New Volvo V40 gets record-breaking Euro NCAP score

The new Volvo V40 has been given a 5 Star rating by Euro NCAP, in the process getting the best result ever recorded. If a Volvo can’t get a 5 Star rating in the Euro NCAP tests then Volvo’s USP is in trouble. So the news that the new V40 got a 5 Star rating in the latest round of tests comes as no surprise.

Volvo picks up Red Dot Design Award for new connectivity system

Volvo's Sensus Connected Touch connectivity system with the world's first voice-activated integrated Spotify connection has been awarded a 2013 Red Dot Design Award. The Sensus Connected Touch accessory turns the integrated 7-inch display into an infrared, beam-scanned touch screen that can be used even when wearing gloves. The system can be controlled using the touchscreen, the steering wheel or the center stack, while you can also voice-activate all music sources. Alain Visser, senior vice president of marketing, sales and customer service at Volvo, says, "The Red Dot Design Award confirms that this approach to an intuitive, human-centric user experience fulfils modern car owners' desire to remain constantly connected also when driving." The WiFi connection can be made using either a car-mounted 3G/4G-dongle or the driver's mobile phone, and the data is transferred by the WiFi between the phone and the Sensus Connected Touch.

Ford Edge gets $200 price cut

Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday that the 2011 Edge crossover will start at $27,995 including shipping. That's about $200 less than the 2010 model, although Ford added more power to the 2011 base engine.