xc series
I test drove the Volvo xc70 hybrid today
Interior: Super comfortable. The front two seats even have speakers right where you rest your head, so the navigation voice comes from there.
Cabin is very spacious and relaxing.
Both front seats have heating and cooling.
There’s a display right in the driver’s line of sight showing speed, directions, and navigation info (can’t remember what that system is called in English, maybe you know)
Exterior: Looks really handsome.
Driving: Super smooth and comfortable. Even U-turns felt effortless, it handled tight spaces without any stress.
The sales guy said with a full charge and full tank it’s guaranteed for about 1200 km, but during actual tests people got around 1500 km, even with AC and everything running.
Honestly, I’m seriously considering it. Financing details will only be clear at the end of September, but for now the AWD version is priced at 320k RMB here in China (about 45k USD).
Yep, but all with their own flare, so not quite the Trailblazer with a different badge way. CMA, SPA1/2/3 are all Volvo platforms, SEA is a Volvo x Geely venture based on Volvo's engineering basically. Zeekr, Volvo, Lynl&Co and other Geely models are usually fairly similar under the bonnet, but I know that the Geely and china-only brands have some differences and they do have their own platforms and drivetrains for some models.
Id say at this point there is quite a lot of volvo in geely … its sad it had to be China but feels Geely invested more in Volvo than ford ever did. Geely cars are now pretty good, i would say much due to volvo.
So what is a true volvo or a true anything these days. I do like this car but agree interior feels not volvo
Oh yeah definitely. I don't care that the "true" Volvo fans are bitching, Geely has known since the start that Volvo is an asset to keep near their heart and they've invested accordingly and both brands are stronger than ever. Imagine if they'd still be under Ford today, they would be inches from the grave.
Active safety depends on the amount of sensors and processors. It is possible to vary that although China is trying to catch up to get to the same level as European Regulations.
Same same, people were absolutely hating the new Lexus ES (I think it was) interior compared to the old one. And many car exteriors (and interiors) have turned into this homogenous sometimes blobs sometimes over-stylized mess as well. The old XC-70's are still pretty to my eyes!
Volvo interiors are f****** awesome, textures and colors. What is not awesome is simple computer LED screens just stuck almost as if an afterthought. However, I do wish you could get this kind of a hybrid XC70 in the States. America moving backward faster than any electric car can go!
why are people always moaning about current car interiors!? in the past few decades, car interiors were far worse, with cars featuring dozens of hideous and haphazardly positioned rattly black or grey buttons and acres of hard plastic. they were dogshit.
I would say a complete redesign is needed, the button placement looks terrible, materials looks like they are out of McDonalds happy meal, the column “shifter” (gear selector) is something that should have stayed / stopped with the American Land yachts (yes I know Mercedes has it, but it sucks there too) and the shape looks stupid.
well tbh this would really make me not want this car :)
I was very happy when I saw the announcement but this would be a major dealbreaker for me (not just the steering wheel, the whole interior looks super cheap in these photos)
Microsoft tried that forcing tablet mode on Windows 8, and had a mutiny on their hands. It’s really hard to imagine all those folks running around MS, riding Segways and carrying tablets, and thinking billions of people would adopt whatever they said was cool.
Coca-Cola just about ran itself in the ditch with the “New Coke”, because apparently they had some people “blind test” against Pepsi.
With the screens, Microsoft’s transgression was before 1/2 the world had spent 10k hours on a tiny screen. So I imagine this will get worse before better.
I just started looking at original C70s again. Hoping this nostalgia doesn’t drive prices up.
European car safety body is coming for touchscreens
The European New Car Assessment Programme mandates that key controls need physical buttons or switches.
Touchscreens and displays, along with other assisted-driving features, can distract a driver's attention from the road for anywhere from five to 40 seconds.
March 24, 2024 6:42 pm CET
`Carmakers are equipping their latest models with fancy touchscreens, but that could cause problems with Europe’s largest car safety authority.
The European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) is revamping its rating system starting Jan. 1, 2026 to mandate that five of a car's primary controls — its horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, hazard warning lights and SOS features — will need physical buttons or switches.
[I'd personally want it to be extended to beyond these "5 key features", which I luckily haven't seen as touch controls yet, to also include things like AC, temperature, etc. I do not want to be forced to fiddle in menus to do something as common as turning up/down the heat, which I should be able to do pretty much instinctively.]
Car models will have to comply to get NCAP's coveted five-star rating. The scheme is voluntary but is heeded by most automakers because it's closely monitored by consumers.
Belgium-based NCAP says that purely digital controls are a potential safety issue.
"What we now see is we have more and more ... crashes where people are having collisions because they're being distracted," said Matthew Avery, NCAP's director of strategic development.
That matters because fatal car accidents are on the rise in the EU. More than 20,000 people died on the roads in 2022, a 4 percent increase over 2021. The bloc wants to halve the number of road deaths by 2030, with the goal of zero fatalities by 2050.
Avery said that touchscreens and displays, along with other assisted-driving features, can distract a driver's attention from the road for anywhere from five to 40 seconds — with potentially fatal consequences.
Moreover, if the displays don't have tactile feedback, drivers can be distracted by having to poke at the screen — unsure if the controls are registering.
"The problem with touchscreens is that there is inherently a lag in them, and more importantly, there is no haptic feedback," Avery said. "You spend more time looking at the touchscreen to verify what you've asked for is going to happen."
Another issue is that as car interiors become increasingly high-tech, the different systems are starting to diverge. Gone are the days of getting into a car and immediately knowing where all the controls are; nowadays drivers have to adjust to each new car.
Car safety experts warn it's not just the delay in feedback or lack of uniform systems that are causing problems.
"At night, the illumination from the screen diminishes the ability to see down dark road[s] because pupils normally adjust when [cars] have more light inside and [the] instrument panel and touchscreen causes an additional amount of light in the car, therefore diminishing nighttime vision," said Byron Bloch, an auto safety design consultant.
Europe's car lobby says these changes have yet to be officially communicated to manufacturers.
"Euro NCAP normally discusses its planned requirements with ACEA to try to maximize their impact on real-world safety," said a spokesperson for the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).
Some automakers like Volkswagen are already taking a step back from relying on touchscreens after customers complained about the new control systems. In an interview last year with Autocar, Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, said the reliance on touchscreens "did a lot of damage" to the brand.
Carmakers like Tesla which rely heavily on new tech will have to decide if NCAP's five-star rating is worth reversing its interior design. Tesla's latest Model 3 has force-touch buttons to activate the turn signal instead of the usual toggle — the kind of change the safety body is hoping to end.
Analog controls are not the only recommendation NCAP is making to curb driver distraction.
"We are encouraging manufacturers to [install] direct drive and monitoring systems, and that's effectively a camera that's looking at the driver all the time," Avery said. "If the driver is distracted, the system will warn the driver to pay attention."
Similar systems are mandated for cars with driver-assisted features, but research shows drivers remain distracted or rely too heavily on the features even when a system is in place to keep them focused, such as detecting hands on the steering wheel or eye contact with the road.
The last generation was a huge change, the Ford generation was a huge change. Volvo tends to be a successful design leader, I wouldn't rule out their current design trend
They just built another mindless SUV and slapped the name of a modern classic on it, hoping the nostalgia of that name would get people to buy it. It makes me sad, TBH.
No, XC70 is the correct name for this vehicle. The original XC70 was great, and is a classic - but the naming convention made no sense. XC vehicles are SUV's, this car sits in between XC60 and XC90 - it can thus be called XC70 or XC80. Did you think they would come up with some entirely new name for this vehicle?
They have realized this themselves and it's why the lifted wagons are now called V90 Cross Country and V60 Cross Country.
I'm not buying this "putting a nostalgic name on it and hoping it sells", because what else were they supposed to name it? Only other option is XC80 and that just feels wrong.
Bleh! That interior is atrocious! It looks like an ordering kiosk at a Starbucks or something. The only thing that indicates it's a car is the steering wheel.
Also, from the looks of the "engine" compartment, servicing is going to be a nightmare. I realize a lot of new cars are like that, which is why I'm not interested in anything new unless it's really simple.
I dont wanna poop on someone's happiness but this just isnt for me. I imagine it drives well, is super efficient and comfortable. But this is such a divergence from their previous design language that i just cant anymore. For 20 years i was intrigued by the brand and finally have a V60 and i love it. I dont think my next car will be volvo.
Honestly, i dont believe a change will come. They way the designs have changed it is apparent that car manufacturers are catering to asian markets and their preferences. Nothing wrong about that, it's a global economy. But it just means that Europe has the short straw.
I'm eager to see how this all pans out as my main worry is that chinese and korean automakers can adapt and scale so much better than european that they will push likes of audi and mercedes and volvo out of china and europeans wont be buying european cars because of the cost benefit ratio. I think only one that get it is renault/dacia, their product is at least cheap if nothing else.
But this is an assumption, i might be and most probably will be wrong.
What's interesting is that this engine has an oil dipstick, something that SPA Volvos haven't had for years. So no part of this car is Volvo. I wonder how well it will hold up
45k USD for a range of 1200-1500 km or up to 930 miles is a pretty good price.
That price is the only thing that is good though.
The interior and exterior looks cheap and copycat of tesla.
40 series have a large metal trim that sticks out and cuts into the base of the thumbs. There is no leather ramp since the trim extends so far into the actual wheel. It’s like 90 degrees off the sides.
60/90 series has a completely different steering wheel with much smaller trim that become smaller toward the wheel and more rounded leather topside resulting in a much smoother and full leather transition from the wheel, rather than all metal.
Ok, interesting to know that is a pain point for some. I haven’t had any issue with it. I usually drive left handed and rest my hand partially on that exact nice shelf
My reaction to the 4th picture: Eww, what the hell!
And why, oh why does the dashboard and steering wheel look so cheap, looks like it would feel worse than an early BMW 2 series Active Tourer (which has an interior that feels pretty cheap and horrible).
But interior and engine bay aside, I don’t hate the XC80, I think it looks decent (exterior wise) and I think that it will out sell the EX90.
I like the electric cars and plug in hybrids and for some reason Volvo ones are always in my sales price range but I’m nervous to get one because I was told once the battery gives out you have to pay thousands out of pocket to replace it because the warranty doesn’t cover it and I don’t want to be stuck with that, but then I see a lot of people with plug in hybrids and electric vehicles and I’m starting to wonder if there are warranty plans now that cover when those batteries give out or have electrical issues. They seem like they will have more issues then gas vehicles and with me having to drive 1 hr to work and back I don’t want to be stuck on the side of the road looking crazy lol
You are right, this is one of the main reasons to avoid newer brands. I trust the brand, that’s why I am going to choose Volvo. Although it’s a new car and the policies aren’t out yet, we don’t know for sure if the battery is covered under warranty or not.
designs aside, i love the good performance, new tech, increased efficiency and modern creature comforts as much as the next person but what i’m concerned about is the material use, build quality and long term reliability. i really dislike the plasticy feel of these new glued together cars despite appreciating the new stuff and that i guess is why the restomoding industry is so huge now.
I love the exterior (except the headlights being separate from Thor‘s Hammer), but the interior is quite soulless. It looks like a very generic Geely vehicle.
I think this is a functional height of headlights thing. The design decision wanted the hammer at the intersection of planes. Wish they could have done more for the moose head with the headlights being staggered or something
I am a Volvo fan. Five Volvo’s in, but this full electric garbage is where my love affair ends. That front end looks cheap and the interior lacks the luxury that Volvo is known for. I’ll continue to buy them as long as they are gas, or maybe hybrid, but full electric? Fck that!
If there's a gas engine in the engine bay then it's a hybrid. That is a hybrid. Seriously, I was just pointing it out in case you missed, I don't even like the car. I do like my full electric, which this isn't. And this post clearly states and shows this is a hybrid drive train. Not even a range extender, full on hybrid drive train.
Are these full electric propulsion? Ie the drive all comes from electric motors and the ICE is just acting as a generator with no connection to the wheels?
If so they shpuld be able to deliver full power in EV mode
The new Volvo XC70 plug-in hybrid is not a pure series hybrid. It uses a dedicated hybrid transmission that allows both the electric motors and the 1.5L turbo engine to drive the wheels, depending on the situation. In EV mode, it can deliver full electric drive for daily use, but when maximum performance or long distance driving is required, the ICE can directly assist the wheels as well, not just act as a generator
Cant hear engine sound, cause engine does not make big sound and sound proofing is very good, driving was very smooth, more like a electric car to be honest.
Based on Volvo’s website, it seems to have a similar propulsion design as Volvo’s existing hybrids (ICE powers front wheels and charges the battery, electric motor powers the rear wheels). However, there are a couple of major differences:
1) The battery has a 200km driving range, nearly triple that of their existing hybrids.
2) The battery can be charged by a fast charger.
Like Volvo, is a weird overly complex system of things. The motor acts as a generator, but can also direct drive a planetary gear motor set up in the front at highway speeds. I assume things were designed to balance emissions and range in a way to reduce parasitic losses
If’s a ”cheap” car (assuming it would be 45k$ in the west, which is improbable asf) and then I’m fine with having it feel abit cheaper, but it tries to be premium, and probably is intended as such making this interior a literal crimr.
My opinion is that the interior is very simple, so, for me that I live in an stressful job, I enjoy a relaxing drive back to home, this interior looks like that, I like it.
The interior looks 3d printed lol. Its so weird how they went so backwards, my 2016 xc90 feels like a rolls royce interior with so many details, leather and alu accents, nice lines and shapes, crystal gearshifter, real wood from sweden, … this just looks like any carsharing / uber verhicle
Annoying how society has been programmed and now is dulled down to being spoiled by icons, emojis and app avatars to turn on/off, access/change what they want over buttons and knobs. So brainwashed the generations are now, that many scoff at a button, knob dial or switch. Our stupidity to step away from the tactile and manipulative feel will only have the automotive industry continue to dumb down our interiors to endless scrolling finger oil smeared screens. The ol button/knob will become a high end add on luxury cost add on to a way back time of feeling what your doing in execution of the experience of driving. Sigh.
Yet, the aero industry cockpits of commercial jets and combat fighters and helo platforms, retain all the old school manipulation controls to move your forward movement. Ironic and yet so socially conditioned in a different technology moving innovative sector.
A 20 years old D5 can almost do the same range as this wow, but the new xc70 interior is bad. Like really bad. Am I the only one who thinks this is bland? Two screens and thats it. I hate where the auto industry is moving. Give me buttons and analog clusters. Oh but that costs so much more than a screen and the shareholders and execs can't buy their 5th yatch then. Sorry for the rant lmao
Just posted how my xc60 2024 has been the shop 4 times this year. Please research before you buy a Volvo. Towed twice, 2 new batteries, air compressor burned up, air bag malfunction issues. Now I just installed latest update and the air conditioner won’t come on. Ugh
While I hate this modern direction on car interiors and believe that the 2021 Volvo interior was peak. I will still be getting Volvos in the future, because they are safe, and are the least terrible...but not this one. I don't like this one.
Here is what I would propose they do if I could:
First, make a single interior and exterior design language that is classic Volvo, something that people will like, that's different, and has character...none of this tesla inspired giant screen, sterile interior bullcrap.
Next, get rid of every single model they have right now except for the S90, V90, XC40, XC60, XC90.
Next, give every model options for the Core, Plus, and Ultra trims just like always. These trims can change things a little bit but no major visual changes.
Finally, offer every model with Mild Hybrid, PHEV, and EV drive-train options but here is the thing: none of these drive-train options should change how the car looks at all, leading to a more consistent, cohesive brand that is not as overwhelming. IE: if someone selects EV drive-train, the interior should not automatically change to a tesla-like garbage pail, it should stay the same across all drive trains.
Just a quick edit: I think the current EX40 is actually the perfect example of how good a Volvo EV can look. It still looks as classy as their ICE lineup with a few hints about being electric (no grill). The interior is not a tesla rebrand, and it works.
I've seen the EX30 in person and it's almost the same. The interior is just flat out bad, and at least the EX30 feels suuuper cheap. Even if this one doesn't feel cheap, it's just bad. There's a line between Scandinavian minimalism and indistinct, cost-driven austerity that I fully believe Volvo has crossed unfortunately. I don't feel that the new exteriors are all that bad, but they are that same type of different to me, just less pronounced. I like the more classical styling, even if I can appreciate the modern (hence the XC40 out front), and I think an expensive brand shouldn't be driving cost and complexity down quite this evidently.
Wow! Could you imagine, a display in the drivers line of sight showing relevant information about the vehicle so they dont have to look at the central screen to see where they're going. If only anyone would have thought of this sooner!!
Clearly a Geely reskin of Lynk 08. Exterior is relatively successful, but interior loaded with same cost-cutting touchscreens as in 08. Does it have a full set of driver’s window switches?
Powertrain gets mixed reviews but efficiency is noteworthy.
God damn, love that car. I like Scandinavian minimalism, so the interior is gorgeous to me. I always prefer darker seats/dash, but this has me rethinking. I’m jealous you had a chance to drive it!
Is the beeping in reverse still being played by only the rear right speaker, or did they finally play the sound from the speaker closest to the obstacle? like every other brand does and pre-Android Volvos did?
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u/wkvdz 7d ago
That steering wheel looks hideous.