Volvo announced that both their Volvo V70 and Volvo XC70 models have been named as “best in class” by CAP and Lex, meaning, that Volvo models should be worth more on the used market than their nearest competitors.

“The residual value forecasts reflect the excellent used car prices the current estates have achieved, together with an increase in value because of the significant step-up in style, driving dynamics, functionality and quality evident in the all-new Volvo V70 and XC70,” says John Wallace, corporate sales and leasing manager of Volvo Car UK, in an interview.

After 60,000 miles both CAP and Lex have predicted that the Volvo V70 D5 SE will be worth 49% (£13,600) of its original OTR price of £27,995—which is way ahead of its contemporaries from the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series.

CAP puts the all-new Volvo XC70 ahead of its rivals with the prediction that it will be worth 49% (£15,100) of its value after three years, while Lex has foreseen a value of 48%.

Volvo will be hosting a series of Freedom events which will take place every weekend all throughout the month of August at various exclusive locations in the country. All interested potential customers will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the all-new Volvo V70 and XC70 for a series of a 30-minute unaccompanied test drives, and to feel the surge of the high-quality Volvo auto parts in action.

The results were of no surprise as these two vehicles, including the Volvo V70 Parts and the Volvo XC70 Parts have continued to increase their level of reliability among car users.

Avon Metals Ltd has delivered a new Volvo Euro 4 FM-380 6×2 drawbar, which was said to have the capacity to collect both recycled and non-ferrous metals and deliver finished aluminium ingots, which Avon Metals manufactures for automobiles such as the Volvo Euro.

“It is proving to be a good and very reliable truck. It offers good driver comfort and the drivers love it. It’s a multi-functional vehicle which can deliver the ingots we manufacture and collect non-ferrous metals like copper, aluminium and titanium for recycling,” John Verdon, Operations Director of Avon Ltd said in an interview. “It is also proving to be very efficient, especially with Volvo auto parts‘ I-shift automated transmission which was recommended to me by other hauliers. It is absolutely fantastic, the drivers find it easy to use and it offers a significant fuel economy improvement. The truck also features a 3rd lifting Volvo axle which gives improved maneuverability, fuel savings and reduced tire wear.”

Verdon was also satisfied with the professional care of the Volvo Truck and Bus Center in Wales due to their good service and the accommodation of the local manager. “They have a good sized depot and the workshop technicians have a good level of skills. The truck is covered by a full 5-year maintenance contract providing us with complete peace of mind,” he stated.

Operating on a UK wide basis, the truck is expected to cover 70,000 km per year, and is all set to deliver all the materials that Avon Metals has collected, using the Volvo FM as well.

Volvo has now revealed the look of the 2008 model year for two of their vehicles, the S40 sedan and the V50 wagon.

The physical changes for these two vehicles had basically been gotten from the styling cues of the topline 2008 Volvo S80 sedan. The S40 has been given a lower and wider stance that is emphasized by the new Volvo grille, Volvo headlights, and air intake that has a lengthwise flow under the bumper. It also sports a larger Volvo badge which makes the entire treatment simpler than the design of the previous models which are of three-element style.

On the other hand, the Volvo V50 has a black egg crate grille that’s the same with the S40. The only difference is that it has three lower air intakes.

At the S40/V70’s rear end, the Volvo tail lights are raised 30 millimeters and now house LEDs. The bumpers also had a facelift as they now appear broader and have integrated reflectors on its corners on the bottom.

Steve Harper, who is the one in charge for updating and improving the design of the S40 and V50 said, “The improved shape and position of the exhaust tailpipes is a good example of how a little extra visual touch can create a highly potent impression.”

Another Volvo car part that has been improved is the brake light. It now has the function of Volvo’s emergency brake light. This functions when the driver brakes too hard, it would cause the brake lights to flash real quickly to warn the following drivers.

Another innovative feature is the optional Bi-Xenon headlights at the front end that has an active swivel function. It aims the direction of the beam light to where the car is going that is based on the speed and position of the steering wheel.

The S40 and the V70 each have three different versions of engine. The standard engine is a 2.4-liter DOHC inline five-cylinder producing 168 horsepower and it has a choice of a five-speed manual or automatic with Geartronic sequential manual shift mode. There are two T5 models that are available in either front or all-wheel drive. This T5 has a 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder twin cam engine turbocharged to produce 227 horsepower.

Prices for the S40 quoted in Cologne were $31,495 for the base S40, $37,495 for the T5 and $39,995 for the T5 AWD. The V50 starts at $32,995, $38,895 for the T5 and $41,495 for the T5 AWD. The sunroof adds $1,400 and the Geartronic automatic is an additional $1,500.