There was a time when the Volvo title was intrinsically linked to boxy station wagons. Even now, point out the Gothenburg model and fans would instantly think about both a 240 GL longroof filled with Ikea flat packs or a slammed 850 BTCC touring automobile flying throughout kerbs with Rickard Rydell behind the wheel.
However even Volvo is saying goodbye to all of that heritage, as a result of the times of the Swedish wagon are numbered. Subsequent to the reveal of the brand new ES90 electrical sedan – with the notable absence of an property equal (EV90?) – CEO Jim Rowan was requested by Auto Specific if he may envision a future with out a conventional Volvo wagon, to which he merely replied: “Sure. As a result of I feel [the market has] modified, proper?”
Price is certainly an element within the wagon’s culling, with Rowan saying that it’s costly to introduce new fashions and preserve producing them, including that it will be higher (and cheaper) to launch totally different variations of present merchandise.
“We want to choose: reasonably than deliver out a [new] V90 for instance, are we higher to place that automobile in a barely totally different method? So we’ve the Black Editions, we’ve the Cross Nation editions – we now have totally different editions of the identical base automobile. It’s a lot, less expensive, and far more economical for us to drive extra quantity by means of that very same platform and that very same type issue,” he stated.
Rowan’s feedback come simply weeks after Volvo’s UK business director Robert Deane hinted that discontinuing wagons there – and willingly ceding the market to its German rivals – was a mistake. The corporate ended up reintroducing the V60 and V90 lower than a yr later, relenting to resurgent demand. Even in Malaysia, the place the wagon is intently related to hearses, Volvo Automobile Malaysia continues to promote the V60 – nonetheless CKD domestically assembled in Shah Alam.
However Rowan justified the beloved physique fashion’s axing, saying that the corporate is “making very aware selections” with regards to market positioning. “The place we’re differentiating is with SUVs – good excessive experience peak, very protected – and we expect we will defend that beachhead towards the competitors. It’s a lot simpler than us changing into distracted by too many fashions.”
Volvo’s renewed give attention to producing derivatives of present fashions may give rise to efficiency variants to tackle scorching BMW M and Mercedes-AMG vehicles. “There may be at all times a distinct segment. The sporty household automobile; there’s somebody who needs to have the flexibility of a household automobile, but in addition the efficiency,” stated chief product and technique officer Erik Severinson.
“I feel there are niches inside your core segments the place you are able to do derivatives,” he stated. “However you’ll be able to’t actually fully go into one other sort of…see what I imply?” he stated, alluding to totally different physique types.
Volvo’s product repositioning is clear within the electrical ES90 – a fastback sedan-crossover mashup with 5 doorways and a excessive floor clearance. The latter would make constructing a wagon model reasonably redundant, as a result of such a mannequin already exists – it’s known as the EX90.
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