Geneva Motor Show: 2014 Volvo Lineup Gets Substantial Update
China’s Zhejiang Geely might own Volvo Cars now, but the automaker remains headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. It has been 2.5 years since Ford accepted a $1.8 billion check from Zhejiang Geely, and now Volvo is dramatically updating its core lineup for the 2014 model year. To learn more about all the changes for the 2014 Volvo S60, 2014 Volvo S80, 2014 Volvo XC60, and 2014 Volvo XC70, see the pages that follow.
The Volvo XC90 received a substantial update for the 2013 model year. The C30 is cancelled, and 2013 is likely to be the C70’s final model year.
The 2014 Volvo S60 is restyled front and rear, incorporating changes that the automaker says are intended to emphasize the car’s width and which reflect “Scandinavian design exemplified by beautiful, simple shapes and surfaces with any unnecessary clutter removed.” New wheel designs are offered for 2014, and the adjustable chassis settings from the S60 T6 R-Design model trickle down to other S60 variants.
Our take? This change in styling direction comes not a moment too soon. We never really warmed to the 2010-2013 Volvo S60, and while the new design details give the S60 additional visual presence, nothing short of a complete redesign is likely to fix the car’s proportional imbalances.
Inside, the 2014 S60 gains new interior colors, wood inlays, silk metal trim, and upgraded headliner material. The front seatback designs are modified to add rear seat legroom, and Volvo offers a new optional sport seat that it says is “more comfortable.” All S60 models can be optioned with a 3-spoke steering wheel that includes paddle shifters, a heated steering wheel, and an electrically heated windshield.
Additionally, the S60, like all 2014 Volvo models, is available with a new Sensus Connected Touch system. Sensus Connected Touch includes a 7-inch infrared beam-scanned touch screen that allows the system to be used while wearing gloves, an industry first. The technology also turns the S60 into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot via an embedded Internet connection or through a paired smartphone. When the S60 is parked, full Google Search capability is available. While underway, Sensus Connected Touch provides Bluetooth audio streaming capability, Internet radio stations, access to native and mobile applications, a free parking location service, 3-D navigation with Google Map functionality, and traffic and weather information.
Adaptive Digital Display is a new option for 2014 Volvo models, providing an active Thin Film Transistor (TFT) gauge display configurable to Elegance, Eco, and Performance themes, with information and graphics tailored for each.
New safety-related features for the S60 model include Active High Beam Control permanent high-beam headlights that automatically dim when cars approach or the S60 approaches traffic from behind, a new radar-based Blind Spot Information System, a new Cross Traffic Alert system, and a new Road Sign Information system.
Geneva Motor Show: 2014 Volvo S80The 2014 Volvo S80, the flagship sedan of the Volvo lineup, receives new front and rear bumpers designed to make the car look longer and wider, more like a flagship sedan should. New rectangular daytime running lights debut, and when buyers choose the Lowered Sport Chassis option instead of the standard Comfort Chassis setup, a new 19-inch wheel design is optional.
“The whole effect adds elegance to the car,” explained Fedde Talsma, Design Director, Exterior, in a statement regarding the S80’s subtle styling tweaks. “We have created a wider proportion on the front grille and added more detail such as chrome exterior highlights to give the car an elegant feel.”
Inside, Volvo adds a new ambient lighting scheme and a new shift knob with a Piano Black inlay. Options include Sensus Connected Touch technology, an Adaptive Digital Display gauge cluster, a heated steering wheel, an electrically heated windshield, and a new Road Sign Information system. An S80 Inscription model offers bespoke Bridge of Weir leather upholstery selections.
Geneva Motor Show: 2014 Volvo XC60Updates for the 2014 Volvo XC60 include revised front and rear styling, optional 20-inch aluminum wheels, and standard body-color exterior trim, giving the crossover suv’s appearance what Volvo calls an “urban twist.”
Interiors receive a new headliner with cloth-wrapped A-pillars and B-pillars, along with new wood inlays and silk metal trim. Redesigned front seatbacks add extra rear seat legroom, and the XC60 can be optioned with an electrically heated windshield, a heated steering wheel, and, for XC60 T6 models, new front sport seats and a 3-spoke steering wheel with paddle shifters.
Like other Volvo models, the 2014 XC60 can be equipped with new Sensus Connected Touch technology as well as Adaptive Digital Display reconfigurable gauges. Additional upgrades include Active High Beam Control headlights, a radar-based Blind Spot Information System, a new Cross Traffic Alert system, and a new Road Sign Information system.
Unique to the 2014 XC60, new Corner Traction Control torque vectoring is standard equipment for all models, designed to help improve cornering and acceleration.
Geneva Motor Show: 2014 Volvo XC70In its press release, Volvo referred to the S80 and XC70 as its largest models, which pretty much spells doom for the XC90. If Volvo actually cancels the aged XC90 after the 2013 model year, that will leave the XC70 as the brand’s flagship crossover SUV.
To celebrate (?), the 2014 XC70 receives a new bolder and wider grille with a larger Volvo ironmark, new matte silver exterior trim, rectangular daytime running lights, new taillights, and additional skid plates. Inside, ambient lighting is new for 2014, along with a gear selector knob decorated with a Piano Black inlay. The XC70 will continue to offer integrated child-safety booster seats suitable for children 3 years of age or older.
Sensus Connected Touch technology and an Adaptive Digital Display gauge cluster are optional for the 2014 Volvo XC70, along with a new Road Sign Information System, an electrically heated windshield, and a heated steering wheel.