Volvo Cars issue ultimatum to suppliers for 20% price cut

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Volvo Cars has issued an ultimatum to its Swedish suppliers, telling them they would have to slash prices by a fifth by 2015, Swedish economic newspaper Dagens Industri said Friday.

Axel Maschka, the purchasing director for the firm, "told about 400 representatives of sub-contractors active in Sweden that lowering prices by 20 percent is the condition for them to participate in the expansion launched by Volvo to manufacture 800,000 vehicles in 2020".

Volvo sold 449,000 vehicles in 2011, including half of which were sold in Europe.

The loss-making carmaker, which was acquired by Chinese firm Geely from Ford in 2010, wants to quadruple sales in China to 200,000 vehicles a year from 47,000 sold in 2011.

Volvo has been struggling to improve demand, and announced in early September that it lost 254 million krona (30 million euros) in the first half.

Maschka did not confirm his ultimatum to Dagens Industri but said he hoped to increase the company's supply from China in order to meet the 2020 sales target.

"We are planning to buy about 25 percent from Chinese suppliers. We will reinforce our cooperation with Geely over our purchases in China," he said.

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Volvo Reveals Details Of High Performance C30 PCP

Volvo is reportedly planning to launch a performance division for their cars. Similar to the AMG from Mercedes-Benz, Volvo is planning on strengthening its ties with Polestar and making the racing outfit its full-fledged performance sub-division. And the first car that we will see from Volvo’s performance sub-division will be a hot C30 Polestar Performance Concept Prototype (PCP), based on the all-wheel drive C30 hatchback we were introduced to last year.
Polestar is responsible for Volvo’s racing cars in Scandinavian and World Touring Car Championships. It has also developed a performance version of the S60 road car. Thus, Polestar seemed to be the ideal one to fit into Volvo’s plans.
The production version of the C30 concept is expected to feature a twin turbo five cylinder engine under the hood, producing 400 hp. This will accelerate the car from 0 to 100 km/hr in less than five seconds. We can also expect to see this car in an all-wheel drive platform. The price of the car is currently projected at around £50,000 and at this steep rate, we can surely expect to see several high-tech and advanced features, focused on improving performance of this car. If approved, 500 units of this model will be produced by the automaker.
The production car will carry the Performance Concept Prototype (PCP) badge. Volvo also plans to extend its performance car range with its new performance sub-division and all future cars from the performance sub-division will carry the PCP badge.

2011 Volvo S60 T6: Quick Drive

Life behind the wheel of a 2011 Volvo S60 T6 is good, so good in fact it's hard to find any major issues with it.  Recently, Volvo was kind enough to toss me the key fob to their latest mid-sized offering for a week and let me put it though the paces of typical everyday life.  From rush hour commutes and quick sprints for Chinese take-out, to a three hour countryside drive; the S60 passed each test with high marks.  My initial expectation was a predictable blend of comfort and safety, but to my surprise Volvo has added an extra dash of performance.
The graceful contoured lines of the current generation S60 continues the design progression past the trademarked boxy profile of Volvos past.  Though an inch longer than the previous model, the latest S60 appears more compact giving the impression of a more manageable sized car in tighter situations.  A distinct forward pitch in the car's profile gives the S60 a slightly aggressive stance, however the car feels very level, well balanced and exhibits minimal body roll. Volvo succeeds in delivering a sporty ride without sacrificing comfort, a character trait most likely attributed to the Dynamic chassis setup which comes standard.


Interior detail of the four door coupe doesn't disappoint, another example of the exceptional build quality we've come to expect from the Swedish car maker.  The combination of high grade materials and precise construction convey a comfortable and refined feel.  Seating appointments are well trimmed in exotic grained leather and make time sitting in traffic much more bearable - dare I say enjoyable.  The front driver and passenger seats are equipped with Volvo's trademarked Whiplash Protection System and include three levels of heated comfort for colder months.  Communication, entertainment and navigation interfaces are all displayed on well-placed dash mounted LCD screen located at the top of the center stack.  I found the dual view feature backup camera very useful when backing into tighter than normal parking spots.  Thoughtful controls for clever features, like the retractable rear passenger headrests, are all kept within a short reach.  Overall, the S60 is a very driver friendly car with intuitive controls and multiple modes of feedback.



Under the hood, the transverse-mounted turbocharged 3.0 liter mill provides a healthy amount of power.  As tested, the S60 tipped the scales at just over 3800 pounds but with 300 hp and a relatively short 109-inch wheelbase, the stout little four door squirts through traffic with ease.  Power delivery is crisp and steering feedback is sharp and free from any noticeable torque steer, a perfect pairing in a very predictable and capable all-wheel drive chassis.  The turbocharged in-line six pushes the car from a dead stop to 60 mph in brief five and a half seconds and tops triple digit speeds in a just over thirteen. Performance numbers like these not only puts the S60 T6 on par with comparable BMW, Audi, and Mercedes models, but also serves as a shot over the bow of the German automakers, illustrating how the 2011 Volvo brings more to the game than just safety.


My Vibrant Copper Metallic test mule was equipped with every safety option possible including Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Pedestrian Detection.  Continuing with their track record of ground breaking innovations, Volvo's Pedestrian Detection is a feature that combines a radar sensor and windshield mounted camera to detect foot traffic in the vehicle's path.  An audible alarm paired with a flashing red heads up indicator alerts the driver of a possible pedestrian collision.  If the driver doesn't respond, the Full Auto Brake feature kicks in applying the brakes with full force.  Although I wasn't able to find any volunteers to test the detection system, I trust it works as well as countless other revolutionary safety devices born from Volvo test labs.

Volvo S60 T5 R-Design

Volvo war in den letzten Jahren ein wenig auf Imagesuche. Lange Zeit nannte selbst jedes Kind „Volvo“, wenn es um die sicherste Automarke ging.

Durch das Gleichziehen der Konkurrenz – untermauert noch durch den Euro-NCAP-Crashtest - musste Volvo sein Image um andere Qualitäten erweitern.

Dies gelang mit der Hinwendung zu dynamischeren Formen plus einem sportlichen Touch in Sachen Motoren und Fahrwerke. Aktuellstes und wohl auch gelungenstes Beispiel: Der smarte Mittelklassler S60 samt seinem Kombi-Derivat V60.

Nun setzt Volvo mit dem „R-Design“ noch eins drauf, gewissermaßen ein „rollendes R“ (Volvo heißt ja: „Ich rolle“). Die Sport-Variante basiert dabei auf dem „Kinetic“, also der ersten der drei gehobenen Ausstattungsstufen – darüber folgen noch „Momentum“ und „Summum“.

Markante R-Designmerkmale

Außen erkennt man das „R-Design“ an der tiefergezogenen Front- und Heckschürze, einer Heckspoilerlippe, Außenspiegeln in mattem Chromdesign und einem Doppel-Auspuffrohr. Ebenfalls Erkennungsmerkmale: Der mit Klavierlack überzogene Kühlergrill und die 18-Zoll-Leichtmetallfelgen mit jeweils fünf Speichen.

Innen findet man Sportsitze sowie zweifarbige Leder- und Textilpolster mit Kontrastnähten. Lenkrad, Schalthebel, Pedale und Fußmatten besitzen ihr eigenes „R-Design“, die Instrumente sind blau unterlegt.

Zum Optik-Pep gibt es auch handfeste Ware: Etwa ein um 15 Millimeter tiefergelegtes Sportfahrwerk mit um 15 Prozent strafferen Federn, adaptierte Stoßdämpfer, dickere Stabilisatoren sowie eine direktere Lenkung.

Bei allen S60-Modellen serienmäßig: ESP, „City Safety System“ (leitet, wenn der Fahrer nicht aufpasst, bei Geschwindigkeiten bis 30 km/h eine Notbremsung ein), sämtliche E-Helfer und sechs Airbags.

Nach wie vor voll da in Sachen Sicherheit

Ganz wollte man die Sicherheits-Tradition somit nicht abschütteln, gegen Aufpreis gibt es dazu noch fast alle derzeit am Markt befindlichen Assistenzsysteme – vom aktiven Abstandsregelsystem über Spurhalte- und „Toter-Winkel“-Assistent bis hin zu Fußgänger-Kollisions- und Müdigkeitswarner.

Standardmäßig kommt der S60 „R-Design“ in einem schön knalligen Rot daher, er kann jedoch auch in sieben weiteren Farben bestellt werden. Sämtliche Motorvarianten stehen zur Auswahl. Sprich: Benziner zwischen 150 und 304 PS sowie Dieselmotoren von 115 bis 215 PS.

Wir wählten mit dem 240 PS starken S60 T5 (entgegen dem Namen kein Fünf-, sondern ein Vierzylinder) nicht gerade die goldene Mitte, aber ein Aggregat, das dem sportlichen Design voll gerecht wird.

Volvo angajeaza 600 de oameni, in toate fabricile

Producatorul suedez de masini Volvo, cumparat anul trecut de chinezii de la Geely, vrea sa-si majoreze capacitatea de productie si sa faca angajari, anticipand o cerere in crestere pentru modele XC60, V60 si S60. In total este vorba despre 600 de noi locuri de munca in toate cele cinci fabrici pe care compania le detine in Europa.

Volvo va recruta 600 de persoane pentru fabricile suedeze din Gothenburg, Olofstrom, Skovde si Floby, precum si in Ghent, Belgia.

“Nu avem masini pe stoc, modelele Volvo XC60, V60 si S60. Trebuie sa investim pentru a sustine cererea in crestere”, a decalrat Stefan Jacoby, presedinte si director general executiv (CEO) al Volvo Car Corporation.

Volvo Cars Body Components din Olofstrom are nevoie de inca 200 de angajati, iar fabrica din Torslanda, Gothenburg, trebuie sa isi mareasa productia de la 52 de masini pe ora la 57, fiind necesari inca 250 de angajati.

Unitatile de productie Volvo Cars Engines din Skovde si Floby isi vor mari capacitatea de productie, avand nevoie de inca 75 de angajati.

In Belgia, la Ghent, Volvo va mai angaja 100 de persoane pentru a mari productia modelului XC60.

In urma cu doua luni Volvo a anuntat decizia de a recruta pana la 1.000 de persoane in Suedia, in special ingineri pentru cercetare si dezvoltare. Aceasta recrutare este in curs de desfasurare si este separata de recrutarea celor 600 de oameni pentru uzine.