It would seem that Volvo is now turning to efficiency after mastering the art of safety. Preparing for the Geneva Motor Show, the company has innovated (also downsized) a great deal of its technological arsenal. Now, some of the economy figures coming from the Volvo C30, V60 Plug-in hybrid and even the latest Volvo V40 are stunning. The cars will still be safe though.
Within the Volvo fleet, overall four models will soon spew out less than 100 g/km of CO2. This spring the C30 will join the all-new V40 at 94 g/km. The other, D2 versions are the Volvo S40 and Volvo V50. They both have emissions of 99g/km. In addition, there are currently another four models with CO2 emissions below 120 g/km: the Volvo S60 (114 g/km), Volvo V60 (119 g/km), Volvo V70 (119 g/km) and Volvo S80 (119 g/km).
Later on this year Volvo will also start selling the V60 Plug-in hybrid that boasts a fuel economy of 1.9 liters/100km (49 g CO2 /km) when in Hybrid mode. Alternatively, it run on pure electricity for at least 50 km or it can utilize both engine and motor. That means a combination of power that measures up to 215+70 BHP and 440+200 Nm of torque.
“The V60 Plug-in Hybrid boosts our pole position in electrification. None of our competitors can offer customers an equally ingenious car. It elevates hybrid technology to an entirely new level,” says Stefan Jacoby. “It is the perfect choice for the uncompromising customer who wants minimum carbon dioxide emissions and maximum driving pleasure.”
“We have also established a strong partnership with Siemens in developing the next generation of pure electric cars after the Volvo C30 Electric,” continues Stefan Jacoby.
The most important car here however is the all-new V40 – Volvo’s first 5-door proper hatchback. It looks dynamic and from what we hear it is dynamic. With a D2 diesel setup, you only get 3.6 l/100 km and, as we said earlier, 94 g/km of CO2 emissions.
In 2013, Volvo is planning to launch a new 4 cylinder engine range that is based on a platform called VEA (Volvo Environmental Architecture). Both petrol and diesel engines will fall into that category and there will be something for everyone, assure us from Volvo.
“”It is time for the industry to stop counting cylinders. 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,” says Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development at Volvo Car Corporation.
Source: Volvo
The Volvo S40 1.6D DRIVe featuring the new Start/Stop technology has scooped the top honour and been named Green Car of the Year at the prestigious 2009 What Car? Green Car Awards.
Volvo is the official Automotive Sponsor of this year’s Grand Designs Live at London’s ExCeL taking place from 25th April – 4th May. Grand Designs Live is the UK’s number one consumer show for design and innovation, and showcases the very best in cutting-edge contemporary design, inspiring ideas and green living, making it the perfect place to demonstrate both the low CO2-emitting DRIVe range and the innovative City Safety technology.
At the Geneva motor show, Volvo Cars is presenting no less than seven fuel-efficient DRIVe models. All with best-in-class CO2 emission levels. The extremely low figures for the C30, S40 and V50 have been achieved thanks to an advanced Start/Stop system. 
Volvo Cars is the only manufacturer in the car industry with a complete model range featuring textiles that are so clean that they are certified according to the Oeko-Tex standard. 
Volvo Cars’ Finnish subsidiary is celebrating its eightieth birthday. The company named OY Volvo Auto AB was first registered on 10 July 1928. And now, in this anniversary year, the Volvo brand has moved up into third place in the new-car registration rankings with a market share of seven per cent in Finland. 
The two-litre turbodiesel version of the Volvo C30, S40 and V50 is now also available with a fully-automatic transmission.
A number of distinctive design cues take the new Volvo S40 a visual step closer to the new S-range look as first shown on the all-new Volvo S80. At the same time, the V50 approaches the new V-range and the all-new V70 without compromising on its original compact and sporty attributes.”When it comes to the exterior, we’re aiming for increased differentiation between the two models. The interior refinements have focused on liberating smart storage space,” says Volvo Cars Design Director Steve Mattin.