Volvo’s 2008 Lineup Announced

For every year model, it is expected of car manufacturers to improve their lineup. These improvements can either be slight changes or totally redesigning a particular auto model. Volvo, the Swedish brand currently owned by the Ford Motor Company under its Premiere Automotive Group (PAG), has announced its lineup for the 2008 model year. The production of their 2008 model year vehicles started May 14. These vehicles will be available to consumers by the month of July.

For their 2008 model year vehicles, Volvo made the auxiliary input for MP3 players as a standard feature. The company is the first to offer that for their range of cars mass produced for the global market. Some of the vehicles on Volvo’s lineup for the 2008 model year have been redesigned totally while keeping the prices lower to make them available to more car buyers. The company known for safe cars is also fast becoming known for their concern for the environment with a lineup which includes flex-fuel vehicles.

For the 2008 model year, Volvo will introduce the new generation of the S40 sedan and its wagon counterpart, the V50. Both the sedan and the wagon have undergone a redesign which brought them closer to the bigger S80 and V70. Both the interior and exterior of the Volvo V50 and the S40 have been improved to make them more appealing to car buyers. Safety features are, of course, a given for these auto models.

Another redesigned model will also be introduced by Volvo for the 2008 model year comes in the form of the S60. The sedan is equipped with a long list of safety features and a host of consumer comfort and convenience features such as the six speakers that come with the Performance audio system and an in-dash CD player. Aesthetically, the vehicle looks good with its 16-inch alloy wheels and leather steering wheel.

For the Volvo S80 sedan, the changes made are minor compared to the S40 and the V50. Some of the new features that the S80 have are the availability of a new exterior color scheme and two new alloy wheel options. On the inside, a new wood trim will be available to heighten the “Scandinavian luxury” theme that Volvo has made popular. In terms of its powerplant, the diesel engine option for the S80 will be available with an all-wheel drive configuration for the 2008 model year.

The diesel engines have been improved by Volvo giving the engines a quieter operation. This was made possible by the use of new injectors, a revised oil sump, and changes to the engine mounts. For the gasoline engines, the lineup used in the 2007 model year will be available for the 2008 model year. The engines are equipped with Volvo oxygen sensors for better fuel economy.

The S80’s wagon version, the Volvo V70, will be offered in three trim levels. These are the S, SE, and the Special Edition trim package. Engine options include the 2.4-liter gasoline, the 2.4-lite and the 2.5-liter diesel engines. The 2.5-liter diesel is turbocharged to provide more power. Both manual and Geartronic transmissions are available to be paired with these engines.

The best-selling Volvo, the XC90, was revised and it will be available for the 2008 model year with major exterior and interior upgrades. For the exterior of the mid-size luxury crossover sport luxury vehicle, three new colors are added to the existing options. An XC90 is incidentally up for grabs as Volvo once again partnered in the promotion of the newest Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean film.

The newest addition to Volvo’s lineup is the compact C30. The model shows that the Swedish company is departing from it reputation as a producer of boxy cars. For the 2008 model year, the C30 will be available with flex-fuel engine which means it can run on pure gasoline or a combination of gasoline and bio-ethanol. The addition of the flex-fuel engine is not the only revision to the engine lineup for the C30. The turbocharged engine was upgraded to provide more power.

For its exterior, the C30 will be available with three new colors. Safety features are added to the already long list of safety features for the C30. The 2008 Volvo C30 will be equipped with a system that will flash the hazard lights if any airbag is activated. The Emergency Brake Light is also added to the features of the C30. This features flashes all the car’s brake lights at a very fast rate when the driver performs an emergency braking action. These additions made the C30 even safer than its predecessor.

The Volvo C70 convertible underwent some interior upgrades for the 2007 model year. The floating stack that Volvo popularized was revised to make it more convenient to use. A more compact handbrake design is also part of the upgrades to the coupe/convertible. The T5 engine for the C70 also underwent revisions to increase its power output.