Ontario Community Newspapers

Oakville Beaver, 13 Oct 2010, p. 26

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WE WANT TO SERVICE YOUR VOLVO Your Volvo deserves only the best in care and maintenance. At our service centre, the care and well-being of your Volvo is something we take very seriously. Trust only the best qualifi ed to service it. Contact our professionals at: VOLVO OF OAKVILLE 1-888-310-1305 service@volvoofoakville.com w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER W e dn es da y, O ct ob er 1 3, 2 01 0 2 6 Good looks and improved driving dynamics make new S60 a winner Continued from page 25 before our eyes, out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by wheat fields. During my two laps of the track, the seats did their job, keeping my butt firmly planted with little slipping and sliding on hard corners. Similarly, the Haldex all-wheel-drive sys- tem along with the electronic stability con- trol and Volvos torque vectoring (which works to prevent understeer) helped me keep the car on track, even going into several blind corners on the challenging circuit. As far as acceleration is concerned, the turbo six gets up to speed in a hurry, doing 0- 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds, according to Volvo. There is little or no turbo lag and the 325 lb/ft of torque peaks at a relatively low 2,100 rpm. I found it odd though that Volvos sportiest car ever didnt offer paddle shifters, although it did have Geartronic manual shifting capability. Built on the same platform as the S80 and XC60, the new S60 has a wider stance that gives a planted feel even when the pavement starts to deteriorate. Standard on Canadian S60s is a dynamic chassis system that seems to strike a good balance between comfort and performance. It offers improved steering, stiffer springs and bushings and more damping than in any other current Volvo. For driving enthusiasts, an optional $1,200 Four-C active chassis is offered that uses sensors to continuously monitor the cars behaviour. There are three chassis settings (Comfort, Sports and Advanced) and depending on the driving situation the dampers are adjusted automatically for bet- ter control and comfort. Inside, the cabin is quiet for the most part with little or no wind noise. However, on uneven or variegated pavement there was a fair amount of road noise making its way inside, at least with the summer tires on our test cars. Things may be different for us in Canada as our cars will be equipped with all-season tires. The wheelbase has been extended by 61 mm, resulting in more rear-seat leg room and knee room, but still less than some of the competition. The S60 finds itself in a competitive seg- ment, challenging the likes of the Audi A4, BWM 3-series, Infiniti G37 and others. But with the upgrades in design and per- formance added to the firms ever-present focus on safety, Volvo should be able to gain some additional market share in the mid- size segment with the new S60. Worldwide Prius sales pass two million mark Toyota is celebrating another milestone for Prius, with worldwide sales passing two million since the original hybrid was launched in 1997. Across three generations, approximately 2,012,000 units have been sold in more than 70 countries and regions, up to the end of September this year. Based on these volumes, Toyota calculates Prius has saved around 11 million tonnes of CO2 emissions compared to petrol models of similar size and power, an achievement sup- ported by its continuing development of its full hybrid technology to achieve even clean- er and more fuel efficient performance. Todays Prius emits just 89g/km of CO2 the lowest figure achieved by any current production car with an internal combustion engine and has an official combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 74.3mpg. Hybrid power is a central element in Toyotas development of more environmen- tally efficient vehicles and Prius continues to provide an excellent platform in which to demonstrate its flexibility and real-world ben- efits. Supported by Priuss global achievements, Toyota aims to sell at least one million hybrid vehicles annually as early as possible in the 2010s.

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