Latest news with #V90
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The big car making big money for Škoda
This industry, which we all love to be a part of in our different ways, can be puzzling. Why, for example do so few OEMs now offer large sedans, hatchbacks or wagons? They would claim it's a shrinking segment and is mostly for buyers who want a premium brand car such as an E-Class, V90, 5 Series or A6. And yet. Not everybody wants a premium badge Neither Toyota nor Honda nor Geely nor BYD nor Hyundai & Kia nor the Volkswagen Group think they should walk away from the 4.8-5.0m long class. There is a lot of business to be done in this size category and as Škoda knows, many people don't feel connected to luxury nameplates such as Mercedes, Volvo, BMW or Audi. Look around the major markets of the world and we find the Hyundai Grandeur and Kia K5 doing great business in South Korea, while the Toyota Crown series is successful in Japan. Plus the decades-long rivalry of the Accord versus the Camry in the USA and China continues. Not to mention the ongoing big demand for BYD's Qin models and Geely's Xingrui sedan. Yes these segments have contracted but they're still worth being in as the smart companies which remain, know. Škoda Auto is almost gone from China and it's small or non-existent in Asia's other markets of consequence, including India. Conventional logic says it's important to be making it big in such countries. Why then is the Czech OEM setting record profits and selling so many cars in Europe that in *May it passed BMW to become regional number three? Will second placed Toyota be next? And is this company making its best margins from all its small or medium sized cars, SUVs and those pricey-to-develop EVs? Making it big The Superb is in some ways almost a cultish Škoda. It's one of those cars you either know everything about or are ignorant of. Nobody dislikes it. I've lost count of the number of people who've had their minds blown when shown the amount of space inside a Superb of any generation or body style. Now, with the current shape, the interior is more premium than you'll find in most VWs or Audis. Reason being, technology overload is not present. Instead, sensibility, tactility and silence. Everything you could possibly want is there but of things which grate there are none. Want just one example of how intelligently designed the Superb is? To deactivate steering interference there is an actual button which you touch with one finger whilst keeping your right hand on the steering wheel. Overall, nothing beep-nags, everything feels nice and looks great. This, in other words, is a luxury car. OK, the sunroof controls are awful but no worse than what I recently found in an XC90. Nice knobbly knobs A neighbour asked me about the Superb and sighed when I mentioned the touch-sensitive glass roof sliders and inadequate shading from the blind. Lamenting that his ID.3 is as bad, still he loves the car. The VW's swipe-for-volume also frustrates so he was happy to see that it does not exist in the Škoda. An actual knob does that job, the same applying to mirror adjustment. Things which are more neutral rather than rubbish would include what is an overloaded left-hand stalk. I did get used to it, and the right hand one, which selects R, N, D and P, also works well enough. The idea behind each is to liberate space on the central console. Here, you may hide valuables or just be a minimalist by rolling rubbery covers into place. Overall, the interior is way nicer than that of the new Audi A5 and Q5. Some will say ah yes this is a mere niche model. Sure. So then why is it such a strong seller in the two big European countries which have expanding populations, namely Poland and Britain? Or why does it outsell all manner of supposed mainstream models in Germany, including Ford of Europe's best seller, the Puma, or the Mercedes A-Class? Circa 80,000 sold each year Of course this huge car is far from being a six-figures global seller, production volume in 2024 - a changeover year - amounting to 54,500 with 17,400 delivered in Q1 of 2025 (placing it seventh in the brand's 12-model line-up). Yet it has always been an important vehicle, the first generation dating to 1935 and having a fourteen-year production run at the firm's Mladá Boleslav factory. For reasons unknown, the company terms the fifth generation car number four. That's how many evolutions have appeared under Volkswagen ownership, the first new post-WW2 Superb debuting in 2001. Each has been a better seller than its predecessor, the previous-to-current model setting a new record of 805,000 registrations between 2015 and when it was replaced in mid-2024. Build is no longer in the Czech Republic, the 3Y series hatchback and Combi being produced on the same line as the Passat estate at the Volkswagen Group's Bratislava factory. Škoda Auto in fact led the development of both cars, tweaking the FWD/AWD MQB Evo platform in the process. Multiple engines, two dual clutch gearboxes The shift to Slovakia took place not only to save cash by creating a shared manufacturing footprint for the VW and its Škoda twin, but also freed up capacity at Mladá Boleslav for more Octavia production. A move which is presently proving to have been a visionary one. You've a choice of multiple engines and two DSGs with the latest generation Superb. The one I lived with for a week was the iV, which is Škoda-speak for petrol plug-in hybrid. Its transmission has six gears whilst the one in all others has seven. Many more miles on electrons Engine alternatives to the 1.5-litre PHEV are a base mild hybrid of the same capacity, or else a 2.0-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel. With the TSI and TDI there are two power alternatives in each case. The petrol-electric system has had a major makeover, the battery's capacity near-doubling to 25.7 kilowatt hours. That means a realistic range of up to 75 miles, which is…superb. It should be surprising to no-one that this car keeps on keeping on. Not the top seller in its global size class - that title will continue to go to a German premium marque - yet Škoda doesn't mind. Nor is the Superb likely to evolve into an EV for many years yet. Loyal buyers want it to stay much the same as it is: long but not too wide, priced fairly, dynamically comfortable rather than too firmly sprung and not seen on every street. Sum-up This continues to be one of the world's best large cars. How lucky we are to live in the main region where it's available. Pricing ranges from GBP35,925 to GBP49,115 (hatchback) or from GBP37,225 to GBP50,415 (estate). *June data were not available as the time of publication "The big car making big money for Škoda" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Volvo recalls more than 400,000 vehicles in US: What to know
The Brief Volvo has recalled more than 400,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a rearview camera issue, officials said. The camera image "does not display" and can reduce the driver's view – increasing the risk of a crash. The recall includes certain 2021-2025 XC40, 2022 V90, 2022-2025 S90, V90CC, C40, XC60, and 2023-2025 S60, V60, V60CC, and XC90 vehicles. Volvo has recalled more than 400,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a rearview camera issue, officials said. A recall notice dated May 1 and posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warns that the rearview camera image "does not display" and can reduce the driver's view – increasing the risk of a crash. Here's what drivers should know: What we know Volvo Car USA recalled certain 2021-2025 XC40, 2022 V90, 2022-2025 S90, V90CC, C40, XC60, and 2023-2025 S60, V60, V60CC, and XC90 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is put in reverse, increasing the risk of a crash, according to the recall notice. Volvo said it had not received any reports of injuries, fatalities, or crashes related to the recall. By the numbers A total of 413,151 vehicles were recalled in the U.S., in addition to 40,673 vehicles in Canada, the notice said. What's next The recall notice said the software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update – free of charge. Owner notification letters were expected to be mailed on June 24. What you can do Owners can contact Volvo Car customer service at 1 (800) 458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10320. Dig deeper Drivers can check if their vehicle is under recall by using the NHTSA's VIN look up tool: Go to Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN Search for recalls The Source Information for this story was provided by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle notice, which gives details about the Volvo recall. This story was reported from Cincinnati.
Miami Herald
28-03-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Volvo recalls thousands of popular cars due to dangerous issue
Swedish automaker Volvo is recalling thousands of plug-in hybrid versions of some of its popular cars in the United States due to a dangerous issue that can occur while the vehicle is parked. Get expert insights and actionable trade alerts from veteran investing experts and hedge fund managers. Join TheStreet Pro today and get the first month FREE According to documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Geely-owned (GELYF) manufacturer is recalling 7,483 cars, crossovers, and wagons, specifically the plug-in hybrid versions of the 2020-2021 model year S90 sedan, the 2022 V90 wagon, and the 2020-2022 S60 sedan, V60 wagon, and the XC60 and XC90 SUVs. Volvo says that the vehicles affected were produced with LG high-voltage battery modules and built between June 3rd, 2019, and November 30th, 2021. Volvo and the NHTSA say that the high-voltage battery installed in these cars may experience a short circuit within the battery module when the battery is fully charged and parked. As per NHTSA documents, an internal investigation at Volvo uncovered a "production deviation" within the battery module that could lead to thermal runaway, which can increase the risk of fire. Due to this issue, Volvo is asking owners not to charge their cars before their cars see the service department at their local Volvo dealer. More Automotive: The most reliable new hybrids in 2025New car buyers are in for good news about inflated pricesBMW's newest Mini Cooper is a cool car for buyers on a budget Volvo says it first became aware of the issue after a customer reported a "thermal event" on February 6, 2024. The company says that it is aware of two incidents related to the issue, which did not result in any injuries, crashes, or fatalities. The automaker says affected owners will receive mail correspondence regarding the recall in May, in which they will be told to take their cars to their local Volvo dealer. Volvo technicians will inspect the LG battery module for cell deviations. If they find any, Volvo will replace the entire battery module free of charge. However, all affected cars-whether their batteries need replacing or not-will have new software installed that keeps the battery module in check. Related: A massive Jeep recall is the latest of its parent company's woes The issue faced by Volvo is similar to an issue faced by Stellantis (STLA) brand Jeep in October 2024. Owners were asked not to recharge their cars after recall issued worldwide affected 194,000 units of the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrids. Owners were told to park outside and away from buildings or other vehicles until they received recall repairs, as a defect in the high-voltage lithium-ion battery unit used to power the hybrid drive unit caused 13 fires. Related: Veteran fund manager issues dire S&P 500 warning for 2025 The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Volvo CEO Suggests He Can See a Future Without Station Wagons
It wasn't long ago at all that Volvo quietly cancelled one of its last station wagons still sold in the United States. Now, any newly-designed replacements for the existing lineup of low-slung two-boxes future looks to be in doubt, based on Volvo CEO Jim Rowan's latest comments. This week, British-based publications Auto Express and Autocar both reported that, when asked whether he could see a future for the brand without its traditional estate cars (station wagons, for us here in the U.S.), Rowan replied in the affirmative. 'Yes, because I think [the market has] changed, right?' he said. Volvo still offers its lifted Cross Country versions of wagons to those of us stateside with the V60 Cross Country and V90 Cross Country. However, the hot V60 Polestar Engineered just got the axe, and the non-CC version of the V90 has been g0ne for a while. Rowan continued by explaining why wagons are going away. 'It's expensive to bring different models to the market, and it's expensive to keep those models in the market,' he said. 'So we need to make a choice: rather than bring out a [new] V90 for example, are we better to position [the XC60] in a slightly different way?" "We have the Black Editions, we have the Cross Country editions – we now have different editions of the same base car. It's much, much cheaper, and much more cost effective for us to drive more volume through that same platform and that same form factor.' In essence, it seems Volvo is betting that folks who traditionally buy its wagons will be content switching to an SUV, instead of simply switching brands. It's a bold stance, considering Volvo ditched both its V60 and V90 models in the U.K. in 2023 before bringing them back this year after realizing there's still customer demand. Auto Express also talked with chief product and strategy officer Erik Severinson, who suggested Volvo is interested in pursuing more performance models. 'There is always a niche,' Severinson said. 'The sporty family car; there is someone who wants to have the versatility of a family car, but also the performance.' Volvo is a good chunk of the way there already with some of its EVs: The new ES90 packs a huge 670 horsepower, and the super-tiny EX30 can boogie thanks to 422 horsepower and a 3.4-second 0-60 mph time. These cars aren't Polestar Engineered performance derivatives, but Volvo seems well set-up to take them the rest of the way, considering straight-line performance is abundantly present. So at least there's a glimmer of hope for fun Volvos to come, among the sadness of its storied wagons likely being left to live out their days as-is. Volvo didn't come out and explicitly say it, but the chances of next-gen V60 and V90 Cross Country variants here in the U.S. look slim after Rowan's comments. The two lifted longroofs are still on sale today, though, so Volvo wagon devotees should get after them while they're around. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
