Volvo Car UK challenges The Mayor of London to Emissions Equality

Late yesterday afternoon, Volvo Car UK challenged the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to review the basis of charging for the London Congestion Charging zone.

We believe that the principle of hybrid cars being exempt from the Congestion Charge is now outdated and unfair. Drivers of hybrid cars enter the zone free of charge on a daily basis while drivers of low emission cars powered by conventional internal combustion engines with the same, or even lower, levels of emissions are charged £8.00 per day. This could add a financial burden of over £2,000 per year to those drivers who have selected a traditionally-powered low emission car.

The apparent disparity was highlighted to Boris Johnson by the Regional President for Europe from Volvo Car Corporation when he collected the What Car? Green Car of the Year award from The Mayor recently. This was followed up by a letter to The Mayor's office on 22 June.

What Car? has joined the campaign, and you can too by registering support at www.volvocars.co.uk/emissionsequality . Using the power of Social Media, you can also follow the cause on http://twitter.com/eequality or befriend the campaign at www.facebook.com/pages/Emissions-Equality/119945287541

Reporting from Sweden

Currently in Sweden at the Volvo DRIVe launch. Journalists are driving C30, S40 and V50 cars with new Start / Stop technology, XC60 and XC70 DRIVe with the 2.4d engine and 2WD as well as the V70 DRIVe with the 1.6D engine.

And this is the car that most came to drive. Could such a large car really drive well with a small engine. Yes appears to be the answer. Eight of the UK's best motoring journalists seem convinced, but needed to drive the car to convince themselves.

Few cars nowadays are sold before they are launched. Some customers will buy some cars after they get announced because they know what it'll deliver. And some cars need to be driven before orders are placed. I believe that the V70 DRIVe falls into this category. But once they drive it, it all makes sense. So, a large car can be frugal, emit less than 130g/km and drive well. This could be the future of many people's motoring.

A new model year, a raft of enhancements from Volvo

A new model, new engines and new engine technologies are the key additions to the Volvo range for the 2010 model year, all of which offer enhanced drivability, lower CO2 emissions and improved fuel consumption.

Start/Stop technology for C30, S40 and V50 offers CO2 emissions of just 104 g/km
XC60 and XC70 2.4D front-wheel-drive emit 159 g/km CO2
Introduction of the new Volvo S80 executive saloon to the Volvo range
New D5 and 2.4D available in XC60, XC70, V70 and S80

Volvo C30, S40 and V50
The Volvo C30 SportsCoupe, S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon DRIVe models now all feature the intelligent new Start/Stop function which brings CO2 emissions down to 104 g/km and improves fuel consumption up to 72.4 mpg. The sports-inspired R-DESIGN specification and body styling has also been introduced to the DRIVe range offering CO2 emissions of 119 g/km and up to 62.8 mpg in all three models.

Prices for the C30 range start at £14,995 OTR for the entry level 1.6 S. The 1.6D DRIVe with Start/Stop variants start at £15,745. The S40 and V50 ranges start at £14,745 and £16,495 OTR for the 1.6 S models with the DRIVe with Start/Stop range commencing at £17,495 for the S40 and £18,845 for the V50.

Volvo XC60
A new front-wheel-drive variant of the Volvo XC60 is now available with the upgraded 2.4D 175 PS engine. This combination with a manual transmission reduces CO2 emissions to 159 g/km and is badged DRIVe. In addition to the lower CO2 emissions, fuel economy is also dramatically improved; from 37.7 mpg (combined) to 47.1 mpg, a 25% improvement. The new D5 engine is also now available in the XC60 offering up to an 11% increase in performance and an 8% reduction in CO2 emissions to 183 g/km.

Prices for the XC60 range start at £24,995 for the 2.4D DRIVe S model, with the new D5 engine joining the range at £26,745.

Volvo XC70
The Volvo XC70 benefits from the two new diesel engines - 2.4D and D5 - which join the range in SE specification and cost £27,995 and £31,495 OTR respectively. The 2.4D engine will only be available with front-wheel-drive and models with manual transmission feature CO2 emissions of just 159 g/km and will be badged DRIVe. It will also benefit from improved fuel consumption of up to 47.1 mpg.

Other changes to the XC70 range include a new front grille displaying the large iron mark and new steering wheel chrome highlights and chrome trim around the ignition area. Cars with the D5 and T6 AWD engines will also have visible twin rear exhaust pipes as standard.

The new Volvo S80
As announced on 26 February 2009, the Volvo S80 has benefitted from a full re-fresh this model year, both externally and internally.

The driving dynamics and ride of the new Volvo S80 have also been updated and improved by the introduction of two new chassis - the Lowered Dynamic Chassis and the Comfort Chassis. The Lowered Dynamic Chassis has been developed to offer drivers enhanced sporting driving characteristics and more responsive handling, while the Comfort Chassis offers a compliant and un-interrupted smooth ride. The introduction of these new chassis' gives customers the opportunity to tailor their S80 to suit their driving style - for inspired, enthusiastic driving or relaxed comfort.

The Lowered Dynamic Chassis will be offered as standard on the SE and SE Lux models. The Comfort Chassis will be the only chassis available on the Executive trim level.

The new Volvo S80 will also feature three new diesel engines, the 2.4D, D5 and the low CO2-emitting DRIVe. As well as providing the Volvo S80 with a different driving experience, the car will also benefit from lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions. An upgraded 2.5T is available, offering a 31 PS performance boost to provide 231 PS and 340 Nm of torque. Despite this 13% increase in power, CO2 emissions have been reduced to 206 g/km and fuel consumption improved to 32.8 mpg with the manual transmission.

A new R-DESIGN Interior Pack has been introduced which includes Dynamic Sports leather faced front seats, R-DESIGN leather sports steering wheel and gearknob, instrument dials, aluminium pedals and sports floor mats. The pack is available on SE Premium and SE Lux premium models and is priced at £500.

Prices for the new Volvo S80 range start at £21,745 for the new low-CO2 emitting DRIVe SE model. The new 2.4D starts at £25,845 in SE specification, while the D5 joins the range at £27,745.

Volvo V70
The Volvo V70 gains the two new diesel engines with prices for the 2.4D starting at £26,845 OTR and £28,745 for the D5 both in SE trim. Changes to the V70 range also include a new front grille displaying the large iron mark and new steering wheel chrome highlights in SE and SE Lux and chrome trim around the ignition area. Cars with the D5 and T6 AWD engines now have visible twin rear exhaust pipes as standard.

The 2.5T engine has been updated to offer a performance boost to 231 PS and 340 Nm of torque. Despite this 13% increase in power the CO2 emissions have been reduced to 209 g/km and fuel consumption improved to 32.1 mpg with the manual transmission.
Prices for the Volvo V70 range start at £22,745 for the new low-CO2 emitting DRIVe model.

Volvo C70
The 2.0D engine in the C70 has been updated to offer CO2 emissions of 158 g/km to enable the car to fall below the 160 g/km threshold for the Capital Write Down Allowance. The Volvo C70 range starts at £24,995 OTR for the 2.0D S model.

Volvo XC90
Volvo's seven-seat XC90 receives a new, lighter chassis and new dampers designed to improve drivability. In spite of this new chassis there are no price rises for the XC90. The range starting price remains static at £29,995 OTR for the D5 Active model, while prices for the flagship Executive variant have been reduced for the 2010 Model Year. The Executive now starts at £42,985 OTR for the 3.2-litre petrol model, a decrease of over £4,000 with minimal specification changes.

New D5 and 2.4D engines
The Volvo S80, V70, XC70 and XC60 all benefit from the new and improved D5 and 2.4D diesel engines which were announced earlier this year3. The new D5 engine with its twin sequential turbo charging offers a 20 PS performance boost to provide 205 PS and 420 NM of torque. Despite this power increase, CO2 emissions have been cut to 169 g/km in the XC70 and V70, 183 g/km in the XC60, while the S80 offers 164 g/km.

The 2.4D has also been upgraded and the new engine offers a 12 percent improvement in performance to 175 PS and 420 Nm of torque whilst bringing down CO2 levels to 155 g/km in the S80 and 159 g/km in the V70. In the XC60 and XC70 the 2.4D coincides with the introduction of front-wheel-drive and together, they reduce emissions to just 159 g/km. Crucially, this figure enables these two models to fall below the 160 g/km threshold for the Capital Write Down Allowance.

New Premium Pack and updated Satellite Navigation system
Volvo is offering the ultimate upgrade with an additional Premium Pack specification on all trim levels and engines in XC60, V70, XC70, S80, XC90 models for an extra £2,000. The Premium Pack includes the addition of Leather-faced Upholstery and Satellite Navigation System (RTI) in the XC60, V70 and XC70. On the XC90 the Premium model adds Satellite Navigation System (RTI), Dual Band Integrated GSM Telephone and Volvo On Call. Meanwhile the C70 also gets a Premium Pack for an extra £1,800 and features Satellite Navigation System (RTI), Bluetooth Handsfree System and Keyless Drive. The Premium Packs are designed to complement the existing high levels of specification on whichever engine or trim level chosen.

An updated Satellite Navigation system (RTI) has also been introduced in the XC60, V70, XC70, S80 and XC90 to bring them in line with the smaller cars in the Volvo range. A new driver interface, new colours and an improved premium feel to the menu and symbols are the key features and the unit costs £1,950 (including VAT).

All new MY'10 models are available to order now with first customer cars expected in July.

The right to reply - Media agencies muscle in

I've been fascinated reading the discussion thread following the interview I gave PR Week last week about the future of PR agencies and SEO. Read the original interview here:

http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/article/903849/Media-agencies-muscle/?DCMP=EMC-DailyNews

For starters, and for the record, I don't think that the days of the PR agency are numbered. As a matter of fact, as a business, we employ a retained PR agency and use a number of other agencies on an adhoc basis. However, I do believe that marketing agencies have probably done a better job of adapting to today's competitive environment than many, but not all, PR agencies have.

When Volvo decided to move into this area, it did so with eyes open and on the back of my previous experience as the UK motor industry's first and only New Media PR Manager for BMW and MINI. And this is not about letting the chosen agency set sail with your brand and steering in whichever direction they see fit. It's about partnering with an agency who really understand the Volvo brand, its customers as well as the online audiences and influencers. It's also about partnering with the right agency who can deliver on the brief.

And I do believe, also for the record, that social media PR can play a key part in a SEO strategy. Yes, digital PR has a role to play in influencing online audiences and shaping brands as it has always done in the traditional world but ultimately, all online PR activity should be geared towards driving customers to our own website. And, at the end of the day, selling cars – after all, that's what we're all here to do. The days of long lunches and the vast MP-style expense budgets in the PR industry went a long time ago and now, more than ever, PRs need to justify what they are doing and why they are doing it.

So, if SEO and driving consumers to your website is a large part of the goal, but you also need to execute a social media strategy, what do you do? Employ a PR agency and hope they'll deliver on the SEO brief too? Not us, we've decided to employ an experienced SEO agency who, for the record too, also have a great deal of experience in creating and managing social media PR strategies alongside the in-house team to make sure the off-line and on-line activities complement one another.

This decision may have caused debate, but debate is good. We live in a world of flux where very few decisions are simple anymore and there are more and more grey areas opening up. This one, in particular, highlights the possible gap between a Marketing and PR function, and we need to ensure that nothing falls between the slats. That's why we believe that a joined up approach, working in close partnership with all stakeholders to ensure that everybody delivers exactly to the brief, is the right way to proceed. You make your own choice as to whether you think it's the right thing to do.

But does this mark the end of the PR agency as we know it. No, just companies breaking down the barriers that have traditionally existed to make the most of the resources that they have available to them.