Auto news on Youtube Dec 1 2017

Red is no longer fashionable, so we're driving the white one. They're standing next to each other.

The new Volvo XC40. We're going to drive that one, a white R-Design.

The rims are a size bigger. This is a boring red one.

I wanted to say it has small rims. They're 19 inch.

Crossovers have big rims. There's a blue one over there.

I think it's called Power Blue or Powder Blue.

It has a black roof. This one has a roof in the same color as the body.

Our car has a black roof as well.

This is very cool. Volvo did very good.

A Swedish flag sticks out from under the hood.

For those who don't like flashy colors in the interior...

The carpet is orange.

Following Autoblog tradition we chose the most powerful engine.

The red one has a D4 diesel engine with 187 hp. This is the T5.

This is fun. You can go pedal to the metal. - Yes, this is fun.

The max speed through here is 30 kph (19 mph).

In front of that Pajero. It's not slow.

Let's test the roadholding.

I thought it sounded rattly for a gasoline engine, but Martijn told me to wake up.

We have a different car now. This is the D4.

Initially there are only powerful engines, such as the 2-liter turbo T5 gasoline.

It's not a 5-cylinder anymore. It's a 4-cylinder engine with 244 hp.

The XC40 does 0-100 kph (62 mph) in 6.5 seconds and has a top speed of 230 kph (143 mph).

It's a nice engine. You'd say it trumps this engine, the D4 with 187 hp.

It does 0-100 kph (62 mph) in 7.9 seconds and has a top speed of 210 kph (130 mph).

The top speeds are usually limited at Volvo. They didn't say, but I think this car is limited.

However, this diesel engine is nice. It better suits the car's character.

The difference in torque isn't that big: 350 vs 400 Nm (258 vs 295 lb ft).

It starts at lower rpm, though.

It sounds more interesting as well.

The base model Volvo gasoline engines (the T5 isn't top of the range) aren't very exciting.

I know that's not a reason to buy this car, but I had to say it.

There will be a number of other engines. The D3 diesel (148 hp), the T3 (148 hp), and T4 (187 hp).

Looking at the prices, I'll list them all.

The T3 with a manual transmission and front-wheel drive starts at 40,000 euros.

If you want a diesel engine, it costs 42,000 or 44,000 euros. I think the latter.

An automatic transmission is always 2,000 euros extra, all-wheel drive is always 4,000 euros extra.

I think not many people will tick the all-wheel drive box for the XC40.

Can you keep your hands on the wheel?

It warns me when it's time to use the wheel. That's strange.

I can't... - It's going there by itself.

I don't dare to. I don't.

I'm a fan of adaptive cruise control and Volvo safety systems.

I think it adds something. It's safer.

Adaptive cruise control is really nice, especially when it's busy.

It's brilliant in traffic jams and slow traffic.

In other situations it's debatable, but the Pilot Assist...

It drives itself up to 130 kph (81 mph), but you need to keep your hands on the wheel.

It defeats the purpose and it doesn't work well enough.

I'm not happy with it, but I can put it in normal adaptive cruise control with this button.

It won't drive itself, but it does slow down.

I can drink some water and talk.

If we're about to hit a concrete thing, it'll brake hard. I hope.

The handling is as expected. It's a Volvo and a small SUV.

It can have R-Design, but it's not very exciting or inspiring.

I don't know why you would buy this car. It is comfortable, though.

It turns a corner very safely.

The steering feels dead with little feedback.

It safely understeers at first.

There is no terminal understeer. When you lift, you feel some dynamics somewhere in the XC40 chassis.

I discovered a new rally stage. This is a bizarre road.

This isn't completely the wrong car here. It has enough power, but isn't as tight as a V40.

That one is lower. The road drops down here.

It goes very fast uphill. You don't feel the g-forces on camera.

It's like being in a roller coaster. Really bizarre.

This is a new platform; the Compact Modular A-something (CMA) platform.

Other cars will be built on it too, not just Volvos.

It was developed with Geely, the parent company.

The platform will be used for the new V40, a number of Geely, and the new Lynk & Co.

The latter will be introduced by Geely and Volvo.

You'll see this platform underneath a number of cars.

Electrification has been kept in mind.

Volvo doesn't say much about plug-in hybrids yet.

That's interesting, because the T5 engine with supercharger, making it the T6...

It's not yet available in the XC40. Add some batteries and you get the T8 powertrain.

You can find that one in the XC60 and XC90.

In theory it should fit in this car, but will Volvo do that?

It will be a small SUV with a lot of hp.

I think that's not very interesting. A fully electric XC40 is interesting, though.

It will be introduced mid 2019. You know how that goes. It takes a while.

We chose 'scenic routes', which means we're getting a more idilc route.

Fortunately we're in a SUV, because this is off-roading.

It is unpaved.

The satnav is still...

I'd like to see asphalt again.

You can drive here with any car, but it'll get more exciting with front-wheel drive when it starts to rain.

Look, there are other cars.

That man was fiddling with his satnav as well.

I see houses there.

Dusty. It is a fun place to drive, though.

I can use some asphalt now, though. You're the navigator, so I hope you make it happen.

Here we are. I told you this route is half an hour faster.

And a half an hour more sociable.

You're losing that half an hour by washing the car.

The story of this car is a bit difficult. It's an urban active off-roader.

The seats are higher. Volvo describes the target group as those with deeper pockets.

Who have those when buying new cars? Older people, especially in the Netherlands.

There will be private lease. Volvo is working on that.

The styling... I'm going to urban jump down.

The target group would do this.

And fall off. There was a fun sneer during the presentation.

This isn't the shrunk version of the bigger off-road car.

Are you dissing BMW or Audi, or the XC60's design team?

The new XC60 was criticized to be a shrunken XC90.

It's not that bad when you put them next to each other.

The XC40 is very different. That's because of the roof with two colors and this angle.

It seems the standard solution for off-road cars or crossovers in this segment.

It's typically Volvo. It has to do with 'presence' on the road and the lights.

The taillights suggest Volvo estate.

The Volvo V40 has this too.

It's a new version. Does it have a white tint? I don't know how that happened.

A number of things are different from older Volvos.

The rear looks naked, but it does have the Volvo letters.

The front has Thor's hammer LED daytime running lights.

It's nice and pronounced. I think it looks like a chunky car; a success.

On the other hand, cameraman Martijn and I feel like we're looking at a caricature of the car.

As if someone has overdone it.

It's there, thanks to the huge wheels. This is 20 inch.

These are big rims.

17 inch is standard. I haven't seen those yet, but it may be disappointing.

I wonder how this car looks when it's on 17 inch rims, a boring color, and no R-Design.

You'll miss some sporty accents. It may be a bit boring then.

The interior is recognizable as Volvo. It's pretty.

I think the materials are almost as good as in the V90, XC90, XC60, etc.

The displays are exactly the same as in the bigger Volvos.

It has an upright iPad-like display. It works okay.

I liked it better in the beginning, but others have progressed further.

It would be nice if Volvo put some more effort into that.

It's nice and big, though. The display is standard, as is the display instead of gauges.

That's pretty.

The XC40 doesn't have a younger target group, but the styling is younger.

For example, the orange carpet; on the doors as well. It's funky.

Different colors for the roof are optional.

Someone asked me how the room compares to the V60.

I think this one is roomier. It feels that way.

The rear seats are okay. I can sit behind myself, but barely.

I can sit behind myself in the V60 if I amputate two legs.

The trunk space is more practical and more square. This car is tall; a traditional Volvo.

It's angular and has a more practical layout.

It's no shooting brake such as the Volvo V60 with a slanted roof line, sacrificing space.

We're still wondering wether this car will be a success.

I think many Volvo owners will drive an XC40 as their next car.

V40 owners who want something different with more space.

V60 owners is also a possibility, and owners of the previous XC60.

This car is smaller, but not by much.

Plenty of possibilities within the same stable.

This segment is overrun by other cars.

The Volkswagen Group has the Ateca, Kodiaq, Tiguan, Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes GLA...

There are Korean models that fit in this segment as well.

How to call this... Martijn calls it funky.

It looks good.

What should you compare it with?

The Renault Captur. It's not my car, but I think it looks good.

It sells really good, so I think Volvo will score with this one.

It's practical enough and has many safety features.

The pilot assist and semi-autonomous driving. It's hard to hit this pole. You can't.

Blind spot warning. When I leave my parking spot it brakes when a car approaches.

It has it all. And it's still a Volvo.

That is a premium brand. It's seen as superior to normal brands, especially in the Netherlands.

It looks nice. You know this segment isn't really my cup of tea.

It is a nice car, though.

Subtitles - Maru's Text Support

For more infomation >> Volvo XC40, the small CRØSSØVER from SWEDEN - Duration: 16:38.

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Volvo Trucks – Navigating the muddy and remote terrain in the Siberian forest – Driver's World (E11) - Duration: 3:52.

We don't have roads. We just have directions.

It does happen, yes. Mud, really bad roads.

Damn thing wouldn't budge.

The truck is being loaded at the river port.

We are loading concrete road slabs.

We'll be taking them to Chayandinskoye oil, gas and condensate field.

The Lena is our main river. All cargo travels via the Lena.

It's our lifeline, our main road in Yakutia.

In some places it's best to drive faster through a difficult spot.

In others, especially if you are leaning,

it's best to crawl slowly to get out of it.

Our roads are very tough. You need very good 6x6 trucks.

These have excellent off-road capability.

They go anywhere, winter or summer.

Damn thing wouldn't budge.

Sometimes large stones get stuck in the wheels.

This time we were able to smash it with a sledgehammer. That's lucky.

Sometimes, if the stone is really big,

you have to take off the wheel and the tyre.

Stones... What can you do? It's a dirt road. It's full of stones.

Once we were on the road leading to Olekminsk.

It had been raining. It was summer, so it was warm.

We were driving after the rain and the climb was quite steep.

It was clay, so after the rain, we couldn't go up.

Two days we lived in the quarry, until the road dried up.

Only when the rain stopped and the wind dried it up were we able to carry on.

Yes, some people have accidents and crash into each other.

It's because they don't observe the rules of the road.

It's hard. There are no repair shops out there.

You can only rely on yourself and on your colleagues and friends.

A driver's job is a difficult one. It is very hard work.

Look at the cargo we haul. 42 tons loaded on and off I go.

It does get seriously cold here in winter.

It can get as low as -40, -45. A few times I've experienced -50, even -55.

It was my dream to be a truck driver.

I came to Yakutia 20 years ago.

I came to visit, but I stayed here for good. The beautiful nature lured me in.

So I stayed. I have my family, everything here.

I like it here.

For more infomation >> Volvo Trucks – Navigating the muddy and remote terrain in the Siberian forest – Driver's World (E11) - Duration: 3:52.

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Volvo Cars Explorers - Ep 5. Business - Duration: 11:45.

Hi, welcome to Volvo's Irvine office. This is where I work.

I spend all my time here. Come in and I'll show you around.

Adjacent to our lobby we have a conference room,

which is where we have our meetings.

Brad Moorhead, head of retail development

for the Western Region office is in here.

-Hi Mark! How are you doing? -Good!

This is really where the magic happens. Where the team works together.

It makes it easy and fun. I can turn around and ask a question.

I'm texting the rest of the group.

It'd be fun to go to an event called "Cars & Coffee".

Early morning, but I think we'll have a great time.

Four new employees of Volvo Cars were given a mission.

Together, they will explore our company from the inside.

Our explorers are in the USA to get some insights on how we make business.

They start in Los Angeles, California,

where Mark shows them one of his favourite events: Cars & Coffee.

This event happens every Saturday.

Everyone parks their car and a lot of people know each other.

It's a fun event, completely free and open to the public.

Anyone can take their car here and hang out.

It's a fun site.

Takes one to know one Especially when you're that old.

-Are we having fun yet, or what? -Tell us a bit about your car.

It's an old car.

It's a 62, as you can tell. One of the oldest ones out here.

Sorry for asking, but would it be okay to sit in it?

-Help yourself. -Yeah? - Could you...

Thank you. It would be really cool.

-I'm going to be careful. -Yes. Be careful.

Let's see how I get out from this...

Which lever opens the door?

-How can he open? -Can you open from the outside?

No, no, it opens from the inside. Just pull the handle back.

-This one? -Yeah. Just pull it back.

Thank you.

His first time. I think it's his first time in a Volvo...

First time in an 1800.

After an early morning looking at cars, drinking coffee and talking to people,

it's time to dig into this episode's theme:

Business.

To achieve good profitability is important for Volvo Cars.

It enables us to invest in new cars and future technology,

such as autonomous drive, electrification and connectivity.

High profitability also creates a buffer

so that we can remain cost-effective even if demand weakens.

And it reflects positively on our brand.

People want to buy from successful and financially healthy companies.

Before leaving Cars & Coffee, Mark introduces the gang to a first mission.

One of you is going to have some experience doing some sales work.

You're going to try and sell a Volvo.

And the way we're going to decide who does it

is that you are going to draw sticks.

-Who's got the shortest one? -That's...

-Anton. -Anton!

Going from engineering to salesman. Cool!

-Hi! Alyssa. Nice to meet you. -I'm Anton.

I will show you around today.

We can start with knowing a day in the life of a sales consultant.

-Sounds good! -Let's sit over here. Any questions?

Anton's mission is to meet a customer on his own.

He needs all the advice he can get from Alyssa.

Since his is your first time, I'd take it really slow.

Definitely understand what they're looking for.

What their desires are.

If it's a family, they're probably going to be looking more at the XC90.

Just hone in on what they want for themselves and their families.

Decide that, and get them in the right vehicle.

Without Anton knowing about it, Alyssa's colleague is waiting outside.

I'm actually the new car sales manager,

but today I'm going in to pretend I'm a customer to challenge Anton.

We're going in now.

It looks like we have a client out there. You're on your own. Good luck!

If you have any questions, I may answer them for you.

-Hi. -Welcome. I'm Anton.

-I'm Michael. Nice to meet you. -A pleasure.

I was walking by and I saw the XC90...

-Yes? -We're expecting a second child.

-I want to check out the 90. -Yeah?

Do you want to sit down first and have a beverage?

I think it went well in the beginning: The greeting, offering the beverage...

-Can we look at that car outside? -Yes, let's have a look.

This happens to be my wife's favourite colour.

But then, when he started asking questions about the cars

which I didn't know that much about...

The technology packet you can get, is that standard in this?

How do you get out of this?

What's the city safety?

What's the range of the hybrid?

How do you put the third row up?

"Alyssa, help! Alyssa - help!"

-How do I get back there? -You have to jump over the seats.

-Do you? Really? -No.

The third row seats... He asked how we put it up to get back to the third row.

I said you jump over the seat and he said that was a deal-breaker.

It turned out you can easily fold up the seat and walk into the third row.

Thanks to Alyssa, we worked that out.

Anton's challenge is over. Time to let him know who he's really talking to.

I'm Michael Giorgio, and I'm actually the new car sales manager here.

-At this dealership. -Aha? Okay!

So - you were punked!

I just realized how little I know about the cars inside.

Much respect to the sales persons who have to learn all this,

meet the customer and answer all these questions.

I did think he needs to work on his product knowledge a little.

Knowing what makes the product the product,

knowing more about the features, the technology

and, since the man had a family, knowing how to move those seats.

Other than that, he did fantastic.

Lesson learned: To sell the product, you have to know it very well.

To have manufacturing in North America is also important for our business.

In the first episode of Volvo Cars Explorers,

we learned from the CEO that we should produce where we sell.

That's why the explorers' next stop is at Volvo Cars' newest plant

just outside Charleston, South Carolina.

We're about 25-30 minutes outside Charleston in South Carolina,

at the beginnings of the first ever Volvo manufacturing facility in the US.

We can see here that the construction is underway,

and there are a lot of new people here working to get things up and running.

This is exciting for me especially, being from the United States.

Seeing this spring up and take life.

The plant will start production of the new Volvo S60 next year.

Later, the next generation XC90 will also be built here.

Now we're going inside to meet Katarina Fjording,

who's our vice president for the project operations here.

-Hi, I'm Anton. -Hi.

Welcome! It's a very cool journey you get to do.

But this is probably one of the coolest stops you will make.

This is something very historical.

We've been talking about this for a really long time,

doing a production unit in the US.

Now we're here.

To be part of doing this is a bit like a dream come true.

Many of us have thought for a long time we should have production here.

-Are you ready? -Yes.

Now, the American way: Are you ready?!

-Yeah! -Right, let's go.

Coming up here, we actually have an on-site concrete factory.

It saves the environment, not driving concrete back and forth.

Putting a manufacturing footprint in place here is extremely important.

Not just from a financial perspective for us,

where we limit our currency exposure

and also increase in localization degree, affecting import taxes etc.

It's also sending a strong message to our customers and dealers

that we're serious about this market.

The tour is over, and it's time for the explorers to sum up the experience.

It's pretty cool that we have plants in all regions.

-And that we have a wide footprint. -Yes.

-It's amazing. -The amazing thing about this facility

was how large the footprint of the facility is here.

It really shows that this project is a serious one.

The investment in the US is going to be here for the long haul.

We're not going to go away or pull away from things.

We are here to stay.