Dave Morre says that the classic and glassy Volvo V30 hatch range just got bigger.

The Volvo C30 model has until recently, composed of a single T5 model with a turbocharged (as indicated by the ‘T’) 169kW 2.5-liter five cylinder engine, and drives through a five-speed automatic transmission.

This particular Volvo model has been provided with a boost in specification, in its Volvo auto parts, and also has been given a new range-mate in the form of the C30 2.4i, which is a normally aspirated version.

The T5 now has a leather upholstery and a sound system which can hold six CDs. This upgrade and the arrival of the 2.4i version will ease the initial problem of the model regarding supply in New Zealand.

Wallis Dumper, the managing Director of Motorcorp Distributors, the one distributing Swedish Volvo in New Zealand said, “”Now we have better continuity of supply I believe we can meet the local demand.”

He explained, “We were happy with the launch price but supply was an issue. This 2008 model was meant to retail for $54,990 but thanks to the support of the factory and a strong New Zealand dollar we can keep this higher specification car also at a launch price. By the time we have to move away from launch prices we should be enjoying supply of the C30 2.4i.”

The leather upholstery of the T5 is originally tanned, and the six-stack CD system with eight speakers was initially MP3, iPod and WMA compatible and completes a convincing luxury package that all buyers of Volvo expect.

This revised Volvo C30 and its upgraded Volvo parts have a price of $51,990, which has just been added $2000 from the initial introductory price. The 2.4i is being launched with a lsightly smaller fuel-injected 2.4-liter motor which has a power output of 125kW. It is slightly different in specification, but it still contains the safety and security features of the T5, and it rides in a slightly higher-profile 16-inch alloy, and it costs about $44,990.

Volvo showcased the upgraded versions of its trucks at the Great American Truck Show in Dallas last from August 23-August 25. The Volvo trucks has proudly met all of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay program, and is now boasting its Volvo auto parts that are said to increase uptime and the truck’s fuel economy.

A Volvo VN 780 with a full-height sleeper and a VN 730 mid-roof sleeper were used to show attendees the enhanced aerodynamics and other fuel-saving strategies of the Volvo auto parts that were used to achieve EPA’s Certified SmartWay designation for highway sleeper tractors.

Volvo customers are now able to specify a SmartWay-eligible tractor component package when ordering their trucks. The required components are identified in Volvo’s truck ordering system so that carriers participating in the SmartWay program can ensure their new trucks qualify for EPA’s public designation.

One of the SmartWay requirements is for full-height roof fairings, for smooth and efficient airflow over the top of the sleeper to the trailer. The VN 780’s aerodynamic roof design accomplishes this while at the same time providing a spacious living area in the sleeper. The mid-roof VN 730 meets the SmartWay requirement with Volvo’s new fairing for mid-roof tractors. The fairing provides aerodynamic performance for pulling full-height trailers, while retaining the lighter weight of a mid-roof tractor. The new fairing is also available for the Volvo VT 830. The fairing is removable and can be retrofitted to existing VN 730 and VT 830 tractors.

The tire pressure monitoring system will be available as an option for all Volvo highway tractors beginning in the fourth quarter of 2007. The system constantly monitors each wheel using remote sensors and displays real-time tire pressures and temperatures through Volvo’s Driver Information Display. Drivers receive alerts for individual tires notifying them of over- or under-inflated tires (more than 10% outside set pressure), high temperatures, sudden leaks or loss of pressure and loss of sensor or missing data. Correct tire inflation is an important factor for obtaining maximum fuel economy and tire life, since rolling resistance accounts for more than 30% of a vehicle’s fuel efficiency at 65 mph.

Aside from making a significant mark in the automotive industry by creating the high-quality Volvo auto parts, the Swedish genius has now conquered online communication as well. With an astounding average of 5 million visitors every month to Volvo’s corporate website, online communication is growing in importance for the Volvo Car Corporation. This is a significant rise since 2004 and the numbers of visitors has increased by 45% in the past year alone.

The 2007 single-day record for online users at http://www.volvocars.com/ is registered to reach a peak of 7 million. The Volvo Cars Global Interactive Marketing department works as a team to improve Volvo Cars’ online communication, catering to customer concerns with the Volvo auto parts or with other matters regarding the company.

“We are becoming a center of excellence in interactive marketing,” says Martin Jobin, head of CRM & Interactive Marketing at Volvo Cars in an interview. “We welcome more interactivity with people interested in our cars.”

They are obviously on the right track as The Web Globalization Report Card rated Volvo Cars the 7 th best global website in the world out of 300 such websites. The report is compiled once a year by the European Bytelevel institute and the latest result is in fact one position better than last year.

Volvo Cars has kept its leading position from 2006 among the automotive brands. The websites are ranked from a user perspective with the focus on parameters such as ease of navigation, language and so on.