With its sleek looks and exuberant feel, the 2008 Volvo C30 is pegged by Volvo for the twenty-something urbanites who want to stand out from the rest of the city traffic.

The front end of this two-door hatchback looks like a breezy interpretation of Volvo’s latest signature look; while the back looks broad-shouldered and features an all-glass hatch. The side view reveals a belt line that rises to direct one’s attention to the dramatic downward slope of the rear roofline.

Lighter and shorter than its structurally-related cousins—the V50 wagon and the S40 sedan—the Volvo C30 is able to squeeze more acceleration out of the turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder powerplant. Capable of going from zero to sixty in 6.2 seconds, the C30 comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission that showcases smooth shifting.

The Volvo is available in two trim levels: the Version 1.0 and the Version 2.0 – so-named in software parlance to apparently appeal even more to the young and the web-set. Both Versions have tires that are placed on the corners of the car, with Version 1.0 having 17-inch wheels while 2.0 has 18-inch performance tires. Also, standard to these are four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes that has brake assist functions and electronic brake-force distribution, as well as Volvo’s very own Dynamic Stability Traction Control System.

The main difference between the two Versions is the handling. The fun, go-kart feel that Version 1.0 gives its riders when making turns can delight the kids, though others might find the improved handling derived from the “dynamic sport suspension” of Version 2.0 to be just as entertaining.

Inside, the 2008 Volvo C30 borrows the conservative look and features of the Volvo S40. Among the standard equipment are the airbags and 160-watt CD/MP3/WMA audio system that has a jack for iPods and other devices. Version 2.0, however, has a 650-watt sound system with Dynaudio speakers.

With regards to the vehicle’s “cozy” rear, Volvo maintains that its research found that the owners of the C30 will use the split-fold function of back seats to carry active-lifestyle gear way more than they would people.

Last but not least, Volvo is wooing the young ones to its “safety first” brand by showing that it can be cool, too. Beyond merely offering dealer accessories and factory options, Volvo has initiated a unique Custom Build program that lets buyers install other features and accessories on their C30. What’s more – they can have it finished in any color they want – for as long as it is offered on any of its other models.

Source: forbesauto.com

Vehicle safety technology ranks as one of the top features among those that are desired by motorists who travel with children. And, since Volvo has always focused on safety, it remains to be the favorite choice for families… and apparently for Forbes.com as well.

Ahead of the Acura MDX, the Saab 9-3 Sport Combi, the Mercedes M Class, and the BMW X5, the Volvo XC90 currently holds the top spot as the most kid-friendly among luxury cars.

Produced by the Swedish automaker since 2002, the http://www.swedishpartsshop.com/volvoxc90parts.html is no stranger to accolades. In 2003, it was named by Motor Trend Magazine as its Sport/Utility of the Year. It also won the North American Car of the Year award as well. This is because this three-row SUV is one of the best safety performers among luxury SUVs when it comes to front, side, and rear impact crash tests.

Its 2007 update featured a more luxurious interior, restyled front and rear, and a more powerful engine, but the kid-friendly features are what Forbes looked into. Kid-friendly as a term means two things: kid-safe, and kid-fun. Among the safety features mentioned were the rear seatbelt systems that have “pretensioners” to reduce rear belt slack, as well as the interior air quality control system, whereas the kid-fun features included DVD and electronic game entertainment, rear heating and air conditioning, and of course, enough sippie cup holders.

Source: Forbes.com

Machines that can read faces? Machines that can tell if you’re falling asleep on the wheel?

With today’s technology, these have become less fantastic, especially since today’s motoring reality needs them now. According to traffic safety research and accident investigations undergone by the Volvo Group, vehicle problems and traffic environment are dwarfed by the human factor as the cause of motoring accidents. The Group claims that it actually accounts for 90 per cent of such mishaps; and research at Virginia Tech Transport Institute verifies this. The latter was even able to delve so far as to determine that the largest and most significant cause of accidents is inattentiveness due to distraction or tiredness.

Since tiredness is a common problem in people’s lives that is usually only solved with sleep, motorists are ill-equipped to deal with it once it hits them while on the road. When this happens, eyelids begin to droop and arm muscles relax, letting the vehicle drift into an accident. In short, people are usually powerless against the Sandman; but one arm of the Volvo Group wants to change all that.

In its bid against the apparent partnership between the Sandman and the Grim Reaper, Volvo Technology Transfer has tied up with an Australian company called Seeing Machines. This company is responsible for devising cutting-edge computerized technology that can recognize facial expressions as well as track head and eye movements.

The technology, derived from the results of research projects at the Australian National University, can be used for medical diagnosing, marketing, games and simulation – but Volvo is investing in Seeing Machines for the technology’s application in vehicle safety.

Currently, Seeing Machines has developed a small camera that can watch how a driver is doing. It measures the position of the head, eye movements and eyelid behavior and processes such data via a specific calculation program in order to interpret if whether the motorist is distracted or tired. The machine will then warn the driver once it finds it necessary to do so. It will keep him alert long enough until finally, he reaches a place where sleeping is safe to do.