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Volvo has initiated one of its largest undertakings with
a new 2001 global marketing campaign.
Entitled ReVolvolution, the new advertising campaign
is pushing the new S60 - one of Volvo's performance models.
Not only has it started one of the largest outdoor poster
campaigns, it is the first company to use a massive 21x21-metre
poster hanging from a helicopter.
It is also targeting new areas for marketing - such as broadband
and Palm mediums.
Anyone can throw cash at the marketing gurus, but what is
the car actually like?
For starters, the new design looks less like the Volvo that
many have come to hate.
Instead, the design has taken a more modern look, incorporating
smooth curves and a more eye-catching front and rear.
The new S60 is available in three variants - the 2.4 20v,
the 2.4T and the top of the range T5. The latter two are turbo-charged,
with the T5 sporting the more impressive specifications.
The T5 hides a 2.3-litre, 5-cylinder, high-pressure turbo-charged
engine. This produces 185kW at the rear wheels at just over
5000rpm. Maximum torque is an impressive 330Nm available across
the board from 2400rpm to 5200rpm.
In real-world terms, this translates to a rather quick car.
Volvo even claims the new S60 T5 is on par with Subaru's world-beating
Impreza WRX.
The T5 accelerates from standstill to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds
while still maintaining stringent emission levels. A five-speed
gearbox helps bring the power of the new Volvo S60 under control.
The manual gearbox is available in standard and Spaceball
variants - the latter giving drivers a real race-car experience
with super-quick shifts. The five-speed automatic transmission
offers Geartronic manual sequential shift control on 2.4 T
and T5 as standard.
The safety features on the new Volvos are up the marque's
typically high standard, offering driver and passengers six
air-bags in total. Pyrotechnic self-tensioning seat belts
with force limiters and Volvo's proprietary WHIPS (whiplash
protection system) ensure all inside the car are safe and
sound.
Volvo's new S60 range looks set to take on the world with
sharp looks, first-class safety and a healthy dose of turbo-charged
power.
Coupled with one of the largest global advertising campaigns
by any auto-maker and Volvo could well outsell its closest
competitors.
The new S60 range starts at $54,950 for the manual 2.4 20V
SE and finishes at $82,950 for the class-topping T5.
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