The only part of the...
The only part of the test car which remains disguised is the headlamps. Underneath the stickers, new lights and a reshaped bonnet - as we revealed in issue 840 - bring the Vectra"s shape up to date. Completing the sharper-looking nose is a new bumper, a sporty front airdam and foglamps. At the rear, the changes are more subtle, but include smoked tail-lamp lenses.
Swedish car maker Volvo...
Swedish car maker Volvo is heading into Chinese hands, after owner Ford announced that Geely is in pole position to buy the struggling manufacturer.
Following in the footsteps of MG Roverò€™s sale to Shanghai Automotive and Nanjing Automobile, the potential deal marks the latest move by a fast-expanding Chinese car maker to boost its presence in Europe.
Negotiations have been ongoing for some time, and it is understood Ford was only willing to enter into discussions once it had evaluated the firmò€™s Chinese operations. Now the green light has been given, the future of Volvo and the launch of promising upcoming models such as the S60 should be secure.
The move will also benefit Geely. Volvoò€™s research and development expertise and engineering skills will be a huge bonus, as its main interests are in improved quality and safety.
Geely is the largest privately owned car company in China, and has grown at an astonishing rate since making its first passenger car in August 1998. In 1999 it built 2,000 vehicles; in 2009 production should hit 300,000.
Whereas rival Chinese car makers tend to buy licences and import technology, Geely has developed its own engines and is the only Chinese firm with its own automatic transmissions.