The latest Volvo Concept, the XC Coupe, debuts at the NAIAS in Detroit

In September, the Volvo Concept Coupé was launched to critical acclaim and many awards, and represented the world’s first insight into Volvo Car Group's (Volvo Cars) new design direction under Senior Vice President of Design, Thomas Ingenlath. It also showed one interpretation of how the proportions and versatility of Volvo Cars' new Scalable Product Architecture, that will underpin all medium and large cars in the company’s future, could look.

The Concept Coupé was the first of three design studies. The next chapter in Volvo Cars' new design story showcases how the company’s famous safety technology as well as a contemporary Scandinavian active lifestyle could be integrated into the new architecture. The Volvo Concept XC Coupé will make its world debut at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) on January 13, but full details including press release, videos and images will be published on January 8.

The Concept XC Coupé builds on Volvo’s proud history of Cross Country and XC products, with Volvo Cars having created the niche in 1997. And in anticipation of the full reveal of the car in early 2014, Volvo Cars now shares the first three images of the car.

Good news, SAAB starts production of the new NEVS SAAB 9-3 on Monday 2nd November

Saab's new owner, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), will begin series production of the 9-3 mid-sized sedan at the brand's Trollhattan assembly plant in Sweden on Monday, almost two years to the day since the company was forced to file for bankruptcy.
The last cars produced by the automaker rolled off the production line in April 2011, eight months before Saab, then under the control of Spyker NV, filed for bankruptcy on December 19.

''Yes, we will start the actual production on Monday,'' Mikael Oestlund, a spokesman for NEVS, told Automotive News Europe, adding that initial output would have a ''humble'' pace with the possibility to increase the volume over time.

National Electric Vehicle Sweden, which is owned by a Chinese renewable energy investor, bought Saab out of bankruptcy last August. The production start has been achieved after NEVS was able to reach an agreement with parts suppliers, Oestlund said.

Oestlund said the production car would be powered by a gasoline turbocharged engine and would resemble pre-series models built for testing in September. These in turn closely resembled the last production 9-3s built at Trollhattan in 2011.

Oestlund said an electric variant of the 9-3, initially aimed at the Chinese market, will begin production in 2014. This will likely feature a new face-lifted exterior.

In August, Oestlund told Automotive News Europe that the 9-3 will be sold in Europe and China initially with U.S. sales possible later.

Phoenix-based cars

NEVS has previously said it plans to build cars based on the Phoenix architecture developed by Saab before the automaker's bankruptcy, after first modifying it to remove the 20 percent of parts sourced from former Saab owner General Motors.

NEVS is owned by Hong Kong National Modern Energy Holdings, which is run by Swedish-Chinese green energy entrepreneur Kai Johan Jiang. NEVS is 22 percent owned by the Chinese city of Qingdao following a deal earlier this year.

IS THIS THE NEW 9-3 THAT WILL BE THE FACE LIFTED CAR ?

REPORT HERE

Bentley expands presence in Sweden with new city centre showroom

• Bentley expands presence in Sweden with new city centre showroom
• New Stockholm premises represent long-term investment in the region and bring the brand closer to main customer base
• Malmö location continues as service and pre-owned sales centre
• New showroom opening coincides with regional premiere of Flying Spur luxury sedan

Bentley today announced the opening of a new dealership in Stockholm, expanding the luxury British marque’s presence in the Swedish market.

The new showroom is located on Grev Turegatan, a major thoroughfare located in one of Stockholm’s main designer shopping districts, bringing the brand closer to its main customer base in the city and representing a significant long-term investment in the region.  Bentley’s current premises in Sweden, located in the southern city of Malmö, will continue to serve customers in the south of the country, operating as an official Bentley aftersales and pre-owned sales centre.

Filip Larsson, Managing Director, Bentley Stockholm, commented: “The opening of our new showroom in Stockholm is a great moment for Bentley in Sweden.  With their all-year round, effortless driveability, Bentley cars have always been extremely popular with customers here.  Bringing our sales centre closer to our main customer base will strengthen Bentley’s position in Sweden even further.”

During the dealership’s official opening, Bentley Stockholm also presented the new Flying Spur to local customers for the first time.  The new model blends effortless driveability, exquisite luxury and craftsmanship, sculpted design and state-of-the-art technology.  It is powered by Bentley’s 6.0-litre, twin turbo W12 engine, and permanent all-wheel drive ensures the Flying Spur puts all 625 PS to the road, sprinting from 0-100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds.

Bentley sales in Europe during the first half of 2013 grew by 22 per cent compared to the same period last year, and the company has ambitious plans to achieve further sales growth, through new model introductions like the Flying Spur and significant expansion of its dealer network.