alin89

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Posts posted by alin89


  1. Alaturi de Volvo S60/Volvo V60, in finala, se mai afla Nissan Leaf, Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Citroen C3/DS3, Ford C-Max, Opel/Vauxhall Meriva si Dacia Duster.

    The European Car of the Year awards is judged by a panel of 59 members, representing 23 European countries. National representation on the panel is related to the size of the country's car market and its importance in car manufacturing, with France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain topping the list with six members each.

    A total of 41 candidates were originally eligible for the 2011 awards. A number that grows bigger when body versions and derivatives are considered. All of the contenders are new vehicles available now or soon in five or more European markets, and each has the prospect of at least 5,000 yearly sales.

    Sursa: http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1051097_finalists-for-2011-european-coty-awards-announced?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MotorAuthority2+%28MotorAuthority%29


  2. Chinese car maker Geely plans to begin production in China of Volvo S60 cars and XC90 SUVs once it completes the purchase of the Swedish brand from US auto giant Ford.

    Daniel Dai, vice president of Geely Automobile revealed the firm's plans in a discussion with Swedish business website placera.nu at Geely's production plant in Ningbo, south of Shanghai.

    "By assembling in China we can bring down the cost of the Volvo models," he said, indicating that further models could soon follow.

    Geely had previously made known its intention to examine the option of widespread Volvo production in China.

    "Our low cost position will benefit Volvo while it will continue to be a premium brand," said Daniel Dai.

    Zhejiang Geely Holding signed a deal at the end of March to buy Volvo Cars from Ford. The US car maker agreed to sell its Volvo unit for $1.8 billion, less than a third of the $6.4 billion Ford paid for Volvo Cars in 1999.

    Daniel Dai expects the final paperwork to be signed in four to five months

    Volvo Cars already has a production facility in China, where it has linked up with local firm Chang'an Automoble to make S40 cars and a version of the S80 sedan.

    Volvo has 22,000 employees worldwide, including 16,000 in Sweden.

    Sursa: http://www.thelocal.se/26404/20100501/


  3. Sunt de acord cu Danyx, nu se rezolva nimic...

    Am niste prieteni al caror baiat, in varsta de 6 ani, foloseste cuvinte pe care nu le pot scrie aici, e copilul porno in persoana, si astea le-a invatat de la parinti...va dati seama mai tarziu ce o sa iasa din el, iar voi dupaia va veti duce dupa el sa-i strangeti gunoaiele pe Valea Jiului, ca bunul simt nu cred ca si-l va mai recupera...


  4. Nu subestima niciodata puterea creatoare a poporului chinez. E prima regula a bunului simt. Chinezii nu copiaza, doar se inspira... Asadar, acestea fiind spuse, isi mai aminteste cineva de Geely GE, prezentat pentru prima oara la Shanghai 2009? Ei bine, Rolls-ul chinezesc revine!

    Britanicii de la Rolls Royce nu s-au aratat prea incantati de ideea ca marele Phantom a fost copiat de cei de la Geely si au dat in judecata constructorul chinez. Ca raspuns, Geely a operat un facelift major asupra limuzinei sale, demonstrand astfel ca si chinezii pot fi originali. Bine, asta a fost o gluma proasta...

    Noul si imbunatatitul Geely GE va sosi la Beijing Auto Show, unde isi va arata noua fata dar si celelalte mici imbunatatiri, regasite pe ici, pe colo. Chiar si traditionalul Spirit of Ecstasy a scapat de copiere, de aceasta data limuzina chinezeasca venind cu ceva in genul Spirit of Buddha. Ah, da... si inca ceva: tronul pasagerului spate a fost transformat acum intr-o combinatie clasica cu doua scaune individuale. Care mai este acum farmecul lui Geely GE?

    Sursa: http://forum.4tuning.ro/219-masini-noutati-auto/182614-rolls-royce-chinezesc-revineee.html

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  5. The 2011 Volvo S60 sedan made its debut earlier this month at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and is now slated to enter production at the automaker’s factory in Ghent, Belgium by summer, before going on sale in the second half of the year. This second generation of Volvo’s popular mid-size sedan will also spawn a wagon variant once again, going by the name of V60 instead of the former V70.

    Based on the same platform as the S60, the new V60 wagon is expected to debut next year as a 2012 model and follow in the footsteps of previous Volvo wagons like the V40, V50 and V70 lines. It would also serve as a more stylish rival to other premium wagons like the BMW 3-Series Touring, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate, Audi A4 Avant and the upcoming Acura TSX Sport Wagon.

    Spy shots of a heavily camouflaged prototype for the new wagon surfaced last month but this latest computer generated rendering gives a clear indication as to how the new model will most likely be styled.

    Expect to see the same powertrain lineup as found in the sedan, which means North American models will likely receive the 304 horsepower turbocharged T6 and 203 horsepower 2.0-liter gasoline units only. Six-speed manual and automatic transmissions will be offered, as well as a newer PowerShift six-speed dual clutch transmission.

    All of Volvo’s latest safety know-how will also be going into the new V60, so expect to see the automaker’s cornering traction control, pedestrian detection warning and automatic braking systems all fitted as standard.

    Sursa: http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038316_rendered-2012-volvo-v60-wagon?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MotorAuthority2+%28MotorAuthority%29

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  6. With MINI’s Countryman now out in the open, reports have surfaced that Volvo is readying a small soft-roader of its own. Based on the C30 hatchback, the compact crossover is tipped to surface sometime in 2012.

    Volvo is apparently renewing its earlier commitment to build a 5-door CUV on the C30 platform. The C30 hatchback hasn’t been the smash success Volvo had hoped for, but the Swedish automaker is planning a model expansion to open up the line to more buyers. First on the docket will be a small soft-roader – dubbed the XC30 – which is set to take on MINI’s new Countryman as well as future models like the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.

    Set to bow in 2012, the XC30 will slot beneath the XC60 and XC90, but should adopt the XC line’s design language. The XC30 will feature all-wheel drive, as well as gas and diesel powerplants.

    “There will be some further expansion of the XC range in the near future,†Volvo executive Lex Kerssemakers said. “Naturally you would go down at this moment because we’re rather well filled with XC60, XC70 and XC90.â€

    In addition to the XC30, Volvo is also developing a five-door version of the C30. Although the three-door body style of the current C30 allows for a sleeker shape, Kerssemakers admits that its limited interior space turns off some buyers. As a result, a five-door version of the C30 should hit the market sometime in the next few years.

    Sursa: http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-volvo-planning-c30-suv-five-door-models.html


  7. Current president of Volvo Cars, Stephen Odell, admitted he found Volvo’s badges confusing when he first joined Volvo two years ago, and he want to resolve this.

    ‘When I arrived at Volvo I struggled to understand the nomenclature,’ he admitted. ‘Yes, we will be changing it.’

    Most likely, Volvo S40 and V50 will have their names changed. Moreover, Stephen Odell said that the main logo will receive some changes, because is very hard to be readed from a medium distance.

    When will Volvo change its badges?

    Not overnight, said Odell. ‘You cannot align the nomenclature until you change the product.’

    Sursa: http://www.inautonews.com/volvo-will-change-the-name-on-some-models?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+inautonews+%28INAUTONEWS%29


  8. Yesterday we heard news that Ford’s preferred bidder for Volvo, China’s Geely, has ambitious plans to boost the Swedish automaker’s sales to the one million mark within five years and is planning up to three new models in order to do so.

    This same week we also saw the new 2010 Volvo S60 sedan in production trim for the first time, which brings us to our latest tidbit of Volvo news--a computer generated rendering of a possible (and likely) V60 wagon.

    Based on the same platform as the S60, the new V60 wagon is expected to debut late next year as a 2011 model and follow in the footsteps of previous Volvo wagons like the V40, V50 and V70 lines. It would also serve as a more stylish rival to other premium wagons like the BMW 3-Series Touring, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate, Audi A4 Avant and the upcoming Acura TSX Sport Wagon.

    Powertrain options will almost certainly be shared with the S60. One option is likely to be a new 1.6-liter gasoline unit with turbocharging and direct-injection technologies--a spinoff of a Ford EcoBoost mill.

    Previewed in concept form, the tiny engine develops a peak output of 180 horsepower and a fuel economy rating of 47 mpg. Drive will be sent to the front wheels via Volvo's PowerShift 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, and an all-wheel drive variant should also be available.

    Sursa: http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038316_rendered-2011-volvo-v60?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MotorAuthority+%28Motor+Authority%29

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  9. As the modern automobile gets more and more advanced, engineers are increasingly paying attention to aspects of design traditionally left to, if not chance, then at least circumstance. One of those areas is the character of the sound of an engine.

    Exhaust notes have been prized and prided since the inception of the combustion engine, to be sure, but as noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) are continually minimized, simply turning out a good-sounding engine isn't all there is to it. Now engines must sound good while also running smoothly and quietly--often countervailing goals.

    Volvo wants to take it a step farther, making engines that sound "impressive," offering a "unique Scandinavian sound." Sound like a tall order? It is. So tall it requires its own acoustic design lab.

    The new lab is located in the heart of Volvo's production complex in Torslanda, Sweden. It's made of a network of sound-absorbing protrusions embedded in the walls and ceiling, yet the hard floor offers a realistic representation of a typical asphalt or concrete road surface.

    With our new test chamber we can test four-wheel drive cars in an entirely different environment than we could previously," says Eva Lahti, acoustic engineer at Volvo.

    In fact, the new facility allows for testing of acoustics and vibration of engines rated at up to 402 horsepower and while running two- or four-wheel drive vehicles on a rolling road at speeds from 55-155 mph.

    So what exactly does a Scandinavian engine sound like? Or, what makes it sound "Scandinavian"?

    "Here in Sweden and Scandinavia we have large, quiet spaces. The acoustic environment is open and free, not densely packed. And that's how our customers expect a Volvo to sound," says Lahti.

    Volvo divides a car's sound into three main areas: sounds that irritate, sounds that inform, and sounds that impress. Minimizing the former, balancing the second and maxmimizing the third are the objectives. These criteria apply to more than just engines, as well: interior squeaks and rattles, the sound of a door shutting or the click of a console button are all part of the equation.

    The engine's treatment of each of the three categories of sound is of special importance, however.

    Lahti explains engine sounds that inform: "If I cruise at a steady speed, the engine should produce a pleasant, relaxing note. But if I accelerate from low speed under full throttle, the difference should be heard in the sound the engine produces. It should give me feedback to verify what I am doing so I do not lose my intuitive link with the car."

    So far, Volvo is most pleased with the "impressive" sound of its V-8 engine developed for the XC90.

    But some of the history of Volvo's five-cylinder engines is also part of the characteristic sound the company's engineers are working to capture. For instance, the sound of the Volvo 850 is one of Volvo NVH Center manager Johan Stenson's favorites.

    "That was a lovely, throaty gurgle - like rock & roll at its best!" he says.

    Sursa: http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1036159_volvo-acoustic-research-lab-searches-for-scandinavian-sound#

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  10. For all of the work that car companies are doing to shift public perception away from the electric vehicle=golf cart image, Volvo has proudly announced that its first all-electric car will be, in fact, a golf cart. It's called, wait for it, the Volvo Golf Cart.

    Looking a little bit like a Volvo C70, the single-seat cart was developed by Swedish company Pro Green Nordic and really only shares the look and badge with other Volvos. The cart uses three 12V batteries that recharge overnight and offer a 15 km/h top speed. Volvo is planning on unveiling the car during the European leg of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Casares, Spain in late October. The price will probably be a painful $8,000 U.S., but the good news is that this sucker has a 60-km (37-mile) range, so you can be confident driving it home after a day on the greens.

    sursa: http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/17/revealed-volvos-first-ever-all-electric-production-car-yes-i/

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  11. Geely's Volvo procurement almost finalized

    Geely's procurement of Swedish auto giant Volvo is approaching the final stage, the National Business Daily learned from Sweden . Volvo and its owner Ford Motor Company are expected to make the final approval as early as this month.

    In addition to Geely, which will get the majority of Ford's stake in Volvo, a Swedish company will also acquire the remaining shares. Meanwhile, Ford will keep 10-15 percent of its presence in Volvo for the following 7-8 years, in order to facilitate the launch of new Volvo models.

    Ford plans to sell Volvo at around 20 to 25 billion Swedish Kronas (2.528 billion dollars to 3.159 billion dollars), of which Geely will pay 15.6 billion Swedish Kronas.

    Previously, the Volvo Engineers Union had expressed dissent about the deal and wished for a European owner instead of Chinese Geely, an opinion also shared by higher officials in the Swedish government. However, Ford's "package sale," which involves a local Swedish company, greatly eased the dissent.

    Some experts told the National Business Daily yesterday that Geely's boss, Li Shufu, will not merge the two companies, but will keep Volvo's operation independent.

    Regarding Volvo's XC90 manufacturing site in China, insiders from Geely mentioned that both Dong Guan in Guangdong Province and Tianjin Municipality are likely places. However, rumours spread earlier this month saying Beijing and Bazhou in Hebei Province may also be the host for the Swedish vehicles.

    Sursa: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90884/6726464.html