Volvo is on the skids. Sales peaked in the United States back in 2005 when the Swedish brand sold 139,000 cars, wagons and SUVs. Last year that number was down under 100,000 and this year isn't looking good. Problems include the weak dollar, Volvo's lack of a U.S...
Maybe the 2009 Volvo XC60 is the answer. Small crossover SUVs like this have pulled more than one car company up off the basement floor recently, but Volvo needs help now and the Belgian-built XC60 won't go on sale in the United States until next February. And even then volume will be low. Volvo hopes to sell just 20,000 annually in the United States, all of them in 281-hp T6 AWD trim.
"This is the safest Volvo ever, but it's also the most stunning," said Frederik Arp of the XC60 at the Geneva auto show. The president of Volvo Cars went on to say that the SUV is for C30 owners who have grown out of their cars. That means young urbanites who have decided to reproduce.
Arp's words ring true. This Volvo looks like it's ready to take on the BMW X3 and Mercedes GLK, two of its chief competitors in the small premium utility segment. Instead of big and boxy like the larger XC90, the XC60 is compact and athletic-looking with swept-back headlights and a rising beltline. But will people buy it, or has Volvo, like Buick, become a car company unable to shake its fuddy-duddy image, a brand sworn off by anybody under 50 years old?
What do you think? Can Volvo be saved? -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
tryan says:
04:08 AM, 03/ 5/08
Of course, this problem pertains to Volvo USA, as Volvo in Europe is just fine.
Considering the glut of Baby Boomers, it's safe to say when the majority of people think Volvo, they think of the old DL wagons that had the handling dynamics of an elephant on quaaludes. The truth is, the current lineup is one of the best in the entry-level luxury and luxury market. I thought the C30 might have accomplished the job that the redesigned S40 originally had - to bring a younger crowd into showrooms. I think it might be a bit premature to judge the C30's sales success, but I sure hope it hits the mark for Volvo USA's sake.
daytona_500 says:
08:03 AM, 03/ 5/08
I like Volvos a lot. The styling is clean and fresh, they're safe and also a bit cheaper than the German cars. This XC60 will no doubt continue that trend.
cassiohui says:
10:14 AM, 03/ 5/08
i'm very interested in the new(er) volvos, c30, xc60, even s80 (well....not as much), and i'm only 20.
ateixeira says:
02:59 PM, 03/ 5/08
That crossover should debut here first. The XC90 is too big and pricey for many folks, and that would be just the right size for small families.
What are they waiting for? Volvo needs this yesterday, not February 2009.
hondaru says:
01:35 PM, 03/20/08
This would be a perfect opportunity for Volvo to offer a clean tech diesel or gas electric hybrid. 280 HP is excessive in the age of $4 gas. Give us 225 HP and 30 mpg and this would set sales records for Volvo,
alsorl says:
05:45 AM, 03/22/08
Great vehicle, just please put a high mileage TDI. It is just another small suv with out something different to offer like a small displacement diesel.
isend2c says:
08:12 PM, 03/ 3/09
ateixeira said that the XC90 is too expensive, while, it's cheaper than the XC60. The XC90 starts at $37,000, while the XC60 ads another $200 to that.
I think Volvos are alright, their personality doesn't suit me but they're alright... I'm young too. I think Volvo is nothing like Buick. A bunch of people at my school drive old (1990-2002) Volvos.