Volvo, 20 years ago launched the V70 CC, today that CC Range has been expanded to more models and bigger sales.

Volvo Cars’ instrumental role in defining the adventurous Cross Country segment is widely acknowledged. With the imminent reveal of the new V90 Cross Country, the Swedish car maker is set to cement its leading role as the most capable and comfortable premium all-roader on offer and complete its 90 series line-up.

“Cross Country has become the true expression of a Volvo car in many people’s eyes. It was a winning concept from the start, perfect for the tough climate and road conditions that we experience in Sweden,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President & CEO, Volvo Car Group.

Developed in 1996, the first Cross Country estate combined functional flexibility and rugged capability. Today, 20 years later, the Cross Country segment is a familiar sight across the premium car market, providing a capable yet comfortable driving experience.

Extreme climate capability

Designed to cope with the demanding requirements of an extreme Scandinavian climate, Cross Country models perform in all sorts of road conditions – from muddy tracks and knee-deep snow to long-distance motorway driving. 

Proving a popular choice with horse and boat owners thanks to its high ground clearance, pulling power and responsive All-Wheel Drive, Cross Country has cemented its position as a premium mainstay and a true all-weather alternative to the SUV.

“We were very careful from the very beginning to ensure that the Cross Country concept was not just an exercise in rugged styling. 

We placed high demands on real-world capability, and as we developed the segment, we added the comfort and convenience elements that Volvo drivers have come to expect,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Car Group.

The eagerly awaited V90 Cross Country will be revealed in mid-September.

First generation, 1997 – 2000

Developed as a capable alternative to the SUV and front-wheel-drive cars, Volvo Cars’ first Cross Country – the V70 XC – grew in popularity as old-school SUVs began to morph into city jeeps. Cross Country offered a new, adventurous take on motoring that delivered a competent mix of capability, functionality and comfort. 

The V70 XC was an instant success, especially in the North American market.

Second generation, 2000 – 2007

In 2000, the second-generation V70 XC came with much bolder styling and higher ground clearance.

When Volvo’s first SUV – the XC90 – came in 2002, the V70 XC received a newer, more modern All-Wheel Drive system and changed its name to XC70 in order to align to its bigger brother.

Third generation, 2007 – 2016

The third-generation Volvo Cross Country arrived in 2007 with added elegance and luxury. The XC70 continued to be a North American love affair, accounting for almost half of the total volume produced.

In 2014, the XC70 gained recognition around the globe as Zlatan Ibrahimović’s car thanks to a Volvo Cars commercial featuring the Swedish footballer. Such was the impact that sales of the model grew markedly during its last years of production.

The North American International Auto Show in Detroit will be the launching platform for the All-New Volvo S90.

The new Volvo S90 is Volvo Cars’ entry ticket to the premium saloon club. The S90 marks a giant step forward for Volvo Cars. The Swedish car maker is better known for its SUVs and estates, but with the launch of the S90, Volvo is clearly intent on shaking up the premium saloon segment with its distinctive executive class saloon.

Equipped with a host of new technologies, ranging from cutting-edge safety to cloud-based apps and services, the S90 is further proof of the Swedish brand’s continuing transformation.

“With the launch of the XC90, we made a clear statement of intent. We are now clearly and firmly in the game. With $11 USD billion of investment over the past five years, we have not only reimagined what Volvo Cars can be – we are now delivering on our promise of a resurgent and relevant Volvo Cars brand,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President & CEO, Volvo Car Group.

The new Volvo S90 comes equipped with an advanced semi-autonomous drive feature, Pilot Assist. The system gives gentle steering inputs to keep the car properly aligned within lane markings up to motorway speeds of around 130 km/h and no longer needs to follow another car. Pilot Assist is another step towards full autonomous drive – a key innovation area for Volvo.

The S90 will also come with a clean and powerful T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrain and one of the most luxuriously appointed interiors and connected infotainment systems in the large saloon segment.

“Our idea was to bring something entirely new to this rather conservative segment and deliver a visual expression that exudes leadership and confidence on the exterior. On the inside, we have taken the S90 to the next level, delivering a high-end luxury experience that promises comfort and control,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Car Group.

The S90 also introduces a world-first function to City Safety – large animal detection – a system capable of detecting large animals such as elk, horses or moose, night or day. The technology offers an intuitive warning and brake support to help avoid a collision. The S90 has also benefitted from Volvo Cars’ recent investment in a highly advanced chassis simulator.

“The S90 has taken a big stride forwards in terms of driving dynamics, performance and ride. We have completely redesigned the Volvo driving experience from the ground up to deliver a sense of precision, engaging control and comfort,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Volvo Car Group.

The S90 is set to be publically unveiled at the NAIAS in Detroit.

Volvo to consider producing small cars at it's Ghent, Belgium facility, as well as in China !

Volvo will build a new family of compact cars based on a common platform at its Belgian factory, CEO Hakan Samuelsson said. The cars will be developed with parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Samuelsson said, and will also likely be built in China, although no decision has been reached on which of its plants will get the work.

"We have decided we will be using Ghent for Europe," Samuelsson said, referring to Volvo's factory in Ghent, Belgium. "In China, we have to look into this." Volvo currently builds the Volvo S60, V40 and XC60 models in Ghent.

Samuelsson said it was a "good guess" that the first Volvo vehicle to be built using the new platform, called the compact modular architecture (CMA), would be a new generation of the Volvo V40 hatchback, since it is the only compact that Volvo markets around the world now.

Samuelsson said Volvo's sales of smaller cars had always been too small to be profitable and the automaker needed a partner that could share the costs of developing and manufacturing a competitive vehicle.

China output

The executive said the automaker has three production options in China with Geely: two existing plants in the southwestern city of Chengdu and the northeast city of Daqing, or a new automobile assembly plant being built in Luqiao, a district of the eastern China city of Taizhou.

Two sources close to Geely said Volvo and its Chinese parent were likely to make cars based on the CMA platform together at the Luqiao plant.

Geely is expected to start producing an SUV based on CMA underpinnings at the Luqiao plant toward the end of 2016.

Volvo is also interested in using a common platform and powertrain technologies with Geely to come up with a small SUV, Samuelsson said.

"SUVs are growing in the world, so that is a good guess that something in that segment will be worth taking a look at," the CEO said.

Zhejiang Geely, which also owns black cab maker London Taxi Company, bought Volvo from Ford Motor Co. in 2010.

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SHANGHAI 2015 - Volvo launches new "Lounge Console" Concept, ideal for those that are driven.

Volvo Cars has unveiled a new concept at the Shanghai Auto Show that takes executive in-car luxury to a new level. Labelled the Lounge Console, the concept offers busy chauffeur-driven business people the ultimate executive accessory - a compact and versatile solution to expanded storage and comfort. 

The Lounge Console replaces the front passenger seat, providing a wealth of functions and amenities.

“We started this work by looking at the executive lifestyle. With our progressive approach to premium design and functionality we analyzed the needs and perspective of the chauffeur driven executive, designing the car around him or her in the spirit of our brand’s aim,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Car Group. 

“A key element in our thinking was how to make the available interior space work for the occupants in an optimal and luxurious fashion. Removing the passenger seat enabled us to create an open space that dramatically changes the dynamics of the interior and led to a firework of ideas and new possibilities.”

Having performed ethnographic research to establish the unexpressed and unmet needs of people with a high-profile lifestyle, the designers at Volvo Cars looked at how such needs might be met in one combined offer.

“The intention with this concept is to showcase two things – firstly that Volvo Cars is aware of the needs of our executive customers and secondly, that with design innovation and modern materials we can effectively create  passenger experience that is unique in the premium car segment.” added Thomas Ingenlath.

The Lounge Console incorporates features designed to enhance the in-car experience. Volvo Cars’ designers provide a large work table which opens to reveal an illuminated vanity mirror, including a storage tray for jewelry and personal accessories or make-up. 

The table rotates 90 degrees and simultaneously powers forward to display a large 17” media screen for a full in-car theater experience. Below the cushioned leg rest is an additional area for shoes. For added security Volvo Cars has included a lockable storage box. The removal of the front passenger seat allows for full forward vision creating a uniquely spacious environment.

“People who are on the move and have a hectic lifestyle going from event to event or meeting to meeting need some space, some luxury time, and the opportunity to relax and refresh themselves for the next engagement. This is ultimately what the Lounge Console is designed to facilitate,” concluded Thomas Ingenlath.

Volvo announces that it intends to spend Half a Billion Dollars on a brand new USA facility.

Volvo Cars to build new factory in US

• Volvo Cars becomes a truly global car maker with industrial presence in its three key continents
• Industrial investment of around USD 500 million in a new car plant
• Underlines Volvo’s commitment to the US market

Volvo Cars announced today that it is to build a brand new manufacturing facility in the US, fulfilling its ambition to be a truly global car maker, investing around 500 million dollars in a new plant and underscoring its long term commitment to the US market. 

The company has drawn up a short list of potential locations and full details of the location of the new factory and the size of the investment will be announced at a later date.

The move means Volvo is now a global car manufacturer with an industrial footprint on all three key continents. It has two factories in Europe, two in China and the future plant in the US, which will be part of the Americas region that was announced in January. These developments form part of Volvo’s transformation that has been ongoing since 2010.

The transformation plan involves the creation of a global industrial footprint, the complete renewal of Volvo’s product range over the next four years, the introduction of a new modular vehicle technology, the development of world-first safety technologies, a new design language and a range of class-leading connectivity services.

“Volvo Cars cannot claim to be a true global car maker without an industrial presence in the US. Today, we became that,” said Håkan Samuelsson, Chief Executive and President. “The US is an absolutely crucial part of our global transformation and today’s announcement makes it perfectly clear that Volvo is in the US to stay.”

Volvo Cars has been doing business in the US since 1955 and this decision to invest in the US highlights Volvo’s long term commitment to the US market. The new plant also means Volvo will be able to meet and ultimately exceed its volume targets in the US, where it has a medium term ambition to sell 100,000 cars a year. It will help accelerate the introduction of build-to-order in the US as well as being an integral part of Volvo’s global manufacturing footprint, serving the US and export markets, and also help limit the impact of currency variations.

“The US Volvo dealers are delighted with this announcement,” said Chip Gengras, chairman of the Volvo dealer council in the US. “It clearly illustrates Volvo's long term commitment to the US market.”

The new plant will create new jobs, providing security for its employees and their families. Car plants are also known to have significant multiplier effects on their local areas, injecting funds into neighbourhoods. As such, the new plant provides a boost for the economy of the state in which it is located. 

Volvo’s US revival comes alongside strong growth in China and Western Europe. With plans to increase sales on all three continents, Volvo will be able to meet its medium term sales and profitability targets and clear a path towards even stronger growth in future. 

Four Volvo models tested by IIHS – four models awarded Top Safety Pick+

• Four Volvo models tested by IIHS – four models awarded Top Safety Pick+

Volvo Cars has once again performed very well in the annual IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Awards. In this year's honors list four Volvo cars made the Top Safety Pick+ grade: the S60, V60, S80 and XC60. Volvo Cars was the only European brand with more than two models on the list.

“Volvo Cars' commitment to real-life safety and our Vision 2020, which states that no one will be killed or seriously injured in or by a new Volvo car, underlines our approach towards continuous improvement in this field. At Volvo Cars we focus on real-life safety - reflecting the many and varied causes and results of car accidents. It is of course a wonderful thing that we receive such honors and recognition for our advanced safety innovations from leading safety institutes,” said Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Cars.

The Tops Safety Pick+ award criteria have grown tougher in the last twelve months, with increased demands around the standard for front crash prevention. To meet the new criteria cars making the Top Safety Pick+ grade must offer the ability to stop or slow down without driver intervention before hitting a target in IIHS tests at 12 mph, 25 mph or both.

Volvo Car’s front crash avoidance technology, City Safety, which is standard in all new Volvos, effectively helps to detect and brake automatically to mitigate or prevent a car to car rear end collision without driver intervention. Volvo’s City Safety technology has been shown to reduce insurance claim frequency by 16 percent*.

“Volvo Cars has received much recognition during its long history of safety driving the industry forward. A perfect example of this is the three-point safety belt, invented at Volvo in 1959 and now used globally by all car makers. With the sales start of the All-New XC90 in 2015 Volvo Cars will offer the world’s most advanced crash avoidance technology as standard,” said Thomas Broberg, Senior Safety Advisor at Volvo Cars.