Volvo’s Concept You again showed off the firm’s Scaleable Platform Architecture at the 2011 Frankfurt IAA.

SPA will underpin most of the brand’s future models. Instead of creating unique platforms for each car, Volvo has created a modular system that ensures the same components can be used across all model lines.

Rather like a big LEGO kit, it dramatically cuts the amount of bespoke components for each model and ensures Volvo has the ability to develop new cars almost at will.

Want a bigger car than car X? SPA allows the wheelbase to be stretched, an common electrical systems, driveline, suspension and other parts to be used. Bingo: one car Y is yours.

It’s little short of brilliant and will mean that although initial investment is high, future products will be cheaper and, crucially, faster to develop.

However, while it’s radical, it’s not the first time Volvo has done this. Indeed, we can still buy one of the original Volvo ‘scaleable platform’ cars, in the form of the XC90…

Volvo SPA MkI

Volvo developed its first highly flexible platform architecture when it was also an independent, before Ford ownership. The 1999 Volvo S80 debuted it, and it would appear in many more core Volvos over the years.

The platform was dubbed P2 and was designed to offer both standard and long-wheelbase variants, plus front-wheel and four-wheel drive capability.

The full line-up of P2 cars is impressive:

• 1999-2006 Volvo S80 (P23)

• 2001-2009 Volvo S60 (P24)

• 2001-2007 Volvo V70 (P26E)

• 2002-2007 Volvo XC70 (P26L)

• 2003-date Volvo XC90 (P28)

P2 was clearly well-considered, and ensured an independent company could still offer a range of cars able to take on German premium rivals. Indeed, the ingenuity of it is perhaps what attracted Ford to Volvo in the first place.

Ford was so impressed, it actually used a variation of P2 in its own cars, the D3 platform. It lost some of the higher-cost componentry such as aluminum suspension arms, but still, hundreds of thousands of Ford 500, Ford Taurus and, in newer D4 form, the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT.

Of course, with Ford ownership came the opportunity for Volvo to tap into readymade platforms. So, for the replacement Volvo S80 and Volvo V70, Ford’s C/D architecture was utilised: the same that also underpins the Land Rover Freelander, Ford Mondeo and Ford S-Max amongst others.

But now, Volvo is independent from a large European-focused maker again. It has the might of Geely behind it, but Geely does not yet make cars able to take on the best of the Europeans and US brands. So, Volvo must start again, with an all-new platform structure.

Hence, SPA. It’s returning to the smart construction it was using before Ford bought it, and is set once again to enjoy the flexibility of a platform architecture designed from the start to be flexible and, well, scaleable.

Other makers are doing it: the Saab Phoenix and Mazda SkyActiv-Chassis use a similar philosophy. But Volvo is closest with a production version, and many a production engineer is watching on with interest.

There’s a lot of clever engineering going on in Volvo right now. SPA is one of the headliners: but how much will legions of S80s, V70s and, indeed, the XC90 that’s still being made in ever-impressive quantities over at Torslanda help the engineers bring SPA to life? More, I suspect, than we perhaps realise.

+ Volvo man gets cool

+ Volvo English Channel Ocean Race

+ How Ford would have made a Rover

China has two types of vehicle maker – homegrown brands and importers.

‘Importer’ here means non-Chinese brands, ones we’re all familiar with. They’re not strictly importers, mind – Chinese law and economies of scale all means they actually build over there, too (by forming a joint venture with a home maker).

So, what were they doing at the Shanghai Auto Show this year? Providing us with a means of gauging just what the Chinese market is all about, mainly.

This is familiarity with a twist specifically for China. The differences provide a clear indicator as to what the Chinese market demands. So, to what was new at Shanghai Auto Show 2011…

Peugeot

Peugeot is planning 1 new model a year for China in the next few years. This year’s car is the 508, developed from scratch with China in mind. It joins the 207, 207 CC 308 CC, 308 SW, 408, 3008 and (soon) the RCZ in a surprisingly Euro-familiar line-up. A popular one, too: this year, Peugeot will sell 200k cars in China.

Peugeot also showed the SxC, fully designed in its China Tech Centre and displaying what China wants from a car. Hence, it’s a tall crossover, with a petrol version of the Hybrid4 drivetrain. With a 1.6 THP turbo, the four-wheel drive setup pumps out 313hp. Why no HDi engine? Because China’s predominately a petrol-driven market.

Subaru

Subaru chose China to reveal its compact crossover XV, again showing what’s important to Chinese buyers. The 2012 Impreza saloon and wagon? That was reserved for New York…

SEAT

SEAT is not yet in China: Shanghai 2011 was its debut. It plans to go on sale there next year, with exports of the Leon and Ibiza from the massive Martorell plant. This will give SEAT much-needed extra volume as it carries on justifying itself to VW Group paymasters.

It’s actually a good fit, though, said SEAT MD James Muir. China likes cars with young, sporty, design-led attributes, conveniently displayed in all SEATs. The market also likes distinctive European cars, with lots of performance and good dynamics. Hence, the late-minute China debut, using show stand real estate from brand partners Audi and VW.

Bentley

China was Bentley’s 3^rd largest market in 2012. In Q1 2011, it had already jumped up to second place, with 302 cars sold chalking up a 64% increase. That’s why Bentley’s expanding the dealer count by a third, and that’s also why it’s making a special Flying Spur China edition: China is the single largest market for Flying Spur.

The Mulsanne is also now going to China. Astonishingly, Bentley plans to ship 300 over there this year, ‘each one of them different’. These are rapidly becoming very big sales of cars that command very big price tags. Making Bentley another brand VW Group needs worry about no longer?

Audi

ANOTHER A3 concept saloon – yet another category Audi’s inventing (or, rather, reinventing)? It’s a petrol-electric hybrid, called e-tron, which can do 34 miles under electric power only, before the 211hp 1.4 TSI takes over. Behind the rear seats, there are 12Kwh of lithium ion batteries, but this doesn’t affect interior space: Audi’s given it the longest wheelbase in the compact sector, for bags of rear passenger knee room.

China, of course, likes saloons. Thus, a prediction: the Chinese market is going to lead to more ‘world’ compact saloons such as this. Making that VW Derby prescient?

Volvo

Massive 5 metre long Volvo Concept Universe previews the replacement for the S80. But, because it’s massive, it’s also THE perfect car for China, even though Volvo says its plan is to make world cars. It’s in China first to gauge what ‘the most demanding Chinese customers think’: an illustration of the market’s importance is that Europe and the US will have to wait. Volvo will show it in these markets. But only once China’s seen all it wants…

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce is another posh Brit brand going great guns in China. That’s why it’s showing the Ghost Extended Wheelbase there for the first time – even though it don’t be ready for series production until 2012. It’s the first Rolls-Royce ever to be revealed in China, ‘underlining the strategic significance of the market and the Asia-Pacific region’. 170mm in the wheelbase means a doubling of rear knee room: just what well-heeled Chinese buyers are after.

That’s not all. There is a bespoke China Edition Phantom, with a red interior, twin gold coach lines, gold-plated Spirit of Ecstasy and stainless steel pinstripes. In a nutshell, revealing what Chinese buyers like in a car. There are more models from the Centenary Collection (marking 100 years of the Spirit of Ecstasy) too – China is the biggest market for these specials.

Oh, China is also the biggest market for bespoke Phantoms, too. To help buyers choose, Rolls-Royce is expanding from 8 to 11 dealers, which will be the highest number in a single market, and second only to the US. Power to you, Goodwood.

Land Rover

Land Rover sales rose 59% in China last year – it’s the firm’s fastest-growing single market. Thus, the appearance of the uber-expensive Range Rover Autobiography Edition. China loves this edition, which sees each single model crafted  to the customer’s specification. 50 have already been sold in the US. How many in China? 150…

Kia

Further proof the compact saloon is back comes from Kia. The K2 is a stretched, widened Kia Rio platform build especially for China. Is Audi’s trend already being followed?

BP’S Tony Hayward means I’m risking wrath when I reveal I too was taking part in the same race as him, on a similarly large yacht. (From the archive!)

Indeed, we actually overtook him, which was nice.

I was on one of two Volvo yachts, entering in the annual Isle of Wight Round The Island race. Volvo’s big into boat sponsorship – it invests fortunes into it, running the Volvo Ocean Race round-the-world event every 4 years, backing Olympic medallists and supporting the future ones.

Pretty passionate about it too, Volvo is; that’s why we were given the change to get involved, to show what’s it’s all about. ‘We don’t just sponsor things for the sake of it – they have to fit in with our brand, and also give an opportunity for us to get fully involved.’

Genuine support, it seems, instead of just paying to put a name to something. It’s why Volvos seem to fit in well amongst sailory types; the tune of 5-cylinder D5s was the soundtrack to the weekend around Cowes, and quite fitting it was, too.

It’s the sort of sponsorship marketing folk rate as a success. The brand fits the sport yet it also makes sense to those who’ll never set foot on water.

Thus ensued a conversation about other successful sponsorship arrangements, where brand fits in perfectly with sport. We came up with:

•    BMW PGA Golf
•    Ford Champions League
•    Mitsubishi Badminton

All of these are characterised by perfect brand fit, affinity with target buyers, committed car maker backing of the sport, and a basic feeling that it ‘makes sense’.

Further benefits and paybacks come from the people whom the car maker sponsors. We were on Olympic God Medal winner Paul Goodison’s yacht; he’s the perfect brand ambassador, speaks about the values of it with conviction and belief. Rather than talking with ‘word for the sponsor’ soundbites.

It was hard work, but a day to remember – and has shown me what makes both a good and a bad sponsorship deal. Now the interest and understanding is there, I’ll be following this up in the future. Thus hopefully meaning I escape the Haywardesque wrath of you…

Volvo is intent on going sporty with the S60 range of junior exec saloons.

Fresh from launching the core range, Volvo quickly rolled out the tuned R-Design models: this was more than just a trim option, as there’s a surprising amount of chassis jiggery been undertaken.

When you read Volvo has fitted 15% stiffer springs, monotube dampers, 20% stiffer bushes, even a strut brace, you know there’s intent there.

It’s all part of making Volvo cars – and, thus Volvo drivers – racy and cool (let’s gloss over the ‘Naughty’ bit, aye?). Thing is, I already knew this.

The Volvo man in the Volvo S60 Motoring Research recently had on test was real-life proof of this.

Sure, it wasn’t a *real* Volvo man (only Audi A8 press fleet cars come with one of those). But, boy, how the virtual Volvo man on the dashboard has gotten all cool.

He’s part of Volvo’s genius heating stratification system. The rest of the centre console is button laden, but not this part. You want hot air to the feet? Press his legs. Fresh air to the head? Press his head.

Yup, he’s hot and cool as WELL as cool. Hasn’t always been thus, though. Check him out in the old-shape Volvo S60.

Straight-laced, sensible, dowdy and far from cutting a dash about town. He was the epitome of sensibility.

Not anymore. Volvo S60 man is now laid back, edgy, glows green and is properly down with the kids.

He’s even discovered how to get the Volvo S60 seats down low and racy.

More than I managed, alas.

BIG alloy wheels are de rigueur nowadays.

But, just a decade ago, they were far more rare. Maximum size for the mid-1990s Volvo S40, for example, was 16-inches.

Goodness, mainstream Fiestas run wheels that big nowadays.

Why was this? ‘It was really tight in the wheelarches,’ an engineer told me, ‘We did have a fix, that involved bending metal parts inboard.

‘But we couldn’t apply this in the required volumes to offer it as a series option.’ So, even on the speedy T4, 16-inches was your lot. Damn.

Until, that is, the final generation run-out S40.

‘By then, we’d developed a new technique, that could adjust the inner wheelarch production without slowing the production line down.’

It was applied. 17-inch wheels came to the S40 range.

And, the geek within me has another top fact to bedazzle the ladies with.

MINI John Cooper S Works Photostream on Flickr

Why Ford Econetics break the rules

My mum’s media mash-up

6 April 2009 – Volvo S60

IT’S still a good looking car, you know, the S60 that’s just passed me while I was out jogging. Sleek lines and a coupe rear made it the coolest mid-size Volvo ever. A car that so really should have been a BMW 3 Series rival.

They never quite cracked this, which ultimately did for it. So, there was no direct replacement, it lingered too long, then quietly disappeared last year.

Too quietly, I hear; Volvo dealers were frustrated that they had customers willing to order, but no cars in stock! S’pose if ever there were a positive problem to have, this is it.

Jogging, tonight, though, I wondered how much I could get one for. Hence, the introduction of another new category.

Which random used car am I looking at today? An ad-hoc rundown of random stuff I spot and start thinking about while on my travels. All, rest assured, will be bargains.

£1500 is the answer here, for example. And that’s for a whizzy, fully-loaded 2.0-litre turbo, in gold, not yet a decade old, with heated leather seats and bags of gadgets.

Being a Volvo, it’s a bit soggy anyway, so there are no fears about high miles snuffing the suspension crispness. The engines are good for it, too, even if the servicing may be more of an issue (generally, it’s dear. I’d find a specialist).

And if fuel costs did prove too tippy, I could even convert it to LPG. Volvo sold these as factory-fit LPG cars for years, so there’s plenty of knowledge out there.

I’m almost tempted, you know.

You can see what’s coming. I reckon this series might be quite fun…

How Chevrolet today became cool

Why Barry Ferguson should look to Lewis Hamilton

Total recall for Japanese makers

First it was Honda. Then, Volvo. Then, Renault. With what? Something so brilliant, I’m amazed nobody’s offered it before.

Free payment protection insurance for those buying on the car makers’ finance schemes.

In other words, peace of mind that, if they buyers sign for a new car and then lose their job, payments on the new car will still be covered.

Genius, or what?

The more you think about it, the more sense it makes. It illustrates, for example, that while banks may not be lending, cash-rich car company finance houses most certainly still are.

After all, their very business is pitching out money secured against new cars, then pulling in the interest from the monthly payments.

If they don’t lend, they don’t trade or function. So, car makers tell me, they’ve certainly got the reserves to lend. And are trying their damndest to do so.

The whole car industry crisis  has been borne of fear. Buyers, not buying, because they’re fearful. This one simple incentive reassures them, in three ways – by…

•    Proving the cash is there
•    That eye-watering finance deals such as Civic Type-Rs for £199 a month are available
•    That buyers will be protected if the worst does indeed happen…

… I’d wager a successful uptake will mean these three companies won’t be the last to implement such schemes.

Volkswagen Golf looks to history for GTD inspiration

F1 insight – Lewis Hamilton speaks

Why car scrappage is now inevitable

… I saw a heavily cloaked test car a few weeks ago on the M42. Looked like a Jaguar, beneath the disguise. It was – the new XJ, which Hilton says will be unveiled in June.

It was going to be a reskin of the current model, but is much more than that. Jaguar’s taken the lessons from the XF – a rehashed S-Type – and applied them here, for an extensive overhaul using the same air-suspension wheelbase.

Styling will wow. Jaguar designer Adam Hatton stressed as much over a beer late last year, at a function in the Cotswolds… and I believe the Malvern-dwelling dude (who rates the Citroen C4, but doesn’t like the new MINI).

There’s even going to be an all-glass panoramic roof.

Jag’s 3.0-litre V6 diesel will feature: this is so powerful and eco, it makes the V8 diesel redundant. Range Rover only for that, then? Seems an expensive way of doing things.

… VW’s said it’s planning a Bluesport range of green performance cars. Like Bluemotion, but faster. Raking in more profits, then.

… Mercedes will sell a diesel version of the next SLK, due in two years. As it’s based on the fine current C-Class platform, expect the brilliant C 250 CDI engine to feature.

… Sweden is not to ban petrol and diesel in 2020. It will ban them in 2030 instead. So that’s why Saab and Volvo are so big on biofuels…