Volvo continues it's expansion with a new facitlity In Bagalore India to build the XC90 to start.

Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, announced today that it will start vehicle assembly operations in India in 2017. This positions the company for further growth in the fast-expanding premium car segment in India. 

The assembly operations will be located near Bangalore in southern India and focus on models based on Volvo’s SPA modular vehicle architecture. The first Volvo model to be assembled there is the XC90 premium SUV. Additional models slated for local assembly will be announced at a later stage. 

In establishing its assembly operations, Volvo Cars is working together with Volvo Group, the truck, bus and construction equipment manufacturer, and will make use of Volvo Group’s existing infrastructure and production licenses near Bangalore. No further contract and financial details will be disclosed. 

“I am pleased that as of this year we will be able to start selling Volvos that are Made in India,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars. “Starting vehicle assembly in India is an important step for Volvo Cars as we aim to grow our sales in this fast-growing market and double our market share in the premium segment in coming years.”

“We are delighted to announce the commencement of an assembly unit,” said Tom von Bonsdorff, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India. “It’s a sign of the company’s strong commitment to India.” 

Volvo’s decision to start assembly in India and market its vehicles as ‘Made in India’ fits well with a similarly named initiative launched by the national government several years ago, which seeks to highlight and promote Indian manufacturing prowess. 

While the Indian premium market is still relatively small, it is forecast to grow rapidly in coming years. Volvo currently has a premium segment share of close to 5 per cent, and aims to double this by 2020. In 2016, Volvo sold more than 1,400 cars in India, an increase of 24 per cent compared with 2015. Year-on-year sales growth in the first four months of 2017 amounted to more than 35 per cent. 

Volvo to have a host of new and prize winning models on show at the Chicago Auto Show.

The all-new Volvo V90 Cross Country wagon and ultra-luxurious XC90 Excellence plug-in hybrid SUV will make their Chicago Auto Show debuts this weekend at McCormick Place. Also on display will be the S90, named Best Sedan of the Year 2017 by Chicago News.

Since the introduction of the first Cross Country almost 20 years ago, Volvo Cars has become synonymous with the rugged all-road, all-weather product category, with a growing stable of Cross Country models.

Volvo Cars’ Cross Country models fulfill an increasingly important part of the Swedish automaker’s product portfolio as luxury car buyers seek out a more experienced-based lifestyle that occasionally takes them off the beaten track.

To learn more visit www.volvocars.com/us

“The V90 Cross Country is an elegant, all-road car that delivers safety, comfort and performance in a capable and adventurous package,” said Lex Kerssemakers, Volvo Cars’ Senior Vice President Americas and President and CEO, Volvo Car USA.

With Volvo Cars’ Scalable Product Architecture providing the underpinnings, the V90 Cross Country has undergone rigorous testing to ensure that it can survive the extremes in which it will ultimately find itself.

From secret testing facilities in the frozen north of Sweden, where temperatures regularly hit -40 degrees to the searing desert heat of Arizona, where Volvo Cars performs its high temperature testing program, the V90 Cross Country has been built to last.

“As it was built to survive Swedish winters in the Arctic, we expect the V90 Cross Country can handle anything Chicago can throw at it,” Kerssemakers said.

With a design that clearly stands out from the crowd, the V90 Cross Country’s rugged character belies a sumptuous interior that delivers a level of luxury uncommon in the segment, combining all the benefits of the connectivity and entertainment features that were launched with the new S90 and V90, including a high-end sound system by Bowers & Wilkins.

The V90 Cross Country’s exterior design cues communicate the powerful and dynamic capability that the car exemplifies, while offering the flexibility to choose from both rugged and elegant expressions.

Pricing starts at $55,300 and cars are scheduled to start arriving in U.S. showrooms in March.

XC90 Excellence

The Volvo XC90 Excellence, a four-seat ultra-luxurious variant of the award-winning XC90 SUV, breaks new ground for Volvo, delivering a level of luxury, craftsmanship and comfort not previously seen in the company’s offerings. The driver and front passenger seats are duplicated to form the vehicle’s second row, fundamentally changing the car’s configuration.

Pricing is set at $104,500

With just four seats instead of seven the additional space is utilized to offer a First Class automotive experience that begins with broad, spacious individual reclining rear seats complete with massage, ventilation and increased leg room, as well as a retractable control touchscreen, folding tables, a refrigerator with bottle and glass holders, a heating/cooling cup holder and handmade crystal glasses from leading Swedish glass design company, Orrefors.

The presence of Nappa leather and open-pore wood, a signature of the XC90 Inscription, is expanded throughout the interior while a partition isolates the passenger space from the cargo area. This ensures an ultra-quiet environment to enjoy the 20-speaker, 1400-watt Bowers & Wilkins sound system.

The Volvo XC90 Excellence is uncompromising in luxury, safety and its environmental footprint. The vehicle is offered exclusively with Volvo’s 400 horsepower, T8 Twin-Engine Plug-in Hybrid Electric powertrain with an Orrefors crystal gear shifter. Of course, the XC90 Excellence meets the same stringent safety standards as the XC90 T8 Inscription, Momentum and R-Design.

“The Volvo XC90 Excellence is a fantastic expanded version of Volvo’s idea of luxury. It brings together fantastic materials, uncompromising safety and performance into an amazing package,” said Lex Kerssemakers, President and CEO of Volvo Car USA, “This car exposes Volvo to a new type of buyer.”

Record Sales

Volvo Cars reported a third consecutive year of record sales in 2016, increasing 6.2 percent compared to 2015 to 534,332 cars, underlining the breadth and depth of the company’s ongoing global transformation.

The record 2016 was driven by solid growth in all major sales regions, including double-digit increases in its two largest markets China and the United States and a strong performance in Western Europe. Looking ahead, Volvo is confident that 2017 will be another record year in terms of sales.

Sales of the new top-of-the-line 90 series cars were the main growth driver globally, led by the Volvo XC90 large premium SUV for which sales rose 125 percent versus 2015, highlighting the success of the company’s new design and engineering direction and boding well for the future as more new models are revealed in coming years.

Meanwhile, the XC60 mid-size premium SUV established another new annual sales record of 161,092 cars in its ninth year on the market, having increased sales every year since it was introduced in 2008.

Volvo’s largest market in 2016 was China, with total sales of 90,930 cars, an increase of 11.5 percent. The best-selling models in the world’s largest car market were the locally-produced Volvo XC60 and S60L premium sedan.

In the United States Volvo took market share in 2016, growing 18.1 percent, making it one of the fastest growing premium brands in a broadly flat market. Total sales for the year amounted to 82,726 cars, with the Volvo XC90 and XC60 leading sales performances.

Sales in Western Europe increased 4.1 percent, boosted by strong performances in key markets such as Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy. Total sales in the region amounted to 206,144 cars.

The new sales record in 2016 tops off another year in which Volvo Cars continued its global transformation and the repositioning of the brand to compete with its global premium rivals.

During the course of the year the company strengthened its leadership in areas such as autonomous drive (AD), electrification and safety, forged new business alliances, continued the renewal of its entire product range and expanded its global manufacturing footprint.

In 2016 Volvo continued construction work on a new $500M manufacturing plant in South Carolina, its first in the United States. The plant will build new cars based on its modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) and will initially employ up to 2,000 people. The new plant in South Carolina underlines Volvo’s long term and strong commitment to the United States.

Volvo Cars also unveiled a new manufacturing strategy for China in which production capacity will be increased and China will be developed in a global manufacturing export hub. Its top-of-the-range S90 cars will be built in Daqing in northern China, while existing and future 60-series cars will be built in Chengdu. Cars in its planned new 40 series, based on its Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), will be made at a plant under construction in Luqiao, 350km south of Shanghai.

With the introduction of the V90 Cross Country premium estate in September, Volvo completed the launch of a completely new 90 series line-up. These new cars have highlighted the transformational effect of the SPA architecture in terms of design, technology and brand, a feat underlined by the over 120 awards won by the XC90 SUV.

In the coming years Volvo Cars will continue to replace its entire model range. During the course of 2017 it will launch a completely new version of the successful XC60 mid-size SUV based on the SPA architecture, as well as the XC40 small SUV, the first in an all-new range of 40 series cars based on the CMA architecture that underpin its global small car strategy.

Volvo Cars also last year announced one of the auto industry’s most comprehensive electrification strategies in which plug-in hybrids will be introduced across its entire range. It will also introduce its first fully electric car by 2019. By 2025, Volvo aims to have sold a total of up to 1 million electrified cars.

New partnerships forged during 2016 place Volvo Cars at the forefront of the significant change currently underway in the auto industry.

Volvo Cars and Uber agreed to set up and finance a joint development project that will develop and manufacture base vehicles on the SPA architecture, able to incorporate the latest AD technologies up to and including fully autonomous cars.

It also established a joint venture together with Autoliv, named Zenuity, to design and develop AD software and advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) for sales to third party OEMs. Zenuity will create a new entrant in the fast growing global market for autonomous driving software systems and the first time a leading premium car maker has joined forces with a tier one supplier to develop these systems.

Volvo Cars will in 2017 start the world’s most advanced and ambitious autonomous vehicle test in Gothenburg, with real families using AD XC90 cars in everyday life, paving the way for it to be a global leader in autonomous driving technologies. It will start similar tests with real people behind the wheel of its self-driving cars in London and China in the coming years.

As a result of these and other partnerships that are transforming its business model, Volvo Cars is no longer just a car maker, it is now a global premium mobility company.

Volvo Cars, the premium carmaker, is celebrating 20 years of mechanical All-Wheel Drive

Volvo Cars, the premium carmaker, is celebrating 20 years of mechanical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) by putting some of its most capable cars through their paces on the frozen lakes around the Northern Swedish ski resort of Åre.

The Swedish car maker is running a winter test drive showcasing its leading mechanical and new electric All-Wheel Drive solutions on the all-road, all-weather XC90, V90 Cross Country and V40 Cross Country models.

“Volvo cars are well known for what we call ‘framkomlighet’ in Swedish – the ability to get you wherever you want to go – regardless of the weather conditions.

This is an important part of our heritage and a clear reflection of who we are and where we come from. With the recent addition of electric All-Wheel Drive to our top-of-the-line products we have further refined our performance in this important area,” said Henrik Green, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Volvo Cars.

Advances in AWD technology mean that improved handling, stability and traction continue to provide a confident, agile and enjoyable driving experience while reducing fuel consumption.

“Electrification will bring ever more flexibility to AWD. You can see the first signs of this in our XC90 T8 Twin Engine, where we have an electric rear-axle drive unit powering the rear wheels. 

As we move to full battery electric vehicles and other powertrain applications, we will see increased opportunities to control each motor and wheel independently, based on either the surface conditions or the desired driving style,” said Henrik Green.

As AWD technology has advanced, the weight of mechanical systems has come down and efficiency has improved. Since the introduction of efficient ‘Active On Demand’ technology, all four wheels are always engaged to allow for the instant distribution of torque to the rear wheels when needed. 

The actual torque applied is controlled to constantly deliver the right properties regarding handling, stability and traction at any moment. Volvo Cars’ current mechanical AWD system is modular in design and used on all Volvo models.

“We understand the needs of our customers. We understand the need for a flexible AWD solution that quickly and automatically adapts to different real-world, all-weather circumstances. 

AWD is as much a safety feature as it is a vehicle dynamics system and we are committed to delivering a confident, balanced and enjoyable driving experience that delivers a feeling of full control,” added Henrik Green.

All-Wheel Drive variants account for over 50 per cent of new 90 Series car orders for the Swedish carmaker. Across the wider Volvo Cars model range, the figure is over 40 per cent.

Volvo Car UK has imprved further its top range of cars with the addition of Android Auto.

• Android Auto joins existing Apple CarPlay smartphone integration
• Allows users to access their Android phone’s functions directly from the car’s Sensus infotainment system
• Available now on all S90, V90, V90 Cross Country and XC90 models

Volvo Car UK has further improved its in-car connectivity with the introduction of Android Auto smartphone integration to its range-topping 90 series models.

Android Auto, which is now available as part of a new Smartphone Integration package that also includes Apple CarPlay, allows users of Android smartphones to connect their device directly to their Volvo’s Sensus media system. 

A wide range of Android-optimised apps – including Google Maps and Google Play Music – are then available directly via the car’s touch screen. Users can also make and receive calls, and send and receive text messages using Android Auto. 

Alternatively, these functions can be controlled using the car’s or the phone’s sophisticated voice control system, so users can stay connected while keeping their eyes safely on the road at all times.

Thanks to the touch screen’s large size and portrait layout, the Android Auto apps are displayed in the bottom section of the screen, leaving the top of the screen free to display the car’s other main functions, further enhancing the system’s ease of use.

Jon Wakefield, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said: “It’s more important than ever for our customers to stay connected while on the move. Our Apple CarPlay integration was already the best in the business, and the introduction of Android Auto brings our class-leading smartphone integration to a whole new audience.”

Smartphone Integration includes a second USB socket and is available now on the S90, V90, V90 Cross Country and XC90, priced at £300. Existing owners of these models (those built after April 2016) who already have Apple CarPlay can benefit from a complimentary upgrade to Smartphone Integration as part of their car’s routine servicing schedule at an authorised Volvo dealership.

Android Auto is available on any Android smartphone running 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher.

For more information on the Volvo range and Android Auto, please visit www.volvocars.com/uk/about/our-innovations/connected-car/smartphone-integration

The Volvo XC90 T8 Plug in hybrid has been awarded the green car of the year award.

• XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid crowned Green Car of the Year at the Professional Driver Car of the Year Awards
• Honoured for its luxuriousness, affordable running costs and low CO₂ emissions
• Volvo’s comprehensive chauffeur programme also praised

The Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription has been voted Green Car of the Year at the 2016 Professional Driver Car of the Year Awards.

The awards celebrate the best in the private hire, chauffeur and taxi industry, and the Green Car of the Year category was open to any vehicle with CO₂ emissions of 70 g/km or below. 

The XC90 T8 sits comfortably below that figure, with CO₂ emissions of just 49 g/km, helped by its innovative petrol-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

That’s not the T8’s only impressive figure. It can be driven for up to 27 miles in zero-emission, virtually silent electric-only mode, and its official combined fuel economy figure is 134.5 mpg. 

The XC90 T8 has space for seven adults in its luxurious interior, while its boot provides an impressive 967 litres of luggage space when the two rearmost seats are folded down.

Drivers and passengers will certainly appreciate the XC90 T8 Inscription’s beautiful cabin. Nappa soft leather upholstery, natural wood inlays and leather door tops are all standard, as are rear footwell and side step illumination, and integrated sun curtains in the rear doors. Every XC90 T8 also comes with a panoramic glass sunroof and four-zone climate control.

Class-leading connectivity comes as standard, too. The ground-breaking Volvo On Call app allows you to control numerous functions of the car from your mobile device, including the ability to heat or cool the cabin so it’s at the perfect temperature when you and your passengers get in the car. The innovative touch screen control system offers pinch and zoom functionality, and you can even use it while wearing gloves. You can also turn the car into a WiFi hotspot using the increased signal strength of the car’s antenna, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration are available.

As you’d expect from a Volvo, safety is paramount. Every XC90 comes with automatic emergency braking, which works day or night, along with pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection. There are also advanced safety aids to prevent the car from inadvertently leaving the road, while the standard Pilot Assist semi-autonomous drive system takes the strain out of long motorway journeys by helping to regulate the car’s speed, distance from any vehicle in front, and position in its lane.

Volvo’s bespoke chauffeur programme also won praise from the judges. This includes a three-year, 100,000-mile warranty, a like-for-like replacement vehicle, direct aftersales support and service plan options. Contract hire offers of up to 50,000 miles a year are available, too.

Commenting on the award, Mark Bursa, the editor of Professional Driver, said: “The Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine offers a great combination of luxury, low running costs and great manufacturer support through a benchmark chauffeur programme.”

Selwyn Cooper, Head of Business Sales for Volvo Car UK, said: “The XC90 T8 is already proving a huge hit with Volvo buyers, and for it to win this award is an honour, especially because it is chosen by leading chauffeur and private hire professionals. The XC90 T8’s blend of space, luxury, tax-efficiency, refinement and safety makes it the perfect car to drive or be driven in.”

USA - Volvo and its new S90 Luxury Sedan are in line for a pair of wins in two Car of the Year awards.

The all-new Volvo S90 luxury sedan is a finalist for 2017 North American Car of the Year and a runner up for 2017 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

Volvo Cars is now poised to win a North American ‘of the Year’ award for the second year in a row, having taken top honors for 2016 North American Truck/Utility of the Year with the XC90 SUV.

In addition, the Volvo S90 was the top luxury car in the 2017 Motor Trend Car of the Year competition, making it to the final round of judging ahead of all other luxury brands.

Both the S90 and XC90 share the same Scalable Product Architecture platform, Drive-E powertrain, and Intellisafe safety features. The S90 is also the first car to come with semi-autonomous driving technology as standard in Pilot Assist.

“We are extremely proud to see the S90 get such recognition,” said Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President Americas and President and CEO, Volvo Car USA. “Our global team of designers and engineers has delivered a car that is really turning heads.”

XC90 wins ‘most user-friendly tech’ and ‘best audio system’ awards at the inaugural Car Tech Awards.

• Volvo honoured for its innovative in-car technology and pioneering tech partnerships
• XC90 wins ‘most user-friendly tech’ and ‘best audio system’ awards
• Intuitive Sensus touchscreen system and ground-breaking Drive-E powertrains also praised

Volvo has been voted Tech Brand of the Year at the inaugural Car Tech Awards.

The new awards recognise the best in automotive technology, as voted for by the experts at Carbuyer, the car review and advice service, and technology website Alphr.com. 

Volvo was recognised for its ground-breaking technology, such as the pioneering Sensus touchscreen control system in its new large premium models, the S90, V90 and XC90. Its all-new Drive-E powertrains, designed to offer efficient power using a mixture of advanced injection technology and electrification, impressed the judges, too.

The company was also praised for its forward-thinking approach to technology partnerships, such as the collaboration with Uber, which will result in Volvo’s sophisticated SPA platform underpinning Uber’s next generation of autonomous-drive vehicles.

Stuart Milne, editor of Carbuyer, said: “For years, Volvo has been synonymous with safety, but it is now becoming a tech brand in its own right. It’ll use autonomous technology to ensure no one is killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020 – a remarkable goal. It has used technology to downsize its engines with no impact on performance, and has delivered a market-leading infotainment system in Sensus. Yet it’s still finding time to partner with Uber and bringing itself to the heart of Silicon Valley as a result. It’s the blend of thinking about the technology of today as well as the tech of tomorrow that makes Volvo our Tech Brand of the Year.

The XC90 SUV won two further Car Tech Awards. It was awarded ‘Most user-friendly tech – over £25,000’, while its phenomenal Bowers & Wilkins sound system was voted ‘Best audio system – over £25,000’.

Everything Volvo does is ‘designed around you’, which means that every piece of technology is as intuitive and user-friendly as possible. So not only are most of the XC90’s functions controlled via its advanced Sensus touchscreen or the intelligent voice-control system (both of which are fitted as standard), you won’t be baffled by whichever you choose to use.

The Bowers & Wilkins audio system sets new standards for the automotive industry. It combines the expertise of premium British hi-fi equipment company Bowers & Wilkins with cutting-edge sound processing software from Swedish audio company Dirac Research. The 18-speaker system produces a huge 1,400W, and can be tailored, at the touch of a button, to mirror the precise acoustics of the Gothenburg Concert Hall, a recording studio or a live stage environment.

Jon Bray, Reviews Editor at Alphr.com, said: “We were hugely impressed by the XC90’s Bowers & Wilkins audio system that, while a significant investment for the buyer, betters systems costing far more. We also found Sensus to be a very effective tool to operate the car’s many and varied functions.”

Commenting on the awards, Jon Wakefield, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said: “These award wins recognise the fact that Volvo is a technological leader – not just in the field of safety, but in terms of connectivity and in-car entertainment, autonomous drive and efficient powertrains. They also show that no matter how sophisticated Volvos get, the way in which we interact with the technology needn’t be complex.”