Ford sells its Volvo brand to Geely of China

Ford has finally decided to get rid of its Volvo brand. The American company got into an agreement to sell Volvo and related assets to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group of China for Rs 815 crore. The sale is officially expected to be closed by the third quarter of 2010. Much of this time will be consumed in getting permissions from governments in countries where the Swedish brand has presence.

Ford is completely selling off the Volvo brand, and will not keep any of the shares with it. Ford, that bought Volvo in 1999 hasn’t been able to make much of the deal, as the Swedish brand has not made any money since 2005.

As a part of the deal, Ford will keep supplying Volvo critical components. Ford will also reportedly provide support in terms of engineering, IT and other areas before the Chinese company could manage these things all by itself. The deal also includes the use of some of Ford’s intellectual property rights by Volvo and Geely.

Commending on the development, Alan Mulally, Ford’s president and CEO said “Volvo is a great brand with an excellent product line-up. This agreement provides a solid foundation for Volvo to continue to build its business under Geely’s ownership. At the same time, the sale of Volvo will allow us to further sharpen our focus on building the Ford brand around the world.”

 

Geely Chairman Li Shufu, on the occasion, said, Shufu said: "We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Ford, enabling us to safeguard and strengthen Volvo's renowned brand heritage. This transaction will ensure Volvo's continued leadership in the premium segment, where it enjoys a global reputation for safety and environmental-friendly technologies. As part of the proposed transaction, Zhejiang Geely Holdings will maintain the strong collaborative relationships that Volvo has built with employees, unions, suppliers, dealers and above all, customers. On completion, Volvo Cars will be a separate company with its own management team based in Gothenburg, Sweden, and a new board of directors."

Geely has raised the loan for this deal from banks in China, USA and Europe, and loans guaranteed by the governments of Sweden and Belgium. First impressions suggest that production of Volvos will continue in Sweden and Belgium to stay closer to the supplier chain and the main market.

Volvo XC60 arrives - Homologation commences

Delivering on its commitment, Swedish luxury car maker Volvo Auto India brings Volvo XC60 to India as per plans. The car arrived on the Indian shores last week and has been handed over for homologation.

Volvo XC60, expected to be launched in India in the first half of the year, is the first vehicle in a new generation of the contemporary cross-over segment. The Volvo XC60 brings together all the safety knowledge which the company has built up over more than 80 years - making it one of the safest car across all categories.

According to Mr. Paul de Voijs, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India, "As a concentrated step towards building our brand in India, in the first two years, we focussed our efforts towards laying a strong foundation. 2010 is the year wherein we will strengthen our position further and the launch of Volvo XC60 is a step in that direction."

The new Volvo XC60 boasts of an exciting mix of two car styles - down below the capable XC muscles are pumped up, creating a strong athletic body mated with high ground clearance and large wheels. Up above, the flowing lines create the sporty charisma. It is charged with more emotive form and more energy than any other Volvo. The company has elevated its design DNA to an entirely new level by literally turning up the visual volume.

by Motoroids

Heico Sportiv Volvo XC60

Turning firm Heico Sportive has decided to take on the new Volvo XC60 in order to give it a more sporting appearance and an increase in power.

The big news is under the hood as both the 163 hp 2.4D and the 185 hp D5 engines are retuned to produce 210 hp. Higher spec models with the turbocharged T6 engine will now crank out 315 hp instead of 285 hp.

The traditional black plastic body-cladding disappears as it is now painted in the same color as the exterior. Customers can select from either 19" or 20" alloy wheels while other changes include a new dual exhaust system and a 30mm reduction in the vehicle's ride height.

Volvo XC70 Surf Rescue Concept at SEMA

Volvo XC70 Surf Rescue On Patrol at the 2007 SEMA Show

Lifeguards on Southern California's famous beaches have been glamorized by Hollywood for decades. While they share the spirit of adventure and camaraderie, these dedicated men and women are highly trained professionals who take safety very seriously. Half a world away, a Volvo designer in Sweden who is captivated by lifeguard skill competitions accepted the challenge to design a show car for his heroes. The result, Volvo's XC70 Surf Rescue (SR) concept, pays homage to the brave individuals who protect and serve the ocean-going public.

At the Volvo Concept Center in Gothenburg, Sweden, Joel Alexandersson was charged with creating the conceptual design for a one-of-a-kind rescue vehicle that upholds Volvo's core value of safety in a bold and dynamic new way. The XC70 SR's interior concept was assigned to Volvo's styling center in Barcelona, Spain. Larry Abele, design manager at the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center (VMCC) in Camarillo, California, coordinated the global teamwork and vehicle build.

As a testament to Volvo's advanced design capabilities, the XC70 SR concept was initially created in a virtual world. "The entire design process was performed digitally," says Abele. "This enabled us to review and modify the design in real time by projecting it onto large scale screens at each studio."

Volvo selected the Aria Group in Irvine, California, to build the concept. Starting with a production XC70, the Aria team completely stripped the vehicle of its paint, trim, bumpers and interior. Custom-designed parts were crafted for the concept without the traditional method of building clay models. Being able to go directly from digital designs to a process called rapid prototyping greatly reduces development time.

Guided by the surfing lifestyle and casual beach culture, the XC70 SR's paint scheme is developed specifically for the show car by DuPont. Colors are selected from DuPont's Global Advanced Design Show, which represents cutting edge trends in automotive color. The exterior yellow is a multi-layer effect coating incorporating a vibrant color with pearl like qualities. The secondary red uses a tinted clear to produce high chroma with warm undertones. These exotic finishes use DuPont's wet on wet coating technology for multi layer effects without the high cost of multiple baking steps.

Eye-catching Surf Rescue graphics are added for instant recognition on a crowded beach. The exterior also sports a custom-crafted front fascia that wears a one-off milled aluminum billet grille. Front and rear skid plates and wider wheel lip cladding provide extra body protection from flying sand. The new fascias also reduce front and rear overhang, thereby improving approach and departure angles.

The chassis is lifted an additional five inches from the stock ride height for improved ground clearance. It also makes way for a massive set of custom designed 20-inch wheels and Pirelli 275/45R20 tires made specifically for the XC70 SR. The tread is designed for increased grip on loose and sandy soil with the flexibility to provide excellent traction both on and off the road. The rear subframe is beefed-up for added ruggedness with milled aluminum billet components.

True to form, the XC70 SR is topped by a unique aerodynamically designed roof-mounted emergency light bar integrated with a rescue board rack. Not only does this treatment contribute to the stunning good looks of the vehicle, it also helps to reduce wind drag by attaching directly to the XC70's OEM supplied roof rails.

When it's time to respond to a call, the driver or front passenger can activate a barrage of flashing blue strobe emergency lights. In addition to the roof, they're neatly inset into the lower front valance panel, headlight and rear combination light clusters as well as the inside rearview mirror.

Lifeguards get wet and sandy on the job so the interior is modified for heavy-duty use - without sacrificing style. The XC70's standard front bucket and folding rear seats are recovered in wetsuit style neoprene fabric that's custom tailored in black and gray with bright yellow inserts. Decorative interior panels throughout the cabin are yellow tinted with clear to segue with the spirit of the exterior hue.

Bulky emergency rescue gear housed in the cargo compartment can easily be accessed via the XC70's power rear tailgate. Secured to the neoprene covered floor are two scuba tanks, an oxygen tank, a small first aid kit, a resuscitator box and a large waterproof box containing additional medical supplies and surf rescue equipment.

The XC70's 3.2-liter in-line 6-cylinder normally aspirated engine produces 235 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque. It's mated to a six-speed "Geartronic" automatic transmission that enables the driver to shift manually when desired. All-wheel-drive with Instant TractionTM is standard. Electronic Hill Descent Control (HDC) uses the vehicle's brakes and engine torque to crawl in bottom gear on steep downhill slopes.

Volvo Develops 'Green' C30 Racer For STCC

Volvo Car Corporation will develop an entirely new racing car based on the compact C30, and Volvo will continue to work with bioethanol (E85) and Green Racing in the Swedish Touring Car Championship. Volvo Cars has committed to a three-year development program for the C30.

"The decision to leave this year's racing car, a Volvo S60, was fairly simple. The Volvo C30 is a somewhat smaller and more agile car with excellent driving characteristics, even in the standard version," says Derek Crabb, head of Powertrain and Engine at Volvo Cars and the man recently appointed to lead Volvo's Racing Department.

"Our decision to continue racing is based on the positive attention and the good results that the recently concluded STCC season has meant for Volvo's brand," says Crabb.

The C30 is a far more logical base as a racing car than is the S60. The C30 clearly demonstrates Volvo's environmental technology available on the market, with versions such as the Flexifuel and the upcoming 1.6D Efficiency. The Volvo 1.6D Efficiency has an average fuel consumption of 4.5L/100km (62 mpg-imperial) and CO2 emissions under 120 grams per kilometre.

"Development of the new racing car will be done jointly by Volvo Cars and Polestar Racing, which has successfully handled our participation in STCC for several years. However, it is currently too soon to provide any detailed information about the construction of the new car. The objective, on the other hand, is clear - Volvo will develop a winning car," Crabb concludes.

VOLVO C30 E85 FIA SUPER 2000
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Body:
A standard C30 body reinforced by a safety cage and side impact protection on the driver's side, developed in collaboration with Caran

Aerodynamics:
Front splitter (the lower section of the bumper) and a rear spoiler wing developed by Polestar in Volvo's wind tunnel.

Engine:
An aluminium, transversely mounted, 5-cylinder, inline, four-valve, 1999cc engine.
Only minor modifications are permitted on the cylinder block and cylinder heads, while valves, cam shafts, pistons, connecting rods, and the crankshaft have been replaced by racing-specific components.

Oil: Castrol 5W-30

Power/torque: 215kW+ at 8750 rpm - approx 230Nm at 7300rpm.

Fuel: E85

Exhaust system:
Stainless steel with catalytic emission controls, specially manufactured by Ferrita

Driveline:
6-speed sequential gearbox with straight-cut gears, manufactured by Hewland. Front-wheel drive
Mechanical differential with a torque-controlled ramper and friction discs.
SACHS 184mm two-disc carbon fibre clutch
Oil: Castrol TWS 10W-60.

Weight: Minimum weight 1134kg including driver (58-60 kg)

Front wheel suspension:
Öhlin's struts developed with Polestar. Racing-specific support arms and adjustable anti-sway bar

Rear wheel suspension:
Multilink with coil springs and Öhlin's dampers. Racing-specific support arms and adjustable anti-sway bar

Front brakes:
Performance Friction
Four-piston callipers with radial and axial ventilated discs 332x32mm

Rear brakes:
Alcon two-piston callipers with axial ventilated discs 290x10mm.

Steering:
Servo-assisted rack and pinion

Wheels:
17x10-inch BBS wheels

Tyres:
Michelin 17-inch slicks (no tread) or grooved rain tyres