Reports say that top Volvo brass have pledged to make all their cars zero fatality vehicles by the year 2020.

According to CNN Money, Volvo execs say that “by 2020, no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo.” Though the article does not provide a direct quote, the bold claim is repeated several times throughout and in a CNN-produced video. There is one quote form Volvo North America CEO Lex Kerssemakers, who says “[Swedish engineers] don’t say things when they don’t believe in it,” presumably in reference to the death-proof cars.

The promise builds on several technologies, many of them already existing. The first pillar relies on making the vehicles as safe as possible in the event of a crash. This entails improving technologies such as airbags and energy-dissipating body structures.

The second pillar is the development of safety technologies such as adaptive cruise control, auto lane keeping, impending collision braking assistance, traffic sign reading, and pedestrian and large animal detection.

Lastly, the introduction of completely autonomous driving technology will allow cars to fully drive themselves. “With the development of full autonomy we are going to push the limits of automotive safety,” said Volvo’s Erik Coelingh, a safety engineer. “Because if you make a fully autonomous vehicle you have to think through everything that potentially can happen with a car.”

Of course, all of these technologies are already either in use or being developed by Volvo and many other automakers on the market. At the Detroit Auto Show, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda said the a zero-crash car is a goal, but Volvo is the first to make such a no-death promise with a date.

The Volvo XC90 already received the best overall safety rating from the Euro NCAP, with a 100 percent for safety assist technology and a 97 percent in adult occupant protection. The XC90 is also one of nine models to have suffered zero fatalities in crashes from 2009-12. The others are the Honda Odyssey, Kia Sorrento 2WD, Lexus RX 350 AWD, Mercedes GL-Class 4WD, Audi A4 4WD, Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4WD, Toyota Sequoia 4WD, and the Subaru Legacy.

Nissan may introduce yet another crossover into America’s hottest segment. Reportedly, the Brazil-market Kicks is under serious consideration for US sales by Nissan North America’s top brass.

If it arrives, it is predicted to slot in under the funky Juke, with a slightly less powerful engine than its 188-horse direct-injection 1.6. Its starting price would be lower than the Juke’s $20,250 as well. It may even replace the Juke.

Speaking with Wards Auto, Nissan North America’s vice-president of product planning Michael Bunce said, “We see the opportunity for more mainstream [small] crossovers that are less niche, and we see Honda and others in that space and are taking it very seriously.” Bunce also said that Nissan is studying whether the Juke “remains in the [U.S.] market or not.”

With the Kicks, which was approved for production in Brazil last month, Nissan would go head to head against compact crossovers like the Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, Chevrolet Trax and Subaru XV Crosstrek.

Nissan has already filed a trademark application for the name Kicks with the US Patent and Trademark Office last October, though sometimes these filings are simply to reserve a name.

The Kicks will soon begin rolling off the assembly lines at Nissan’s Rio de Janeiro plant alongside the March (Micra in some markets) and Versa currently being produced there.

An amateur spy shot taken in Germany has given us an early look at the facelifted Rolls-Royce Wraith.

Staying true to tradition, Rolls-Royce will only make minor visual modifications to the Wraith. The spy shot suggests the updates will include new-look LED headlights inspired by the ones found on the Ghost Series II, re-styled bumpers on both ends, and an array of new alloy wheel designs. The cabin will receive an updated infotainment system, and buyers will be able to choose from a wider selection of wood veneers.

It’s too early to tell whether Rolls will make mechanical modifications. The current Wraith is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V12 engine that sends 624 horsepower and 590 lb-ft. of torque to the rear wheels via a satellite-aided eight-speed automatic transmission. It reaches 60 mph from a stop in a brisk 4.4 seconds.

The facelifted Rolls-Royce Wraith likely won’t be ready in time for the Geneva Auto Show that will open its doors in early March, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see the big coupe in the metal for the first time at this fall’s Paris show. Either way, it will land in showrooms as a 2017 model.

General Motors’ Germany-based Opel division has published an enigmatic teaser image that previews a new concept called GT.

Opel first used the GT name on a coupe that was launched in 1968 and briefly sold in the United States through Buick dealerships. The GT was axed in 1973, but the moniker was dusted off in 2007 for Opel’s version of the Saturn Sky.

The concept won’t share any styling cues with the topless model. Instead, it will be billed as a tribute to the original GT, and its design will be loosely inspired by the Experimental GT concept that the car maker presented at the 1965 edition of the Frankfurt Auto Show. The similarities between the two models will be vague at best, and the coupe won’t feature a full-on retro-styled look like the Volkswagen Beetle and the Fiat 500.

Opel will share more revealing information about the GT in the weeks leading up to the Geneva show. Stay tuned, we’ll be on location to bring you live images of the concept — and the rest of the action in Geneva — straight from the show floor starting on March 1st.

What’s next?
Opel says the GT is merely a design study, but German magazine Auto Bild believes it will spawn a regular-production model before the end of the decade. The production GT will allegedly ride on the same front-wheel drive platform as the new Astra hatchback that was introduced last summer, and it will be offered with three- and four-cylinder engines borrowed from the Opel parts bin. If the rumor is accurate, the next Opel GT could debut in 2018 to celebrate the original model’s 50th anniversary.

Cadillac is preparing to introduce a brand new V8 engine, a recent report finds.

The eight-cylinder has a displacement of 4.2 liters, and a pair of turbochargers help it generate a little less than 500 horsepower. It’s designed to work with an eight-speed automatic transmission, though whether it will be offered with rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, or both, is up in the air at this point.

Interestingly, the V8 doesn’t share any components with the supercharged 6.2-liter eight that powers the CTS-V and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, and it’s not an evolution of General Motors’ small block engine.

Car & Driver believes Cadillac’s next V8 engine will make its debut in the not-too-distant future under the hood of the range-topping CT6 Platinum. It will also power a handful of other models, including the company’s upcoming flagship sedan, and there’s a decent chance it will be shared with other General Motors-owned companies. However, the magazine suggests that a track-ready, V-badged CT6 powered by a hot-rodded version of the new V8 is unlikely to happen.

Buyers who don’t need eight cylinders under the hood will have at least two other options to choose from. The base CT6 comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 265 horsepower. Next up is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that makes 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft. of torque, and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain made up of a 2.0-liter turbo four and a pair of electric motors will also be offered.

Photos by Brian Williams.

Another death blamed on Takata airbag inflators has reportedly prompted yet another recall expansion.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently received a complaint from a South Carolina attorney alleging that a Takata inflator exploded in a 2006 Ford Ranger and sent shrapnel into an driver’s neck.

“Metal from the inflator canister exploded penetrating my client’s neck resulting in death,” the complaint reads. “There is no doubt airbag shrap killed my client, as this has been confirmed by death certificate and autopsy report.”

The driver is said to have “hit a cow in the middle of the road,” causing the vehicle to leave the road into a field. The attorney claims the South Carolina Highway Patrol is still working to complete its investigation of the late-December accident.

The 2006 Ranger was already included in a Takata recall. A May 2015 campaign cited safety concerns with the Takata-sourced front passenger airbag. The driver airbag, which was blamed for the death, was not included in any recall campaigns when the death complaint was submitted.

The incident has been associated with a wider review of two inflator types, including the suspect inflator in the 2006 Ranger, according to a Reuters report. The expansion is expected to affect five million vehicles from several automakers.

We may not know who the next President of the United States will be, but we’ve got an early glimpse of the wheels that will carry him or her around.

The details of the next presidential vehicle are even less clear than those of most test mules, but at first glance it seems pretty obvious that this new car will follow in the current car’s footsteps.

The presidential limousine hasn’t been based on a car for a while. It doesn’t look like that’s going to change. An upright, raked stance and obviously staggered wheels give away this new limo’s roots.

In its current iteration, it’s a Chevrolet Kodiak/GMC TopKick underneath all that Cadillac styling. With GM no longer in the medium-duty truck game, we the next limo’s chassis will be even farther removed from any production trucks.

Superficially, it’s a Cadillac, and as such the front end is wearing the grille we’ve already seen on the XT5, which will no doubt sport the scaled-up new variant of the Caddy crest.

What few details the Department of Homeland Security is inclined to share will likely become public after the next president is elected.

Jaguar’s rumored F-Type SVR has been thoroughly detailed ahead of its official unveiling.

The F-Type R‘s 5.0-liter supercharged V8 has been retuned to deliver 575 ps (567 horsepower) and 700 Nm (526 lb-ft) of torque, according to a leaked German brochure posted by Autovisie. The market-specific figures represent an increase of 25 horsepower and 15 lb-ft of torque over the R, suggesting the US-bound model could be rated at 575 ponies.

The document also appears to confirm all-wheel drive for the SVR build, allowing the coupe to reach 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds — a half second faster than the lesser R. The extra power also allows the car to reach 200 mph.

JLR’s Special Vehicle designers gave the SVR a more aggressive look distinguished by cavernous air intakes, prominent diffusers and a rear wing. Carbon ceramic brakes are listed as an optional upgrade, along with a lightweight Titanium and Inconel exhaust system.

The company has not yet officially announced any details, though the brochure leak suggests a debut could be scheduled in the near future.

Ferrari has introduced a new Handling Speciale package for the California T.

The HS option is said to deliver an even sportier driving experience, particularly on tiwsty routes with the manettino dial’s Sport mode engaged.

Engineers increased the spring rates by 16 percent up front and 19 percent on the tail end, lowering roll and pitch for increased body control. Revised programming for the SCM3 magnetorheological dampers aims for faster reaction speed and higher efficiency, maximizing acceleration on bumpy surfaces and coming out of corners.

Drivers will also be able to hear the HS package, thanks to a new exhaust system with redesigned geometry. The exhaust note increases progressively as engine speed increases, with a sportier timber than the basic California T plumbing.

“The exhaust was developed in tandem with the engine and gearbox control software to underline the performance gains, with a more rapid response and improved sound and volume when driven hard,” the company notes. “The exhaust’s new timbre is instantly recognizable as soon as the driver hits the Start button. It is fuller, richer and more involving at all speeds and in all driving situations.”

A new front grille in matte Grigio Ferro Met and a matching rear diffuser complete the package, along with matte black tailpipes to distinguish the upgraded exhaust.

Ferrari has not yet announced pricing details for the HS add-on, which will be formally introduced at the Geneva Motor Show.