Volvo misleading customers

I've noticed a poster that has popped up around where I live, with a picture of a Volvo XC60, and the text, translated from my language, "The most fuel efficient car in its segment". Well, now, is it really? I've already written about the XC60 and how it's competitors are light years ahead when it comes to fuel efficiency, so the answer is obviously no. If anything, it's the least fuel efficient car in its segment, and nothing to brag about at all. Granted, there's a new version coming, in around 4 months (!), with a newly developed diesel engine that is bound to be better than the current one. Also, this particular version of the XC60 will be a front-wheel drive, and it is expected to have a fuel consumtion of 0,6 liters/10 km.

That would all be fairly impressive, if it wasn't for the fact that this car lacks the 4WD that all of its competitors have, with only slightly higher fuel consumption. In other words, Volvo are not directly competing against all these cars (Audi Q5, BMW X3, Land Rover Freelander, Mercedes GLK) with this one.

I understand the financial situation Volvo's in, but misleading your customers is really never a good idea.

Chevrolet Volt - impressive figures

GM's upcoming plugin-hybrid, the Chevrolet Volt, just keeps getting more interesting. In fact, I believe this car could help turn GM around, leaving Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and Lexus RX400h in the dust.

According to this article in the swedish Auto Motor & Sport, the fuel consumption for the Volt is incredibly low, 1,6 liter/100 km, measured using the standard ECE R101 cycle. Plus, it looks a heck of a lot better than the Prius and Insight.

Personally, I can't wait to see this car on the road.

Bentley goes biofuel

Luxury car manufacturer Bentley plan to unveil a new supercar on the Geneva motor show in March. Nothing peculiar about that. Except... This will be a bio-fuel car, and it will be Bentley's "fastest and most powerful production car ever". This could mean that it will feature the 6-liter W12 engine found in the Continental GTC Speed, only modified for E85, and as a result of that with an even higher effect than the 610 hp and 750 Nm it produces today. Nice!

Have my prayers been heard? Saab 9-4X

The new small-size SUV from Saab, the 9-4X, has been observed in the northern parts of Sweden, and it looks pretty promising from what the pictures in this article reveal. The most interesting part, though, is the information that it will be equipped with a 3-liter V6 petrol engine (262 horsepower and 300 Nm) capable of running on E85 as well - in other words a perfect candidate for a 9-4X 3,0 BioPower.Oh, it'll be thirsty, but at least it'll be drinking cheaper, environmentally friendlier fuel.

So, in regards to my previous post, "All I want for Christmas...", could the Saab 9-4X actually be what I'm looking for? Let's see:

• 4WD - Yes, the very same Haldex 4WD that's available in the 9-3 XWD, hopefully even with the eLSD differential.
• Large and luxurious - Well, it's not a full-size SUV, but perhaps it's good enough. Luxury-wise I'm not so sure, judging from the interior pics. I guess only time will tell.
• A desirable design - Hard to tell through all the camouflage, but if it looks similar to the concept car, it should be pretty good looking (see below for a pic of the concept).
• Nice performance - 3-liter V6 engine with 262 horsepower should definitly be enough for most people, including me.
• Running on some kind of renewable energy - Check. Although, I would love it if Saab/GM would create an engine that is optimized for E85, so the fuel consumption would be a bit more reasonable. This baby will probably drink around 1,5 liters of E85 per kilometer. At least.

Nevertheless, this is definitly the car that comes closest to my late Christmas wish.

All I want for Christmas...

I know, Christmas is over. And chances anyone from the car manufacturing industry will read this tiny and very personal blog are slim, to say the least. Nevertheless, if anyone out there with any influence at at all can hear my desperate cry, this is the car I want to buy:

• 4WD
• Large and luxurious
• A desirable design
  
• Nice performance (not your average "green" car 0-100 in 10,5 seconds crap, we need numbers below 8 seconds, at least)
• Running on some kind of renewable energy, or a combination of several, for instance: A plugin-hybrid that runs on battery power or a combination of battery power and ethanol (or biogas).
  

Is this really too much to ask for? Is it???

Thumbs up, Sweden!

Swedes love rules and regulation, and I have to say I was a little surprised to read that, contrary to the Great Britain, they seem to have scrapped their plans of a Orwellian nightmare of monitoring all motorist all the time.

In fact, it was announced on a conference in the city of Linköping today that the speed cameras used today are effective enough, and that heavier surveillance would cause a lack of respect for the cameras, and would be considered too intrusive.

Two thumbs up for Sweden on this one.

Honda Insightzzzzzzzzzzzz......

Well, apparently the specs for the new Honda Insight hybrid car have leaked, and I have to say I'm really not impressed. Not that I had expected any kind of revolution, but Insight is basically just a smaller, cheaper version of the retiring Toyota Prius, with practically the same power (1,3 liter 88 hp + 13,6 hp 103 Nm electric enigne) and fuel consumption (4,4 liter/100km).

In other words, if you really want a hybrid you're probably better off waiting for the new Toyota Prius, which will hopefully have improved fuel efficiency.

Oh, and by the way, the fuel consumption figures for the Prius are virtually impossible to achieve in real life, so if a cheap and environmentally friendly ride is top priority, do a test drive before deciding.