News: Volvo offering free winter checks

Winter is upon us! Ice, snow, driving rain, seeping drizzle and temperatures that would make a polar bear complain about the chill are already here, but you can relax this winter and make the most of your car even in tougher driving conditions with this special offer from Volvo Ireland.

You can now deliver your precious Swedish car into the hands of experienced Volvo-trained service technicians who will check the essentials on your car for free so that you can enjoy life with ultimate peace of mind.

The Winter Safety check consists of the following: A tyre wear and pressure check, a winter wheel change (if you want to stick winter tyres on), a general fluid check, including your car’s brake fluid, oil, coolant and washer fluid. There’s a battery check, bulb and lens check to make sure your lights are in good order, a wiper blades check, a washer check and adjustment and a  check to inspect your windscreen for damage.

When the temperature drops below 7C a change of tyres can make a real difference at your local Volvo dealer we can quickly and easily change the wheels while you relax with a coffee and browse the latest set of winter wheels now available.

With the right tyres and checks you can really make the most out of those perfect crisp winter days from the comfort and warmth of your Volvo. The Winter safety check will make sure you and your car are ready for whatever the weather and your own travel plans throw at you.

News: Volvo plans S60, S80 update next year, all new XC90 for 2014

Volvo has confirmed plans to give both the S60 and S80 saloons a major update next year, and to follow those up with an all-new XC90 SUV in 2014.

Doug Speck, head of global marketing for Volvo, confirmed the news at the Paris motor show, although it's something of a surprise that the S60 is in for a facelift so soon after its launch. The S80, though, is long overdue for an update, with its plain front styling well and truly out of step with the rest of the current Volvo range.

Of possibly greater significance is the date set for the new XC90. The current model has been a massive sales success for Volvo since its launch in 2003, and will be a crucial cornerstone of Volvo's plans to massively expand its sales to 800,000 units globally. It's still on track to do this, despite having to slow down production in Sweden by about 10% because of the fall-off in European sales.

Even more crucially, the XC90 will be the debut vehicle for Volvo's new scaleable vehicle architecture, which will give it a Volkswagen-like ability to produce the next-generations of XC90, XC60, S60, V60, S80 and V70 all from the same basic set of components. The platform will apparently not shrink down to V40 hatchback size though (the new V40 owes a lot to the previous-generation Ford Focus) so Volvo is still seeking a partner to co-develop its next-generation of compact car.