2006 Geneva Motor Show, Part VII

2006 Geneva Motor Show Coverage by TCC Team (2/19/2006) 

 

Volvo S80

 

Volvo Cars is facing the most new-car launches ever in the company’s history, starting with the new C70 coupe-convertible just issued. Over the next three years Volvo will introduce seven new models and, according to Fredrik Arp, president and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation, his company is shooting for a target of 600,000 cars sold annually. “To achieve this, improved product quality, further development of our car portfolio, and putting more effort in developing existing and emerging markets are essential,” Arp said at Volvo’s Geneva press conference.

 

The first car in the product offensive is the C70 coupe convertible that was launched earlier this year. The upcoming S80, unveiled in Geneva , is the next. We expect to see the production version of the small C30 hatchback in September in Paris , in European as well as U.S. versions. With the new generation of the S80, Volvo may have a real competitor to the Mercedes E-Class, the BMW 5-Series, and the Audi A6.

 

The new S80 adopts the sophisticated styling of the VCC concept car that was unveiled in 2003. The interior keeps the simple forms that emerged in the S40 and V50 as well. The S80 also has the first Personal Car Communicator, which allows the driver to check from a distance if the car has been locked and the alarm has been activated. The system even can sense if there is a person in the car.

 

The S80 will be available with the same 315 hp V-8 engine that was introduced recently in the XC90. For this version all-wheel drive is standard. In Europe, AWD will be an option as well as the Four-C (Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept) semi-active suspension. We expect it to be the same for the North American market.
Volvo also has a brand-new in-line six available for the S80. This 3.2-liter powerplant replaces the 2.9-liter six-cylinder and delivers 238 hp. The well-known 2.5-liter turbo five and five-cylinder diesel with 185 hp also will be available.

 

Volvo hopes to sell 50,000 units per year in its main markets North America, Germany, England, and Sweden. Sales will start in June.

 

 

Pininfarina’s Four Models

 

Pininfarina may not be its own car brand, but it does have four recent models on display in Geneva. Besides the new Alfa Spider, the Italian designer and coachbuilder helped design and engineer three of the coupe-convertibles on the Geneva show floor: the Volvo C70, the Ford Focus CC, and the Mitsubishi Colt CZC. And of course, there’s the Pininfarina-designed Ferrari F599 GTB Fiorano. The Torino-based company builds the C70 in the Swedish Uddevalla facility that is a joint venture of with Volvo. The Focus CC, Colt CZC and the Alfa Spider will all be built in its Italian facilities. In the meantime, Pininfarina has also styled, developed, and engineered projects for several Chinese manufacturers, such as Brilliance, Chery, and Dongfeng.

 

Audi A6 allroad quattro

 

Crossovers are a big new trend, but back in 2000, Audi already had its first crossover, the A6-based allroad quattro. In Geneva, Audi’s Chairman of the Board, Prof. dr. Martin Winterkorn, unveiled the second generation of the allroad, which now fits between the A6 Avant and the new Q7. Just like its predecessor, the allroad has permanent all-wheel drive (quattro) and some off-road features, such as the stainless-steel protection underneath the front and rear of the car. The allroad sets itself apart from the A6 Avant with styling details such as larger outside mirrors, different bumpers, and a chrome grille. Audi hopes the new version will be as successful as the first one, of which 88,000 units have been sold. The new model is more spacious and has more luxurious equipment than before; its length of 194 inches and a wheelbase of 111.4 inches give it a cabin that provides room for five passengers and their luggage.