Let’s get this right out in the open: Why do the Swedes get all the fun? How awesome is this Volvo C30 “Performance Concept” prototype? It packs a 405 horsepower and 376 ft-lbs turbocharged 5-cylinder T5 motor (similar to the one used in the Ford Focus RS500), all-wheel-drive, front-and-rear limited slip differentials, Öhlins suspension components, Brembo brakes, and, yeah…you get the idea.

The body kit is similar to the one used on the — defending champion — Polestar Racing STCC (Swedish Touring Car Championship) C30 race car. Polestar Racing is the official partner of Volvo Cars in the STCC and is used to winning on the track. Polestar Performance Power Operations is an aftermarket line of upgrades sold through the Volvo dealer network — and it appears they’ve applied a bunch of their tricks here.

It’ll be unveiled in full at the Gothenburg Motorshow, held from April 22-25 2010.

Full specs (in slightly broken English) and a video of the heavenly-sounding Polestar Racing STCC Volvo C30 embedded after the jump!

It’s not ever often that we get to use the words Volvo and cool in the same sentence, but this is definitely one of those times. In fact, the last time we did so might be when K-Pax unveiled its World Challenge Volvo S60 race cars. Well, it’s no surprise then that the newest cool Volvo is also an S60, and it’s also a race car.

Ford Motor Co. has announced it has reached a final agreement to sell its Swedish Volvo brand to China’s Geely Holding Group. The sale price is set at $1.8 billion, a fraction of the $6.5 billion Ford paid to buy Volvo back in 1999. The sale of the Volvo brand completes Ford’s corporate strategy to sell-off all its luxurious European brands. In 2008 Ford sold the Jaguar and Land Rover brands to India’s Tata Motors for $2.3 billion, while in 2007 the divestiture began with the sale of Aston Martin for just under one billion. These strategic moves are partially to credit for Ford’s ability to stave off bankruptcy during the recent recession.

“Volvo is a great brand with an excellent product lineup. This agreement provides a solid foundation for Volvo to continue to build its business under Geely’s ownership,” said Ford president and CEO Alan Mulally. “At the same time, the sale of Volvo will allow us to further sharpen our focus on building the Ford brand around the world and continue to deliver on our One Ford plan serving our customers with the very best cars and trucks in the world.”

Li Shufu, chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Company Limited, commented in a statement that, “Zhejiang Geely would like to pay tribute to Ford’s stewardship of the Volvo brand, and we look forward to continued cooperation as Volvo embarks on the next stage of its evolution with Geely.”

For its part Ford will continue to provide Volvo with certain components (including powertrains) for a limited time, although it will retain no part of the Volvo Cars company. Ford has also agreed to provide support in the form of engineering, tooling and information technology. Both Ford and Volvo have agreed to certain rules regarding intellectual property. The deal is subject to regulatory approval.

“The Volvo management team fully endorses Ford’s sale of Volvo Cars to Geely. said Stephen Odell, CEO of Volvo Cars. “We believe this is the right outcome for the business, and will provide Volvo Cars with the necessary resources, including the capital investment, to strengthen the business and to continue to move it forward in the future.”

Official release after the jump:

Volvo has decided to axe the V70 wagon model from its product lineup in North America. The news comes as a result of a leaked dealer document obtained by Autoblog. The decision was reportedly made as sales of the XC60 and XC90 have stolen buyers at either end and so offering the V70 just didn’t make sense any more. As a way to keep V70 lovers coming back to Volvo, the Swedish automaker has decided to offer a front-drive version of the XC70 wagon (essentially a lifted V70) starting in 2011.

Volvo is following a trend by European automakers to bring their products further down market, with plans to introduce a new compact crossover based on the C30 hatchback. Likely to be called the XC30, this would be the fourth SUV/Crossover in the company’s lineup and slot in underneath the new XC60 model.

Volvo unveiled its new S60 at the Geneva Auto Show, trumpeting one of its biggest features: a pedestrian detection system.

Volvo will debut its new 2011 S60 model at the Geneva Auto Show this March, just over a year since the S60 concept first appeared at the Detroit Auto Show back in 2009 and a decade after the original S60 was introduced.

According to a recent report, Ford’s sale of Volvo to Chinese automaker Geely could go through as early as February 8th. Ford and Geely have already announced they are working out details of a plan with the latest rumor indicating that the sale could be for as little as $1.6 billion, with a $1.8 billion asking price more likely.

Ford Motor Co. and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely) have reached a general agreement on the terms of a sale that would see Ford’s loss making Volvo unit sold to the Chinese automaker. An initial agreement is set to be signed in the first quarter of 2010, with the transaction complete in Q2.

Volvo will present a battery-powered  electric C30 at the Detroit Auto Show in January, with plans to build a test fleet of 50 vehicles for real-world testing in 2011.

Volvo’s entire product lineup is in a state of change as the Swedish automaker works to update models with new curvy designs inspired by the brand’s revolutionary XC60 luxury crossover. The latest two models to receive the stylistic upgrade are the C70 convertible and C30 hatchback.

A cruise on Highway 1 heading north from Jenner to Stewarts Point along the rugged California coastline shows off a sophisticated ride quality and fancy appointments bound into the powerful S80 V8; the elegant flagship of the Volvo brand.

Ford’s sale of its Swedish Volvo brand to Chinese automaker Geely has moved one step closer to completion with news that the two companies have reached an agreement on intellectual property rights issues.

It’s a satchel, not a purse! There is the difference between a leather handbag a man might use to carry his extra papers and nick-knacks in and the latest fashionable ladies’ offering from Dolce and Gabbana. Men buy utility, speed, and convenience, and women buy fashion. Uniqueness has its own raison d’etre.

Volvo will use the Geneva Auto Show next March as the platform to debut its new S60 luxury sedan. The Swedish automaker has even released two images of what the upcoming vehicle will look like and we’re happy to report that much of the more dynamic styling from the concept car has been carried over. Volvo is making a big push to update its image as of late, with vehicles like the XC60, as well as the refreshed V70 and C30.

Ford named Chinese automaker Geely Holding Co. as its preferred bidder for Volvo.

Volvo will bring diesel engines as well as diesel-hybrids to North America in the future says the company’s North American CEO. Doug Speck made the comments to Automotive News, as the automaker is faced with the same lofty corporate fuel economy standards as the rest of the industry, which will see automakers average 35.5 mpg by 2016.

For several months Chinese automaker Geely has been touted as the front runner in the bid for Volvo, but  now a U.S.-based group has emerged with a credible offer.

Tomorrow, if you pick up a copy of USA Today or The Washington Post, you’re likely to see Volvo’s full page ad, calling for legislation on “distracted driving.” The ads come on the very day that the U.S. Department of Transportation begins its two day Distracted Driving Summit to discuss the issue. Along with senior DOT staff, the summit will also host elected officials, safety advocates, academics and law enforcement representatives. Volvo, however, is not a participant, although the company that has built a reputation for vehicles that are, above all else, safe, obviously has something to say on the matter.

“With the proliferation of cell phone use and text messaging while behind the wheel, distracted driving is on the rise and is a leading cause of traffic accidents,” said Doug Speck, Volvo Cars North America president and CEO. “Reasonable laws that help focus a driver’s attention on the road will help reduce collisions, just as laws to enforce seat belt use have helped save lives. By holding this summit, the DOT is demonstrating its commitment to resolve an ever-growing safety issue.”

Along with numerous safety innovations throughout the decades, more recently Volvo prides itself on electronic systems such as lane departure warning or even the new “City Safety” system which debuted on the XC60 (above), that can actually stop the vehicle when a collision is detected.

Currently only seven states have banned cell phone use (without a hands-free device) while driving, while 18 states have laws against texting while driving.

Official release after the jump:

At the Frankfurt Auto Show, Volvo officially unveiled a sporty R-Design package for the XC60, giving the brand’s progressive luxury crossover an even more appealing look.

Along with a redesigned version of the C30 hatchback, Volvo also debuted a facelifted C70 model at the Frankfurt Auto Show. While the retractable hard-top convertible isn’t entirely new for 2010, the redesign shows a noticeably different body with design cues from the S60 Concept and the new XC60 crossover. Volvo will also offer the C70 in a new Flamenco Red Pearl paint. Out back, the C70 now also gets LED tail lights.

Volvo to chose the Frankfurt Auto Show to debut a mid-cycle makeover for the C30 premium hatchback.

The Volvo C30 will get a much needed facelift for 2010, debuting at the Frankfurt Auto Show next week alongside the modernized C70.

Set to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in mid-September is the new 2010 Volvo C70 retractable hard-top convertible. While the car isn’t entirely new, the redesign shows a noticeably different body with design cues from the S60 Concept and the new XC60 crossover. Volvo will also offer the C70 in a new Flamenco Red Pearl paint. Out back, the C70 now also gets LED tail lights.

Ford’s sale of Swedish automaker Volvo to China’s Geely Automotive may start next month.

Volvo’s XC90 is perhaps somewhat of an enigma. When it first skidded out onto the street in 2002, it represented a new market segment for the Swedish automaker. Bigger and heavier than any Volvo before, it was designed specifically for North American buyers, yet incorporated a good deal of Scandinavian sensibilities.

Volvo will show an all electric version of its entry-level C30 hatchback at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September. News of the expected unveiling comes from the U.S.’s AutoCar, saying that the model will be displayed and driven at the Innovation for Life event, which will take place shortly after the auto show.

You’ve heard it all before, European styling, performance-tuned suspension, unrivalled safety and fun to drive. But, when you’re actually shopping for a small, near luxury sedan, there are surprisingly few in North America that actually come close to delivering these qualities mentioned. Since it’s introduction midway through 2004, one car that has, is the second generation Volvo S40 T5 R-Design.

Volvo has just announced that it will offer an R-Design version of the new XC60 crossover. Officially set to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September, the package includes a long list of exterior and interior features, as well as a sportier ride.

In 2007 Volvo partnered with Swedish energy company Vattenfall to examine ways to work together and now the duo has agreed to develop a plug-in diesel hybrid for production by 2012. This summer Volvo will unveil three initial test vehicles based on the V70 wagon.

Imagine this scene; “M” finally grows tired of covering for James Bond’s shenanigans and orders him into therapy for his violent nature. As a result, he’s forced to give up the keys to the Aston Martin and instead must tool around in a Barents Blue Metallic ($525 paint option, sparkles are expensive) Volvo XC70 T6. The zen-like quality of the interior, absence of road noise, and Bluetooth-equipped Dynaudio Premium sound system combine to allow him to finally achieve inner peace and simultaneously pick up Ms. Moneypenny for an off-road rendezvous at a rural country estate. Sound like the opening plot for the intrepid agent’s next adventure? Such was our assignment (sans Moneypenny) for a weekend test drive in Los Angeles recently. Turn in the key for one hot little sporty car and receive a Volvo in exchange. Was it ultimately “mission accomplished”?

It is said that being the middle child in a family can sometimes be problematic. Not so for the 2010 Volvo XC60.

According to a report in China’s Oriental Morning Post, the Chinese government has, for its part, approved a deal that would see Chinese automaker Chery buy Volvo from Ford.

Volvo has returned to pro-racing in North America and will field a team of S60 race cars in the 2009 SPEED World Challenge GT series.

Looking almost crossover-like, the Volvo S60 Concept is undeniably an embellished version of the S60 that will make it to production for 2010. Volvo is, after all, one of the most conservatively styled manufacturers on the planet.

Other than the obvious design cues, Volvo will introduce several significant updates with the S60 as well as one new industry leading safety feature.

That feature is called “Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake” and what it does is detect when a pedestrian steps out in front of the car. At first it will give the driver a warning and if the driver does not react in time, the vehicle will apply the brakes. At speeds 20 km/h (12.4 mph) and below the system will bring the car to a complete halt. At any other speed, the system will reduce the speed by 20 km/h, which, says Volvo, will reduce the impact force by 75 percent.

The S60 concept will be on display at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, and will showcase a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder with direct injection technology. Output is an impressive 180hp.

The production version S60 will have direct injection although we expect there to be a larger powerplant for the North American market. The production S60 will also come with another first for Volvo, a dual-clutch gearbox.

Official press release after the jump: