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AUTO REVIEW: 2019 Volvo XC60 T8-AWD R-Design

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Volvo’s of all stripes, no matter the year have always been exceedingly comfortable and easy to drive. It is part of their safety moniker. The most important piece of safety equipment in a car is the driver. Volvo has never said that but it is evident in the layout of the cars and the ease with which its products can be driven.”

Published

8 years ago

March 29, 2019

Oakland Post

By Frank S. Washington, AboutThatCar.com

DETROIT – Volvo’s XC60 is a real world utility vehicle. It snowed here then it got bone chillingly cold, I’m talking about single digits. Thus, a lot of the vehicle’s technology didn’t get tested.

Forget about all the nomenclature and let’s get to the root of the matter: In Volvo-speak, most T8s are plug-in hybrids. In the case of the XC60 that means a 2.0-liter supercharged turbocharged four-cylinder engine is teamed with an electric motor and a lithium ion battery.

In the broadest terms, the engine and the motor are capable of working in tandem to lessen fuel consumption and increase horsepower. The battery has to be plugged in for recharging, though there were regenerative breaks. The XC60 had a range of 35 miles in full electric mode, that’s when the battery is fully charged; the gasoline engine is also capable of operating alone.

The downside of a plug-in hybrid is that you should have access to a 240-volt power outlet, although it can be charged with a 110-volt household electrical household outlet. But that takes around eight hours. The 240-volt outlet can fully charge the battery in roughly half the time. You can find chargers at upscale hotels, some dealerships and selected municipal parking lots. But the most convenient charging place is at home.

Here’s the upside of a plug-in hybrid: working in tandem with an electric motor boosts the output of a gasoline engine and diminishes the amount of fuel it burns. The combination gives the XC60 T8 an output of 400 horsepower while making 472 pound-feet of torque.

It can get to 60 mph from a standstill in 5.0 seconds and it has a top speed of 140 mph. If that is not impressive enough, using just the gasoline engine it is rated at 26 mpg. In tandem with the electric motor, it can get the equivalent of 58 mpg. An eight-speed transmission certainly helps with mileage.

The R-Design is Volvo’s sport trim package. That means a gloss black mesh grille, matte silver mirror caps, integrated tail pipes and 19-inch alloy wheels. Inside there were contoured seats in leather and a sued like covering with adjustable seat cushion extenders and aluminum inlays.

It had heated and cooled seats, a much-appreciated heated steering wheel, paddle shifters, and the nine-inch side-to-side slide touchscreen. There was also a 12.3-inch digital driver display screen.

Volvo’s of all stripes, no matter the year have always been exceedingly comfortable and easy to drive. It is part of their safety moniker. The most important piece of safety equipment in a car is the driver. Volvo has never said that but it is evident in the layout of the cars and the ease with which its products can be driven.

The R-Design is more energetic and road hugging, so says Volvo. The trim package comes with a sport chassis, stiffer springs and dampers for more responsive handling and less roll when cornering. None of that comes into play when it is 12 degrees and the remnants of three inches of snow and ice are in the streets.

The important equipment became the XC60’s all-wheel-drive system that instantly halted whatever slipping and sliding that occurred. The heated seats warmed rapidly and could be turned down with three settings. So could the heated steering wheel and the charging plug which could be disconnected rapidly and tossed, uh, stored in its tray just beneath the floor in the cargo bay.

The panoramic roof was great. But I chose not to retract it and I really could not get the full benefits of its transparency because it was covered with snow and ice most of the time. But the climate control system kept the interior warm and that was important.

I’ve always thought that Volvo was pretty good at little things like the three ways the XC60 alerted me that the speed limit was being exceeded. The XC60 R-Design had a memory passenger seat, a black headliner, heated wiper blades with integrated washers, power folding sideview mirrors, rear headrests, rear seats and blind spot alert with steering assist and cross traffic alert, keyless entry, a navigation system which I didn’t use and a $3,200 premium sound system.

There was a four-corner air suspension, heated rear seats, full LED headlights, a surround view camera, a heads-up-display and pilot assist, a semi-autonomous drive system that works in conjunction with adaptive cruise control. The cold weather prevented its testing too.

Volvo has certainly entered the ranks of luxury crossovers. And the 2019 XC60 T8 R-Design certainly has the right stuff to justify its $69,640 sticker. It also had the right stuff to deal with the foulest weather and the creature comforts to take advantage of the most pleasant climes.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com

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NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Darius Cooper with nine seconds left for the game winning touchdown as his team beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville. Hurts finished the day 26/37 for 264 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 […]
The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 yards. During the final drive Hurts went 6-8 with 61 passing yards and the touchdown. Titans defensive tackle — and team captain — Jeffery Simmons said this week that the way to defend Jalen Hurts is to make him “play quarterback.”

Hurts said to Simmons after today’s game: “You started that sh**. I had to finish it.”

Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in the first half but he ultimately finished the game. He had four carries and nine yards and one catch for eleven yards. He will get an MRI for his injury, but admitted to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network he was fine.

Caleb Williams leaves game against Vikings with apparent lower-body injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was helped off the field with a right leg injury with 7:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams was down, writhing in pain after scrambling to his left. After departing the injury tent, Williams raised his right fist, acknowledging the crowd while expressing his frustration. Testing will commence on Monday to find out more details about his injury.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson admitted regarding Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”

Williams finished the day with 138 passing yards and one interception.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

Bryce Young once again dominated the Falcons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and is undefeated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Today, Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Panthers to a 34-3 dismembering of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia Tech alumnus Darren Waller caught two touchdowns and linebacker Devin Lloyd returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

Cooper Rush started his second straight game for the Falcons and it did not go well. The partisan crowd voiced their displeasure after Rush completed 10/17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions. Jack Strand entered the game for Rush prompting cheers from the Falcons fans. The rookie threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. Strand was the first QB to accomplish that feat since Sam Darnold in 2018 and is the first Falcons player to do that since Brett Favre in 1991. Strand finished the day with 59 passing yards and 16 rushing yards.

According to reports, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is expected to make his season debut this Thursday at the Green Bay Packers. His return should help the Falcons. They are the first team since the 2008 Rams to not run any plays in the red zone after the first two games to open a season.

The bright spots for the Falcons today were the Spelman College Jaguarettes performing with the Falcons cheerleaders and Florida A&M’s marching band, The Marching 100, also performed during halftime!

Jayden Daniels gets carted off after apparent arm injury

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to injure his left elbow on the final play of the first half in his game against the Dallas Cowboys. During the play, Daniels got stepped on, braced himself for the fall, and his elbow bent the wrong way. Daniels draped a towel over his head as he exited the field on the cart.

He was later ruled out.

Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow to the same arm during week nine of last season against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season.

The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win

Master the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework with Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt. Learn every stage, tactic, and win!
The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Negotiation framework stages, tactics, and winning strategies from AutoNetwork

Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt deliver the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework in Episode 8 of The Color of Our Money Is Green. This episode covers the three foundations of every effective negotiation, the full seven-stage negotiation sequence with exact language for every stage, and five of the most common dealership tactics with the specific response each one requires.
What You Learn in This Episode:
The three foundations that make every negotiation tactic work
The complete seven-stage car-buying negotiation sequence
Exact language for every stage of the dealership conversation
Five common dealership tactics — the turnover, the four-square, the packed payment, spot delivery, and forced add-ons — and how to counter each one
Why signing preliminary paperwork isn’t the same as signing the final contract
___________________________________________________________________
“The Color of Our Money Is Green: A Buyer’s Guide to What Cars Actually Cost” — stan.store/RGist
____________________________________________________________________
AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.

How to use the channel:
Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

AutoNetwork.com
CouponsOffersAndDeals.com
Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts

Stay toasty in the CX-90! Plush Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, and a memory-equipped heated steering wheel deliver ultimate luxury.
The post Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Mazda CX-90 interior with heated seats offering premium comfort.

Experience ultimate comfort in the CX-90. Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, 8-way power adjustments, and memory settings for both front passengers. The heated steering wheel with memory tilt/telescope adds premium convenience.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/EH5A4eQ4ipY