Volvo

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Volvo V70 – More Extras Than A Dutch Brothel…

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Icy out there? Then the V70 is probably the safest car on the road without four-wheel drive. In fact, it’s most likely safer than most 4x4s too because it has been built to Sweden’s exacting standards.

To drive this point home, the press office has added more extras to our test car than offered by a Dutch brothel. Here’s a run down of the two main packs.

Driver Support Pack (£1,900) – collision warning with full auto brake; pedestrian and cyclist detection; adaptive cruise control with distance alert; queue assist; lane departure warning; driver alert control with active high beam; road sign information display and blind spot information system.

Winter Pack with Active Bending Headlights (£350) – heated front seats and windscreen, active bending xenon headlights and headlight cleaning system.

All that is above and beyond a standard V70. Volvo claims that by 2020, their cars won’t be responsible for any crashes – that will only be down to driver error. No pressure on me in these wintery conditions then…

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VW Golf GTI Performance Pack – Why Do They Use Tartan Seat Cloth In The GTI?

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Talk about the emperor’s new clothes… Can anybody tell me why they use tartan seat cloth in the Golf GTI? I’m in touch with my Scottish  but is there some other deep and meaningful reason for it?

Apparently, the Germans have a bit of a thing for it which dates back to the 1950s. In those days, Mercedes used to give each of their racing drivers different coloured tartan seats. Fangio had red and Stirling Moss sat on green.

VW has used the Jacara cloth as standard in GTIs for years but I’m not certain it’s the best option, from a couture point of view. And if you feel the same as me, your dealer will charge you an extra £1700 to upgrade to leather.

I would hesitate to suggest this might put a lot of people off. Sure, it’s quirky and different but also strangely dated and rather unappealing. It’s the one feature of this latest GTI I could live without…

 

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Volvo XC60 – A Rival For the Germans

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I feel like a bit of a fraud driving the XC60. Mainly because I don’t have a family and my hound, Malin, is just as happy on the front seat of a Porsche Boxster as a thumping SUV.

If I was in the family way, so to speak, then the Volvo would be worthy of serious consideration. Which considering I would never have been seen dead in a Volvo estate ten years ago is quite some achievement!

Just like Germany’s magnificent seven against Brazil, this is something of a surprise. I’ve enjoyed it more than Audi’s Q5 and it packs an awful lot more equipment than the BMW X3 too, although it doesn’t drive as well.

Cosmetic changes to the XC60 last year have improved the Volvo still further and I reckon it has the most comfortable seats of any car I’ve driven this year, Bentley included. Yes, the 2.4 diesel engine is a little noisy and the array of safety devices can sanitise the fun but this is an excellent family SUV.

Sensible yes but a worthy rival to German premium brands…

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Volvo XC60 – The Second Coming

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It’s 12 years since Volvo launched its first SUV. The XC90 was incredibly good, which is one reason why the new version doesn’t appear on the market until later this year. Why change a winning formula?

After the success of that car, Volvo put its foot to the floor and produced a whole raft of chunky-looking sports utility vehicles. Last year’s facelift to the XC60 has helped create a car that will fit perfectly into your family life.

And one key reason why buyers opt for the Volvo over other premium brand SUVs is the cabin. It’s not just well-built and an ergonomic joy but simply beautiful to look at too.

Comfortable, refined and very classy, the XC60 may not be as exciting to drive as a BMW X3 but as a package, it’s a whole lot better…

 

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Volvo XC60 – Light Fantastic Beam

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I’m just back from five days riding a motorbike around Spain. The Spanish are ‘enthusiastic’ drivers and equally nuts in a car. However, they are particularly bad at dipping their headlights at night, which is annoying and dangerous if you are the oncoming motorcyclist.

What Spain needs is more XC60s. Why? Well, Car Couture’s test car is fitted with a system called Driver Support Pack. It’s a £1900 extra but probably the most advanced lighting system I’ve ever used.

The XC60 has sensors that continually monitor for blind spots and oncoming traffic, then adjust the headlights accordingly. Lots of other cars have this type of system but the Volvo one is so advanced, it’s constantly changing the headlight beam projection with the movement of the vehicle.

My favourite is when you follow a car and the Volvo system cleverly dims the lighting area that would have otherwise blinded the motorist in front. The main beam stays active on both sides of the car in front.

Does it work? Yes it does but Driver Support Pack takes some getting used to. My eyes started following the beam, rather than the road on several occasions. Clever but whether it is worth you hard-earned £1900 might be another issue…

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Volvo XC60 – Volvos Were Never Meant To Be This Sexy…

 

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Remember the wedge-shaped Volvo 480? Not many people do but back in the mid-eighties, this sleek four-seater was seen as radical. It was a total break from the norm for a company that produced lumpy estate cars with the aerodynamics of a brick.

Apparently, the 480 was designed many years before by a man who was almost hung, drawn and quartered by his Swedish bosses for suggesting something so outrageously different. Hell, this was Volvo and we don’t do sexy! Volvos were designed soley to carry sofas, while being capable of hitting an elk at 60mph.

Well, that’s all changed and for further proof, just Google the all new Polestar models that are the hottest Volvos ever built. Even the ‘everyday’ cars are pretty smart too. Just take a loot at the XC60. If you have to make the school run, then this is an SUV that your kid won’t mind stepping out of.

There’s not to much 4×4 ‘bling’ about the styling either, it doesn’t shout about it’s four-wheel drive credentials. Yes, it’s taller and more butch than your average hatchback but if you want a Volvo that is a tiny, weeny bit sexy as well as practical and safe, this is it….

 

 

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Volvo XC60 – With Fart Alert

 

141634_4_13Volvo will replace the hugely popular XC90 later this year – the giant SUV was the family car that really turned things around for the Swedish car maker. But if you want a taste of what the next generation model will be like, there are plenty of clues in the current XC60 we have on test.

The smaller XC60 has rugged, robust looks, wrapped up in a stylish bodyshell that holds it own against the likes of BMW and Audi. At £36k, it has too because top spec Volvos aren’t cheap these days.

The XC is available with either front wheel, or all-wheel drive, so unless you need mud-plugging ability, save cash and buy the former.

As you would expect, the XC60 is equipped with every piece of safety equipment you might imagine. That includes lane departure warning and a light in the door mirrors that warn you if a passing car is going through your blind spot. It probably has an alert for farting passengers too but I haven’t found that yet.

More tomorrow when I have learnt how to open the windows…

 

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Lotus Elise S Club Racer – Like Kate Moss On A Diet

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“In short, it’s a little animal…’ says the press release. I already have two, little animals at home but after 30 minutes in the Elise, I think I might find space for another one.

The S Club Racer was only launched at Goodwood Festival of Speed last year. It’s primarily aimed at enthusiasts who want an ‘off the shelf’ track car.

If you think Caterham 7 then you won’t go far wrong. You could use the Club Racer as an everyday drive but you would need an osteopath by the end of it.

However, you would die of pain with a smile on your face because despite the rock hard seats, the minimalist interior and impracticalities, it’s bloody great fun!

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Friday – Fisherman’s Friend

cropped-img_1743.jpgGreg French’s 1991 Holden is a terrible car. He’d be the first to admit that the rust and pale bluehatchback has seen better times. In fact, when he turned up to collect me at Launceston Airport – that’s Launceston Tasmania, not Cornwall – I thought he must have been collecting somebody else.

Nope, my fishing guide for two days was there to collect me and the horrible Holden was going to transport me across the island to a remote location on the even more remote central plateau. After 38 hours of flying without sleep, I can’t say I was that impressed.

Soon the tarmac road ran out, then the gravel track, until finally we were crashing along over a rocky lane through the woods, miles from anywhere.

The Holden has covered 250,000 miles and cost around £1400. Greg expects to get 400,000 miles out of it but that doesn’t stop him bundling along at 45mph over a road that would frighten a Range Rover owner.

Greg believes in using his cars to the full, regardless of the consequences. So while everybody else drives a rufty tufty 4×4, we bottomed out on boulders and roots with alarming regularity.

After 40 miles of rough stuff, I had relaxed my grip on the melted dashboard and realised the Holden was tougher than it looked. Greg told me he prefers to spend his money on travelling rather than cars. I expect he will still be driving the same car when I return in a few years time…

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Wednesday – Hot & Cold

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Jeremy Last day with the V40. I might have been a bit harsh about Volvo’s family hatchback. I really do like the way it looks and the interior, especially the dashboard, is a neat piece of work.

Quality is up there with Volkswagen and the seats in particular are comfy and substantial – I like the way the rear headrests drop forward when not required too.

I have found rear visibility a little lacking because of the small screen but the trade off is that the boot is a decent size for a small hatch.

While neither Jessica or I truly got to grips with the heating system, I can tell you the heated seats are quick to warm up – as if the heated front screen which clears in seconds.