’s Senior Vice President for Research and Development, Peter Martens. “The concept we will reveal at Frankfurt proves that downsized engines can go hand in hand with our customers’ expectations on luxury and driving pleasure.”
The new modular Volvo Environmental Architecture (VEA) four-cylinder engine range features direct injection for its gasoline and common rail for its diesel variants. According to Martens, the new engines are ideal for hybrid applications and will reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions without sacrificing performance.
“We will develop four-cylinder engines with higher performance than today’s six-cylinder units and lower fuel consumption than the current four-cylinder generation,” said Martens.
Volvo claims that the VEA range, which is designed for transverse applications, will reduce the number of unique engine parts by an impressive 60%. It will also be up to 90 kg (198 pounds) lighter than the current range and improve fuel consumption by up to 35%.
Later this autumn Volvo will also test the Kinetic Energy Recovering System, which captures braking energy that would otherwise be dissipated as heat and power a flywheel that spins at up to 60,000 rpm. This system that is already used in Formula 1 will “offer the driver an additional 80HP while reducing fuel consumption by up to 20%,” according to Martens.
Last, but not least, Volvo announced that it is developing a new model range that will be based on a new, modular structure called Scalable Platform Architecture (current Volvo models are based on previous owner’s Ford platforms) that will also be 100-150 kg (220-330 pounds) lighter than current models.
The SPA architecture will allow the company to base most of its new models on the same modular platform, thus achieving significant cuts in development, tooling and manufacturing costs. And, as Martens claims, “along with the new engine range, will enable us to be on par or even beat our toughest competitors in driving dynamics and fuel economy.”
The new engines and platform will also benefit future models looks as the company’s head of design, Peter Horbury, said that the Frankfurt concept will be “a great example of what we can achieve with the new architecture and engines.”


 

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