WORLDWIDE SALES - VOLVO - After 88 years, the brand continues to break all sales records.

Volvo Cars reports best sales month in its 88-year history and 26.0 per cent growth

• Record sales for a single month – 49,055 cars in November                                          
• Strong sales increases in all regions globally
• All-new Volvo S90 premium sedan soon to be unveiled

Volvo Cars posted a 26.0 per cent increase in retail sales for the month of November, selling 49,055 cars globally which represents a new all-time high result for a single month. In the medium term, Volvo Cars is targeting annual sales of 800,000 cars globally following a complete renewal of its product line-up in the next four years.

The global success for the Volvo XC90 is paving the way for the all-new Volvo S90 premium sedan – the second car to be based on Volvo’s in-house developed SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) technology. The Volvo S90 will be unveiled at an event in Gothenburg on December 2nd.

For the month of November, the United States reported 6,903 retail sales, up 90.5 per cent versus the same month last year. Sales were boosted by strong demand for the XC90 and XC60 models which were the best-selling Volvos in the US for the month. Year-to-date sales in the US market are now up 18.0 per cent.

Retail sales in Europe as a whole were up by 23.9 per cent to a total of 26,646 cars. Sweden reported a market share of 24.3 per cent while also the Netherlands and Germany were growth drivers in Europe with substantial sales increases. The V40 and XC60 were the best-selling Volvo models in Europe while growth was driven mainly by the XC90 model.

Sales in China amounted to 8,045 cars in November, up 15.8 per cent versus the same month last year. The locally produced Volvo XC60 and S60L are the best-selling Volvo models on the market.

Retail sales status (deliveries to end customers) for Volvo Car Group is as follows:

	November				January   – November
	2014	2015	Change		2014	2015	Change
China	6 946	8 045	15,8%		73 071	71 766	-1,8%
USA	3 623	6 903	90,5%		51 451	60 706	18,0%
Sweden	5 718	8 164	42,8%		55 092	62 119	12,8%
Western Europe	15 783	18 482	17,1%		163 283	173 598	6,3%
Other markets	6 871	7 461	8,6%		75 924	72 813	-4,1%
TOTAL	38 941	49 055	26,0%		418 821	441 002	5,3%

Volvo becomes the first premium car maker to purchase the world’s most advanced Vi-Grade chassis simulator.

Volvo Cars has become the first premium car maker to purchase the world’s most advanced Vi-Grade chassis simulator – the same equipment used by Ferrari and Porsche – to develop next generation Volvos.

The simulator offers exciting virtual environments including Germany’s renowned Nürburgring as well as test tracks at Volvo Cars’ own secret testing facility in Sweden. It allows Volvo Cars to conduct extremely early stage development work on high speed stability, balance and individual drive mode settings, leading to the development of cars that are more responsive, more rewarding and even more enjoyable to drive.

Engaging control

“We are making substantial investments in people, technology and facilities in order to redefine the Volvo driving experience. Our aim is to deliver full control, ease and dexterity at the wheel. We will improve drivability across the entire Volvo Cars range,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Cars.

The Swedish car maker uses the simulator’s virtual environments to support early development work on high speed stability, balance and individual drive mode settings. The use of simulation means that settings can be rapidly tested combining the experiential judgment of a real driver and computer-aided objective data analysis.

The move heralds a new beginning for Volvo Cars in terms of driving experience, claims Dr Mertens. “We have made some critical investments both in terms of our R&D facilities and in our product components in recent times that are now beginning to pay dividends. Our completely new scalable product architecture (SPA), our modular powertrain program and the latest chassis components are the starting point.”

Freedom to innovate

The new simulator means more freedom to innovate in the concept development phase and shorter development time, according to Dr Mertens, enabling a more emotionally resonant driving experience.

“The beauty of the new simulator is that it provides us with the opportunity to physically experience the calculation models and evaluate them using human test drivers, rather than staring at graphs and numbers in a meeting room,” says Stefan Karlsson, Manager Vehicle Dynamics at Volvo Car Group. “This is further testament to our commitment to human centric development and a cornerstone of developing a driving experience that is truly Designed Around You.”

US SALES SEPTEMBER - VOLVO - Huge growth in the USA, will continue with a massive investment.

Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, (VCNA) reported U.S. sales of 5,527 units, an 18.4 percent increase versus September 2014. Year-to-date sales are up 5.8 percent over the first nine months of 2014.

The strong sales demand for the XC60 continues with 2,217 units sold, a 39.2 percent increase versus September 2014 and a 34 percent increase year-to-date. The S60 followed with 1,265 units sold, followed by the all-new XC90 with 1,182 units sold.

“We continue to see impressive sales with the XC60 in the US market,” said Lex Kerssemakers, President and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. “This, coupled with the all-new XC90 leading to increased brand awareness, has been a true recipe for success for us.”

Following an $11 billion investment, the positive momentum has materialized with the first all-new model off the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, the XC90, with world-first safety technologies, a new design language, new powertrain architecture and a range of class-leading connectivity services.