[.anshuman]

Volvo is adding new cheaper variants with a new 5 cylinder, 2.0, 163hp, 400nm D3 engine to the S60 sedan. The more powerful Diesel variant D5 with 2.4 Litre 5 cylinder engine will also continue to be sold along with the smaller Diesel. Currently S60 comes with 2.4 5 cylinder Diesel and 3.0 6 cylinder Petrol engines.

The new variants will continue to be called Kinetic and Summum, and will be available with the same equipment list and trim as current variants.

Expected pricing for the smaller hearted Diesels is 23 Lakhs and 27 Lakhs(Both ex-Delhi) respectively for Kinetic D3 and Summum D3. Expect Deliveries to start from Feb.

Source:Local Volvo Dealer


Link to Team-BHP's official review of S60.. Above pic from official review thread.

[StarrySky]

How good are the Volvos in terms of overall reliability? There are so few of them around and I haven't heard any positive/negative reviews on their reliability. At 23L and 27L, the pricing looks good. Hopefully, this will help Volvo to sell a few more cars.

[Dry Ice]

In terms of kit, even the pricier version was very well loaded but it never kinda picked up (haven't seen a single one on road till date). Might be due to the perceived brand image? I mean, who would say, I don't fancy getting a Beemer, Audi or the Merc.. I would rather buy a Volvo instead!

With this correction, they might have a chance.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Volvo is adding new cheaper variants with a new 5 cylinder, 2.0, 163hp, 400nm D3 engine to the S60 sedan. The more powerful Diesel variant D5 with 2.4 Litre 5 cylinder engine will also continue to be sold along with the smaller Diesel. Currently S60 comes with 2.4 5 cylinder Diesel and 3.0 6 cylinder Petrol engines.

The new variants will continue to be called Kinetic and Summum, and will be available with the same equipment list and trim as current variants.

Expected pricing for the smaller hearted Diesels is 23 Lakhs and 27 Lakhs(Both ex-Delhi) respectively for Kinetic D3 and Summum D3. Expect Deliveries to start from Feb.

Looks like a good move. Quite impressive pricing considering the fact that these cars are CBUs. Any idea if the D3 will get into the XC60 as well?

[Durango Dude]

In TN the only dealer is in Coimbatore, some 500 kms away from Chennai where I live. What about service issues. And...neither does this car have a spare tyre.

[dadu]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

In TN the only dealer is in Coimbatore, some 500 kms away from Chennai where I live. What about service issues. And...neither does this car have a spare tyre.

In India they will have to provide one as its required for them to get their road certification to sell, by ARAI, its a regulation.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by dadu

In India they will have to provide one as its required for them to get their road certification to sell, by ARAI, its a regulation.

Even the current S60 variants do not have a spare tire, though they have a repair kit with pump and tools like jack to remove the tire.

Similarly, None of the BMWs sold in India with Run flat tires come with a spare tire or even any of the tire removal tools like jack and spanner.

[316kmph]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

In TN the only dealer is in Coimbatore, some 500 kms away from Chennai where I live. What about service issues. And...neither does this car have a spare tyre.

The Coimbatore dealer, I believe has tied up with The Torque in Chennai. This Ambattur (Chennai) based service station is authorized to service the car. This is what a the sales agent told me a couple months ago. He also said, Chennai will get its showroom inside Express Avenue.

[himavanth_m]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

How good are the Volvos in terms of overall reliability? There are so few of them around and I haven't heard any positive/negative reviews on their reliability. At 23L and 27L, the pricing looks good. Hopefully, this will help Volvo to sell a few more cars.

Volvo's are known to be reliable. But their main USP is the safety. Volvo cars are renowned for the safety features and safety in case of an accident.

Originally Posted by dadu

In India they will have to provide one as its required for them to get their road certification to sell, by ARAI, its a regulation.

Are you sure about this? None of the Beemer's have a spare Tyre.

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Even the current S60 variants do not have a spare tire, though they have a repair kit with pump and tools like jack to remove the tire.

Again, are you kidding. I was not aware of this. How can Volvo expect a customer paying 40 lacs sit on the road side and repair his/her tyre in case of a pucture? I presume the Volvo's do not come with runflat tyres or puncture resistant tyres.
Atleast for Beemer's , in the eventuality of a puncture, the Beemer can still go upto 200kms.

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

In TN the only dealer is in Coimbatore, some 500 kms away from Chennai where I live. What about service issues. And...neither does this car have a spare tyre.

Chennai does not have a Volvo Showroom but Coimbatore has. This is surprising and interesting news to me.

[dadu]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Even the current S60 variants do not have a spare tire, though they have a repair kit with pump and tools like jack to remove the tire.

Similarly, None of the BMWs sold in India with Run flat tires come with a spare tire or even any of the tire removal tools like jack and spanner.

Originally Posted by himavanth_m

Are you sure about this? None of the Beemer's have a spare Tyre.

Okay, below is the news from 2006 which I remembered.

BMW faces spare-wheel trouble

Byas Anand, TNN Sep 17, 2006, 11.37pm IST

MUNICH: Germany's luxury car maker BMW's plan to drive into India has hit a peculiar roadblock. No, it's not the low fuel quality that most global car brands crib about, or the potholed face of Indian roads, but a technological advancement that has, in fact, won BMW several accolades the world over — run-flat tyres.
This technology has made a spare-wheel — popularly called stepney — inside its car trunks redundant. All BMW cars are designed with no space for storing a spare-wheel — an advancement that threatens to make these cars "unfit"for Indian roads under government regulations.

Source

But the update is that ARAI has changed this rule (perhaps under pressure ) in May 2009, under AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY STANDARD, Automotive Vehicles Temporary-Use Spare Wheel / Tyres and Run Flat Tyres AIS-110, which states

Use of run flat tyre and temporary use spare wheel conforming to ECE R 64 is permitted in European countries.

In view of the cost effectiveness, aesthetics, packaging and enhancement in safety, CMVR Technical Standing Committee took the decision to formulate the standard for temporary use spare wheel and run flat tyres. Run flat tyre is a new technology which contributes to safety as well as convenience.

Accordingly this standard has been formulated for M1 and N1 category of vehicles.

with the following Scope:

SCOPE

This standard applies to the approval of vehicles of category M1 and N1 with regard to their equipment which may include run flat tyres, a run flat system, a spare wheel and tyre unit, other than a "Standard spare unit" as defined in paragraph 2.9. of the standard, intended for temporary use in the event of damage to the wheel and tyre unit fitted to the vehicle for normal, long term, road use.

For the purposes of this standard, spare wheel and tyre substitute unitsin the form of run-flat tyres or a run-flat system in a totally deflated condition, are to be treated as being temporary use spare units as defined in paragraph 2.10. of the standard.

I stand corrected, run flat tyres are permitted in M1 and N1 category of vehicles.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

..(haven't seen a single one on road till date). Might be due to the perceived brand image?

I always thought Volvo's sell less due to the brand & image. But now I know why!! Just read all the below points together and we will understand what's wrong with Volvo !

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

In TN the only dealer is in Coimbatore, some 500 kms away from Chennai where I live.

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Even the current S60 variants do not have a spare tire, though they have a repair kit with pump and tools like jack to remove the tire.

Originally Posted by himavanth_m

Again, are you kidding. I was not aware of this. How can Volvo expect a customer paying 40 lacs sit on the road side and repair his/her tyre in case of a pucture?

Ridiculous stuffs to say the least. The dealer NOT in a metro, no run flats or spare tire & ridiculous GC of 130 mm !! I would rather keep this car in my garage if I buy it.

I LOVE THE LOOKS though! Sexy! In Kerala, I do see some Volvos in Cochin, but have not see those any where else!

Originally Posted by dadu

I stand corrected, run flat tyres are permitted in M1 and N1 category of vehicles.

But how did Volvo get away without a run flat or spare wheel?

[himavanth_m]

Originally Posted by dadu

I stand corrected, run flat tyres are permitted in M1 and N1 category of vehicles.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

But how did Volvo get away without a run flat or spare wheel?

Exactly my point.

This states that car must be equipped with run-flats in order to skip the spare tyre. However, IIRC, Volvo's do not come with run-flats. So how are Volvo's being exempted from the missing spare tyre issue. Do they come with some other type of puncture resistant tyres?

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Ridiculous stuffs to say the least. The dealer NOT in a metro, no run flats or spare tire & ridiculous GC of 130 mm !! I would rather keep this car in my garage if I buy it.
I LOVE THE LOOKS though! Sexy! In Kerala, I do see some Volvos in Cochin, but have not see those any where else!

I would rather let other people buy it and see the car in someone else's garage and admire it from outside.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by himavanth_m

Exactly my point.

This states that car must be equipped with run-flats in order to skip the spare tyre. However, IIRC, Volvo's do not come with run-flats. So how are Volvo's being exempted from the missing spare tyre issue. Do they come with some other type of puncture resistant tyres?

According to the sales staff, it comes filled with some puncture resistant liquid, so chances of having a flat tire on road are lesser.

[blackasta]

Off-topic - My encounters with Volvo cars have been limited - but eventful!


The Corolla I was driving..




The Volvo S60 she was driving..




Need any more proof of the robustness?
The Volvo had its airbags deployed though.

[shankar.balan]

This stuff is called SLIME. It coats the inside of the tyre and prevents air leakage in a puncture situation.

It will be nice to see a cheaper S60.
Hope this trend spills over to the XC60 too because I would love some time to own a Volvo baby SUV like the XC60 D5 AWD but I dont mind a cheaper variant with a 2 litre engine as per the S60.

Originally Posted by .anshuman

According to the sales staff, it comes filled with some puncture resistant liquid, so chances of having a flat tire on road are lesser.