U.S.-Bound Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Makes World Premiere in Detroit

Seeing Volvo’s president and CEO Stefan Jacoby driving the all-new XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept on stage during the car’s launch in Detroit shows how important the U.S. market is to the (Chinese-owned) Swedish manufacturer.

That’s because the USA remains the brand’s biggest market in the world and in which it recorded a 25 percent sales increase in 2011 on top of a 20 percent rise the previous year.

The XC60 Plug-in Hybrid may be a concept, but Volvo is already openly talking about developing a production version and the impact it expects to have in North America.

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Volvo to Debut New XC60 Plug-In Hybrid Concept at the Detroit Auto Show

Last month, Volvo launched the production version of its first-ever plug-in hybrid model based on the V60, which will go on sale in limited numbers this November in certain European countries.

Today, the Swedish car manufacturer announced that it would soon be adding another plug-in hybrid in its range, this time based on the XC60 crossover featuring a gasoline (instead of a diesel internal combustion engine like the V60 PHEV).

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That was Fast: Volvo Unleashes New Polestar Performance Upgrades for XC60, S60 and XC70 T6

Volvo only just introduced its Polestar performance program in the United States on November 7, yet the Swedish carmaker is already expanding its offerings to include the 2011-2012 XC60, S60 and XC70 models fitted with a T6 engine.

The new T6 Polestar ECU upgrade package increases power from 300-horses to 325HP and peak torque from 324 lb-ft to 354 lb.-ft. on all three models. According to Volvo, the power increase does not affect the cars' average fuel consumption numbers.

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Study Shows Volvo’s Active Safety Systems Reduce Accidents

The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released a study showing that Volvo’s XC60 active safety systems contribute to it being engaged in 27% fewer damage accidents and 51% fewer bodily injury accidents than other mid-size luxury SUVs.

Always according to the study, the XC60 is also 19% less likely to be involved in accidents compared to other models in Volvo’s range. IIHS said that this is due to the SUV's standard low-speed collision avoidance system called City Safety.

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Volvos Issues Recall on S40, V50, S60 and XC60 Models Over Power Seat Problems

A defective front passenger seat power system on certain Volvo models has prompted a recall of 7,420 cars from the Swedish automaker. Federal officials said that the front seat rail's detection system was manufactured incorrectly and may permit the passenger to forward the seat beyond the intended maximum, putting them at risk of injury in a crash.

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Volvo Introduces New 2.0-liter Five-Cylinder Diesel, Upgraded Six-Cylinder petrol engines

For the 2011 model year, Volvo is introducing a new five-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo diesel that will be available throughout its range while the Swedish automaker also upgraded the six-cylinder petrol engines offered on the S80, V70, XC70 and XC60.

The new five-cylinder diesel unit is in principle the same engine as the 2.4-litre diesel, but its displacement has been reduced (with a shorter stroke) to 2.0-liters. It will be offered in three different variants in terms of output.

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