VOLVO CARS INTRODUCES ALL WHEEL DRIVE POWERTRAIN UPGRADE FOR V40 CROSS COUNTRY

• All-Wheel Drive (AWD) rugged all-road capability
• Reduced emissions and improved fuel economy
• Powertrain upgrade completes a series of enhancements

The successful Drive-E powertrain with a 245 hp petrol turbo T5 engine that was made available earlier this year for the V40 is now being introduced for the V40 Cross Country ­­– with the added capability of AWD.

“Volvo Cars is continuing to evolve the V40 Cross Country with this powertrain upgrade. The combination of the Drive-E T5 engine with AWD will give adventurous customers the power to explore, and all the control they need to be confident in all road conditions,” says Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Cars.

With 245 hp and 350 Nm of torque, the V40 Cross Country delivers all the power that drivers have come to expect from a Volvo. Adding to the refinement and fuel-efficient driveability is the 8-speed automatic gearbox with paddles on the steering wheel for manual gear shifting.  The upgrade will be available starting mid-fall in Europe, with a global roll-out over the following months.

 

Impressive CO2 reductions

Since they were introduced last year, Volvo Cars’ ground-breaking four-cylinder Drive-E engines have been widely hailed for their unique ability to combine power and efficiency with a small footprint. Compared to the V40 Cross Country’s previous T5 engine, the new powertrain reduces emissions to an impressive 149 g/km ­– a level unmatched by the Audi Q3 TFSI Quattro (179 g/km), the BMW X1 BMW X1 xDrive20i xLine auto (170 g/km) or the Mercedez-Benz B-class (SUV) 220 Sport 4MATIC DCT (156 g/km).

Refinement

This powertrain upgrade continues the series of enhancements that have been made to the V40 Cross Country this year. Other new additions have been a 19” Damara alloy wheel with grey diamond-cut rims, delivering not only extra comfort and off-road capability, but also less noise and added rim protection; plus a new exterior colour, Power Blue, as well as the updated on-board infotainment and navigation system, Sensus Connect, providing customers with a fully connected car.

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Volvo Car Group in 2013

For the 2013 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 1,919 MSEK (66 MSEK in 2012). Revenue over the period amounted to 122,245 MSEK (124,547 MSEK), while net income amounted to 960 MSEK (-542 MSEK). Global retail sales for the year amounted to 427,840 (421,951) cars, an increase of 1.4 per cent compared to 2012. The operating profit was the result of cost control and strong sales and was further tangible proof of Volvo Car Group’s progress in implementing its transformation plan. For the full year 2014, the company expects to stay in black figures and predicts to record a global sales increase of close to 10 per cent.

About Volvo Car Group

Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 427,000 in 2013 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.

As of December 2013, Volvo Cars had over 23,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium) and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).