Volvo bringing all-wheel-drive V60 plug-in hybrid to Geneva

Volvo has announced plans to bring a “virtually production ready” V60 plug-in hybrid to the Geneva Motor Show this March, and if it makes it to market, it will be both the automaker’s first gasdiesel-electric production model and the first all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid to be sold in the States.

The V60 hybrid will essentially pack two separate drivetrains: a 215-horsepower turbodiesel 2.4-liter five-cylinder up front and a 70-hp electric motor mounted between the rear wheels. A 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack feeds juice to the rear electric motor and Volvo claims that the V60 hybrid can be driven for up to 31 miles on electricity alone. Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby is adamant that the V60 will be a sports wagon for the enthusiast, which we can hopefully confirm when sales begin in 2012.

2011 Volvo S60

During the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show keynote, Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby discussed his plans to shift the Swedish automaker away from the rest of the premium segment. This doesn’t mean that the quality of materials or craftsmanship is going to suffer, but instead of creating products that are specifically engineered to compete with the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Volvo will be working to reaffirm its own unique Swedish brand identity.

The 2011 Volvo S60 points the way forward for the brand’s new groundwork. The ‘naughty’ new sedan is stylish, luxurious and has the guts of a true sporting sedan, but it just doesn’t come close to the sort of precision we find in an Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series. Fine, then, that the Volvo has plenty of other impressive qualities to give it a unique edge over the competition. Consider it a premium sport sedan for people who don’t want the stereotypical premium sport sedan.

We recently welcomed a Blazing Copper S60 to the Autoblog Garage to see if Volvo’s recipe for uniqueness has created a delicious dish of Swedish engineering.

 

Volvo boosting XC60 production, ponders bringing China-built cars to U.S.

New Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby has stated publicly that the Swedish automaker plans to double global sales to 800,000 units per year by 2020. That’s a significant increase by any measure, and the company’s popularXC60 crossover appears to be a big part of those plans. Automobile reports that the Geely-owned automaker plans to increase production of the popular crossover to 100,000 units globally, with quite a few of those extra units reserved for the rebounding U.S. market. Volvo is reportedly optimistic that it can increase XC60 sales by eight percent over 2010 levels.

We guessing Volvo can increase production at its existing plants to nudge XC60 sales beyond the six-figure mark, but to hit 800,000 total units per year, a new plant is likely needed. It just so happens Volvo is planning a new factory in China, and Automobile cites a report by The Wall Street Journal that suggests the idea is being kicked around to build vehicles in the emerging market and ship a portion of them them to our shores.

The plan makes abundant sense from a cost standpoint, but the move would have to be approved by the Chinese government. It should help that Volvo is owned by a Chinese automaker, and we’re thinking it’s only a matter of time before “Made in China” will include cars and trucks ’round these parts before too long.