This year Volvo is once again a proud sponsor of the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted at the spectacular Gary Player Golf course at Sun City.
At this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge the players and their families will be transported in one of the newest additions to the Volvo line-up – the fabulous new Volvo XC60 2.4D FWD Geartronic.
And while the players are driven around in pure Swedish luxury, spectators will get a sneak preview of the XC60 2.4D DRIVe and S40 1.6 DrivE, which are due to be launched locally early next year.
New Volvo models on display – S80 and DrivE
Almost Volvo’s entire range will be on display at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, but the biggest draw card will no doubt be the new Volvo S80 displayed on the water at the 17th hole, as well as the DRIVe display in front of the Gary Player clubhouse.
(DRIVe is Volvo’s range of environmentally-friendly vehicles. Vehicles that fall within certain C02 emission parameters are badged as DRIVe.)
The new Volvo S80:
The S80 is Volvo’s flagship of elegant design and excellent driving comfort, and builds on its predecessor’s reputation for exclusive driving pleasure, but adds more muscle and sophistication into the mix. In true Swedish tradition, the new Volvo S80 is plush and elegant, with a healthy measure of aggression.
The Volvo XC60 2.4D DrivE:
The XC60 2.4 D FWD is the first version of Volvo’s eco-friendly DRIVe range to go on sale in South Africa.
Since its introduction, the Volvo XC60 has received numerous accolades for its elegant styling, plush interior, brilliant safety and outstanding performance. It’s won numerous international awards and has just been named as a finalist in the 2010 South African Guild of Motoring Journalists Car of the Year competition.
On display is the new front-wheel drive XC60 DRIVe version, powered by a 2.4D engine that produces 129kW and 420Nm of torque, but CO2 emissions are just 159 g/km and fuel consumption a mere 6.0 l/100 km.
Players are driven by XC60 2.4D FWD Geartronic
S40 1.6D DRIVe
The winner of the UK What Car? Green Car Award, the S40 1.6D DRIVe, is due to be launched locally next year and will form part of Volvo’s DRIVe display this year.
In order to reduce CO2 emissions to 104 g/km, the new S40 DRIVe has been equipped with a Start/Stop function.
When the driver puts the gear lever into neutral and releases the clutch while at standstill, the engine switches off. The next time the driver presses the clutch, the engine starts up again. Volvo’s Start/Stop system also continuously monitors the comfort levels in the cabin and automatically reactivates the air conditioning if, for instance, the temperature increases in the passenger compartment.
This innovative monitoring system has been made possible due to an additional small battery which supports the larger battery by providing extra power. Thanks to this extra battery, Volvo’s DRIVe models also feature particularly quick and smooth start-up. The audio system also remains unaffected when the starter motor is activated.
This distinguishes Volvo Car’s solution from other systems offered by the competition. The standard larger battery has also been upgraded to handle up to 175,000 Start/Stop cycles.
XC70, XC90 & C30
Visitors to the Volvo stand can also take a closer look at the Volvo C30 – Volvo’s dynamic hatchback which recently created a stir when in stole the spotlight in the movie Twilight.
The go-anywhere Volvo XC70 will also be on display next to Volvo’s still spectacular XC90, which has once again made it onto Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson’s ‘top ten cars of all time’ list.
GreenForBlue
Also on the Volvo stand will be an informative display highlighting Volvo Car South Africa’s GreenForBlue initiative in conjunction with Sappi. Volvo Car South Africa has teamed up with Sappi Southern Africa to create an opportunity for every Volvo owner to drive his/her car with a clear conscience. The aim of the GreenForBlue initiative is to create an opportunity for every Volvo owner to make a contribution to reducing their carbon footprint by sponsoring the planting of the relevant number of trees to neutralize the carbon emissions that their vehicle would produce over 100 000km.
Volvo, Golf and the Nedbank Golf Challenge;
The long and proud relationship between Volvo and golf is one of the most enduring and mutually beneficial relationships in the modern history of sport. Golf and Volvo go hand in glove; both have hallmarks of quality, integrity, fair play and care for the environment and the relationship between Volvo and what many consider to be the King of Sports is an enduring, enjoyable and exciting one.
Volvo’s commitment to golf is further communicated through the annual Volvo Masters Amateur Series, which is well-known and respected around the world as one of the best amateur series on the golfing map.
Nedbank Golf Challenge is a prestigious, premium landmark event in the golfing calendar – Africa’s major. We are excited to be associated with this event, this being our 8th year of proudly driving the players in the field.