Volvo updates on the way

A MASSIVE model upgrade across Volvo’s passenger car range will arrive in Australia by the end of the year, with facelifts for six vehicles including the popular XC60 SUV and S60 sedan.

Volvo senior vice president of product strategy and vehicle line management Lex Kerssemakers said this update to the range was “the most extensive development of existing models in our company's history”.

The Swedish carmaker’s “60 cluster” that includes the S60 sedan, V60 wagon and XC60 SUV have all been given a makeover that includes a redesigned front end.

Volvo has dropped the quirky split headlamps of the current S60 sedan and V60 wagon twins and replaced them with a single, cleaner headlamp design.

The S and V60 also receive a re-styled front bumper, wider grille, new daytime running lights and updated LED tail lights.

Washer nozzles have been relocated on all of the 60 models and are now located under the bonnet while the size of the Volvo badge on the grille has also increased.

Integrated tailpipes on the rear bumper are also available across the range, depending on the engine choice.

Volvo’s top-seller in Australia, the XC60 SUV gets a similar front-end refresh to the S60 but also features a redesigned bonnet and will now come in one body colour after losing the black highlights from the lower part of the front and rear bumper.

The interior of Volvo’s 60 range has also come in a for a touch-up, with new upholstery colours, wood inlays and headliners as well as the addition of metal frames around the air vents and light controls, while R-Design variants will feature new sports seats.

Volvo has improved fuel efficiency across the 60 range, including the XC60 D5 2.5-litre diesel automatic which is down from 6.9 litres per 100km to 6.4L/100km on the combined cycle.

The aging S80 sedan, V70 wagon and XC70 crossover are also included in Volvo’s model refresh.

Volvo says updates to the front and rear bumper create a “stretched effect to make it look wider and lower”, while chrome exterior highlights and rectangular daytime running lights give the front end of the V70, XC70 and S80a more modern look.

Mr Kerssemakers said that the main focus of the model upgrade was to better align the line-up and to improve “quality and attention to detail”.

“We pave the way for our future model line-up by bringing the three models visually closer to each other,” he said.

Features that will be available as options across the 60 and 80 model ranges include a heated windscreen on models equipped with a rain sensor, heated steering wheel and paddle shifters on automatic models.

Volvo’s Adaptive Digital Display which debuted in the recently-released V40 hatch and provides the driver with personalized information via a crystal display will be available as standard on some models and an option on others, as will additional functionality for the Sensus connectivity system.

The facelifted Volvo range will have its first public showing at the Geneva motor show in March before a likely Australian launch by the end of the year.

Volvo Car Australia public affairs manager Oliver Peagam said that it was too early to know what specifications would end up in Australian showrooms.