Recently in Volvo Category

By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza Philippine Daily Inquirer PICTURE in your mind this photo op: the 2008 Volvo XC70 AWD in all its rugged elegance parked on a sandy beach, the waves lapping at its 17-inch alloy wheels while the sun sets behind it on the horizon of the South China Sea. The opportunity to set up this photo op came last week, so I broached it to the Volvo representatives present. But unfortunately the beach at Puerto del Sol resort in Bolinao, Pangasinan is fenced off and therefore inaccessible to cars. But let me tell you how an XC70 ended up at a beach resort in the distant north. In the keenly competitive luxury car segment, manufacturers rack their brains for ways to demonstrate the winning qualities that justify the high prices of their products. One way is to invite the press to test-drive their latest model on a long road trip to a vacation spot outside Metro Manila. This summer, Viking Cars Inc., the authorized Volvo cars dealer, arranged a Freedom Test Drive for its all-new 2008 model XC70 AWD (all-wheel-drive) cross-country. At a press lunch, the motoring media were asked to organize themselves into teams of three after which representatives of the teams drew lots, raffle-style, indicating the dates and destinations of their Freedom Test Drive. The team I joined -- Aris Ilagan of Manila Bulletin and Business Mirror motoring editor Popong Andolong -- drew the raffle stub for Puerto del Sol. After a mixup regarding our room reservations at Puerto del Sol, it was finally set for May 7 and 8. At the last minute Aris and Popong canceled, with Popong assigning Business Mirror motoring and sports columnist Andy Sevilla (no relation) to take his place. Which was just as well, since the absence of Aris enabled Andy to bring along his 11-year-old son, Migoy. The third-generation XC70 is available in two versions: the 3.2-liter, 6-cylinder gasoline variant (P3.295 million) and the 2.4-liter, 5-cylinder, 20 valves DOHC common-rail direct-injection (CRDi) turbodiesel (P3.395 million). Both have all-aluminum engines and a 6-speed Geatronic transmission with manual shift option. The unit assigned to us was the CRDi capable of 185 hp/4,000 rpm and 400 Nm/2,000-2,750 rpm max torque. The first time you drive the XC70 diesel, it feels heavy and slow to accelerate but as you learn to adjust foot pressure on the pedal, you'll find it delivering swift response and exhilarating performance -- thanks in no small part to the high torque and Volvo's advanced CRDi technology with variable turbine geometry. No worries about smoky emissions either as the XC70 diesel has a maintenance-free particle filter. While the AWD system and taller ride height theoretically affect the XC70's steering precision, I thought it handled excellently and with reassuring stability on the winding roads and sharp curves of the northbound highway from Camiling, Tarlac to Bolinao, Pangasinan via Sual, Alaminos and Bani. In the densely populated municipalities, the XC70 performed with sports car-like agility in overtaking maneuvers. When I took the wheel in Pangasinan, a sudden thunderstorm drastically reduced visibility and flooded some of the lower portions of the highway. This was when the XC70's Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) proved its worth, enabling me to splash through puddles of water at 100 kph. With its generous ground clearance of 210 mm, the XC70 can run through 300 mm of water. Photo ads of the XC70 fording a river and caroming down a flooded road are not misleading, after all. Aside from DSTC, numerous airbags, inflatable side curtains and ABS with EBD the XC70 has Hill Descent Control (HDC), Roll Stability Control (RSC) and active projector bi-xenon headlights. I tested the HDC driving down a hill, but the value of the HDC was not fully demonstrated because it was a cemented road. HDC is best appreciated going down a steep off-road incline. For all its rough terrain capability, the XC70 remains at heart a comfortable, family-friendly luxury wagon. It is, after all, a crossover based on Volvo's premium sedan, the S80. During a portion of the drive back through Pangasinan, I sat in the back and found that the suspension system with coil springs and stabilizer bars fore and aft adequately absorbed road surface imperfections. The XC70 can comfortably carry five adults (including driver) and its cargo volume is an immense 575 liters. As for fuel economy, the XC70 CRDi traveled 296 km before half of its 70-liter tank's contents was emptied. For me, the best part of the trip was when it was my turn to drive the full length of the North Luzon Expressway's southbound lane at night in the rain, obeying the 100 kph speed limit. The XC70 was almost as quiet and as peaceful as a cathedral, for Andy and his son were napping and the CRDi engine was purring along, unobtrusive in its now-restrained power after acing the long test drive. Can I check out the gasoline XC70 next, Loi?

By Aida Sevilla Mendoza Inquirer AS a member (and past president) of the Car Awards Group Inc. (Cagi), I didn't give high marks to the Volvo C30 that won the Car of the Year (Coty) Award for 2007. But that's only because I was absent when the C30 was brought to the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Cavite on the last car testing day of Coty 2007 in October. Thus the great expectations when I was given the chance to drive the Volvo C30 for four days early last month after it had already garnered the most coveted Cagi trophy. Were these great expectations met? Yes, as far as the C30's styling is concerned. While the C30's face resembles the Volvo S40 with which it shares the Ford Focus' platform, its sloping rear end/big glass hatch sets it apart from the rest of the crowd. The C30 is simply stunning. It looks like nothing else on the road, at least from the back. Its clean lines, short overhangs and aggressive, fast-forward stance give it an eye-catching profile. The C30's exterior design was inspired in part by the 1971-73 Volvo P1800 ES sport wagon and in part by the Volvo Safety Concept Car. Part Volvo sedan (the S40 facade) and part edgy hatchback, the C30 associates the Volvo brand with fun and disassociates it from its boxy, common-sense image of old. The C30 is definitely not for people with kids since it only has four bucket seats (including driver) and sparse (8.2 cubic feet) cargo room with the rear seats up. In Europe, where it was launched ahead of the North American and Asia-Pacific markets, the C30 is seen as Volvo's challenge to the Volkswagen GTi, Mazdaspeed 3 and Mini Cooper S, if not the 2008 Subaru WRX and Audi A3. Over here, the C30 may grab market share from the higher-priced BMW 1 Series. In terms of exterior styling, the Volvo C30 wins hands down against these rivals, but in terms of performance it's another story -- at least where the 2.4 liter, 5 inline DOHC base model is concerned. The C30 2.4L ( P1,688,888) has the same engine as the S40 mated to a 5-speed Geartronic producing 170 bhp/6,000 rpm and 230 Newton meters of torque/4,400 rpm -- enough acceleration to justify the fun-to-drive image, but somewhat lacking punch as it struggles to overcome the car's mass. The basic 2.4L wonít win any races against the competition but the turbocharged T5 packing 230 bhp and 320 Nm of torque could. However, the C30 T5 costs half a million pesos more. Handling While the steering of the C30 2.4L feels heavy, velocity builds almost unnoticed because of the quiet engine and interior. Handling is better than expected for a car that weighs 3,200 pounds. The C30ís sporty charisma urges you to drive faster and slingshot around turns. The suspension (McPherson struts up front, independent suspension at the rear with coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers and stabilizer bar fore and aft) is stiff enough to allow the C30 to be tossed into corners. Feedback to the driver is good, if somewhat insulated. The C30 comes with front wheel drive only to keep costs down and to lower the overall curb weight. Driver's visibility is excellent, except when you turn your head, the rearview mirrorís view to the right side is blocked by the front and rear headrests. Perhaps this is why BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) is included as standard equipment even though it is an option in other markets. The interior of the C30 is spartan, a Swedish design characteristic that many see as clean and modern. The cockpit resembles the S40ís with a floating center console, leather-wrapped steering wheel, crisply executed and logically placed controls. The 2.4L has an 8-speaker in-dash CD audio system. Although the bucket seats are supportive, headroom at the rear is cramped due to the sloping roofline and legroom is limited. Cargo room is increased to 30.9 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded, but doing so requires climbing into the backseat or rear hatch to reach the release. The opening of the big glass hatch is comparatively small and narrow. Safety The C30 2.4L also meets expectations in terms of safety features: front, side-impact and side-curtain airbags, disc brakes on all four 16-inch alloy wheels, ABS with EBD, BLIS, Stability and Traction Control, park assist, anti-whiplash headrests, anti-submarining seats, Intelligent Driver Information System, collapsible steering column, electronic key remote control etc. are standard. Bottom line, the C30 2.4L combines Volvo's leading safety heritage with enough style and performance at an entry-luxury price. It is for the young and successful who can afford a more upscale hatchback. Ditto for the empty nesters who buy Volvos for their safety and want to refresh memories of their youth with the fun-to-drive C30. * * * TODAY'S BUMPER STICKER: If God intended man to smoke, He would have set him on fire.

By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza Inquirer THE 4TH Car of the Year (Coty) Philippines Awards program, which was held at the Rockwell Tent in Makati last Thursday, established quite a few firsts. It was the first time that: a European brand won the big trophy. The 2007 Car of the Year, the Volvo C30 (shown in photo) is a sports coupe that aced the Luxury Subcompact category versus the BMW 120i and the Mercedes-Benz B160. What's more, the Swedish carmaker outshone its German rivals two more times when the Volvo S60 T5 won the Executive Car of the Year Award and the Volvo S80 2.5L topped the Luxury Car category. Swept It was also the first time that a Korean brand -- Kia -- swept four category awards, besting Japanese brands. The Kia Picanto 1.1 DLX bagged the Basic Subcompact Car of the Year Award, the Kia Rio 1.4 sedan was adjudged the Executive Subcompact Car of the Year, the Kia Carens CRDi collected the Compact Van/Multipurpose Vehicle of the Year Award and the Kia Carnival LX 2.9 CRDi short wheelbase won the Executive Van/MPV of the Year trophy. For the first time, the Car Awards Group Inc. (Cagi), organizer of Coty, got a big business corporation to be the title sponsor, i.e. Petron Corp. Thus it is now officially known as the Petron 2007 Car of the Year Awards. The decision to get a title sponsor was made by Cagi 2007 president Ira Panganiban with the concurrence of his board: External VP Andy Sevilla, external vice president; Fernan Lao, internal VP and technical committee chair; and Jeff Reyes, treasurer. Media practitioners All the officers and members of Cagi, if you don't know it yet, are media practitioners as Cagi is a nonstock, nonprofit private organization of motoring journalists that conducts consumer-oriented tests of mass production motor vehicles annually to help consumers make an informed choice when buying a car and to recognize the progress of the auto industry in engineering, quality, design and safety features. This time, the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) supported the 2007 Coty Awards not as a sponsor, but as Cagi's technical partner in testing the entries. After all, AAP is a nonprofit, nonstock organization, the national auto club that is the only Philippine affiliate of the FIA, the Paris-based body that governs motor sports worldwide including F1, the WRC and Le Mans. AAP motor sports committee chair Mandy Eduque and AAP director Dave Arcenas participated in some of the car testing sessions. Categories The number of categories was increased from 11 in the 3rd Coty to 23 after the Cagi executive board consulted the technical experts of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) on how to improve the Coty formula. Passenger cars now have nine categories: Basic Subcompact, Executive Subcompact, Luxury Subcompact, Midsize, Sports Car, Executive, Luxury and Ultra Luxury. Car-based utility vehicles enter four categories: 2WD Crossover/Wagon, 4WD Crossover/Wagon, Luxury Crossover/Wagon and Ultra-Luxury Crossover/Wagon. Minivans were divided into four categories: Compact Van/Multipurpose Vehicle (MPV), Executive Van/MPV, Luxury Van/MPV and Ultra Luxury Van/MPV. Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were also Compact, Executive, Luxury or Ultra Luxury. Pickup trucks have two categories: 2WD (4x2) and 4WD (4x4). Chose The car manufacturers themselves, not Cagi, chose which of their products would participate and in which category each would enter. The car manufacturers also took care of bringing the test units to the test venue. Entries that did not win in their respective categories last time were allowed to try again. Previously, losing entries were not allowed to participate unless the motor vehicle in question had undergone major changes or upgrades in engineering, technology and/or safety features. A facelift -- new headlights or taillights, a new grille, new bumpers -- did not count. 87 entries Eighty-seven cars and trucks were tested over a span of eight Saturdays from Aug. 25 to Oct. 13 at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. The total number would have been 97 if the test units of 10 models had shown up. The number of Special Awards was increased from four to 19. Supporters of Coty 2007 sponsored the awards. Thus, Toyota Motors Philippines won the AAP Best Road Safety Campaign Award, the Honda Jazz 1.3 won the Standard Insurance Best Value for Money Award, the Nissan Teana the Rockwell Land Best Interior Design Award, the Mercedes-Benz S350 the Bridgestone Most Comfortable Ride Award, the Mitsubishi Outlander the Bosch Best In-Car Entertainment Award, the Subaru Impreza WRX the Globe Media Dream Car Award and the Petron 2007 Car of the Year, the Volvo C30, also won the Concept One Sexiest Car Award. So Coty 2007 was a year of firsts, setting the stage for a more exciting 2008.