CAR NEWS
| By Rubin van Niekerk
WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR
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xcellence is celebrated with numerous prestigious awards bestowed on the new Volvo XC60 midsize SUV that has also just been named World Car of The Year 2018 at the New York Auto Show, which is a first for Volvo. Earlier this year it received the highly esteemed North American Utility of the Year Award, while the slightly smaller XC40 won the European Car of the Year award at the Geneva Motor Show. One of the safest cars ever made, it is fully-loaded with new technology and is the fourth model based on Volvo’s SPA platform. Steer Assist has been added to the groundbreaking City Safety System. A new safety system called Oncoming Lane Mitigation uses Steer Assist to help mitigate head-on collisions, while Volvo’s Blind Spot Indication System now uses Steer Assist functionality to reduce the risk of lane-changing collisions. An optional Pilot Assist semiautonomous driver assistance system controls acceleration and braking on well-marked roads up to 130km/h. The flagship T8 Twin Engine petrol plug-in hybrid delivers 300kW and reaches 0-100km/h in just 5,3 seconds. Locally, Volvo has launched with the D4, T5 and T6. The T8 will follow, but at this stage there’s no fixed introduction date. A CleanZone four-zone climate system removes harmful pollutants and particles from outside the cabin to deliver Scandinavian-fresh air on the inside. Infotainment and connected services offer Sensus Connect, and the Volvo On Call app, both having received a graphical update with improved usability. Care by Volvo and the Volvo on Call App go hand-in-hand. The App, which provides access to the full Volvo on Call service, will be introduced next year. In the meantime, rest assured you’ll still get award winning cars, guaranteed buy-back, tailor-made finance and rental. Volvo Versatility Finance is the new guaranteed future value finance product available through Volvo Car Financial Services, on any new Volvo car and also offers a new Volvo-
XC60
personalised insurance scheme with highly-competitive insurance premiums. It presents best-in-class guaranteed future values which enhances the Volvo ownership experience by guaranteeing buyback at a predetermined value and within limited mileage after three years of ownership. Volvo Versatility Finance also makes it easier for Volvo owners to ‘always drive new’, allowing you to buy their existing Volvo outright, or simply to return it. “We want to be able to present existing and potential new Volvo buyers with a simplified, more modern and more cost-effective financial option, over and above traditional finance agreements,” says Greg Maruszewski, Volvo Car South Africa Managing Director. A new ‘Care by Volvo’ subscription service will make having a car as transparent, easy and hassle-free as having a mobile phone with a national, ready-negotiated monthly fee, combined with getting a new car every 24 months. The Care by Volvo business model and related services are under scrutiny for local introduction and the aim is to have it available within the next year. This premium subscription differs from existing lease offers in a number of important ways. Care by Volvo offers a convenient package of services allowing customers to enjoy their car whilst Volvo Cars handles everything else. Private leasing is an entry-level offer without any additional services included in the price, while even full service leasing covers only parts of the services available in Care by Volvo. For example, none of the digital services to be offered via Care by Volvo are currently part of existing leasing packages. Care by Volvo encompasses flexibility and customers can switch cars temporarily depending on their needs, while removing the practice of price negotiations. Customer research shows that this is one of the elements of the carbuying process that customers dislike the most. Care by Volvo has no customer geographical or age-related price differences.
“ONE OF THE SAFEST CARS EVER MADE”
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