Jump to content
Create New...
  • William Maley
    William Maley

    Volvo Announces A New Comeback Plan For The U.S.

    William Maley

    Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

    November 13, 2013

    Volvo has been seeing its sales double around the world except in one market; the U.S. The Swedish automaker has seen sales in the U.S. tumbling down during the past decade. In 2004, Volvo moved 139,000 vehicles. For this year, the automaker is projecting that they will only sell 60,000 vehicles.

    Volvo wants to change that and has announced a new plan that will hopefully reverse this trend. CEO Hakan Samuelsson told dealers the plan for the new Volvo will be an attractive “Scandinavian” design, leadership in safety and environmental issues, and state-of-the-art infotainment systems that feature "clever functionality.”

    "We are definitely not even thinking of reducing our presence in the U.S. Volvo would not be Volvo without the U.S," said Samuelsson.

    Nearly all aspects of Volvo's U.S. business will be seeing major changes. To start, Volvo is in the process of finding a new ad agency who will be tasked to create a new global campaign and use social media in creative ways. The company will also focus on lease promotions to help boost volume. At the moment, Volvo's lease volume stands at 35 percent.

    Down the line, Volvo is hard at work with a new powertrain lineup that will comprise of three and four-cylinder engines that will be naturally-aspirated and turbocharged. In addition, Volvo is creating hybrid powertrains that will use electric rear axles.

    Also coming soon will be a number of new models including the V60 wagon and XC90 crossover.

    When asked by reporters if Volvo has a set sales goal, executives wouldn't commit to anything higher than 100,000 vehicles in the next three years,

    Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

    William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    I have wondered how the stand alone Volvo dealerships have survived as the one by me needs a major remodel of the show room and they do not have much inventory or seem busy. So how have they survived?

    With China now owning them, I know they will make a big effort to survive, but can they over come such large hurdles to really survive in the US market long term?

    To me they are a competitor to Buick, Lexus, Acura, not to BMW, MB or Cadillac.

    While I think they are quirky auto's, I wonder just how fast they can recover or if they really will to be profitable. Going to be interesting to watch.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    They sell more models in other countries and a bigger line-up results in more sales. I don't understand why they got rid of the S40 here because that is still the car that I see the most.

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    They sell more models in other countries and a bigger line-up results in more sales. I don't understand why they got rid of the S40 here because that is still the car that I see the most.

    Two reasons.

    • S40/V50 really didn't sell well here
    • Last-generation S40 was based on Ford's C1 platform and when two broke up, S40 was left without a paddle.

    They do need the S40 back. They are trying to make the S60 the base model, but the price is just too high for a base Volvo. They need a Verano sized car starting around $27k.

    The best hope we got is the Volvo V40, which is currently not coming to the U.S. at the moment. As I wrote back in August, Volvo's U.S. executives and dealers want that to change.

    Volvo's U.S. Dealers and Executives Want The V40

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • google-news-icon.png



  • google-news-icon.png

  • Subscribe to Cheers & Gears

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001 we've brought you real content and honest opinions, not AI-generated stuff with no feeling or opinions influenced by the manufacturers.

    Please consider subscribing. Subscriptions can be as little as $1.75 a month, and a paid subscription drops most ads.*
     

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • I wouldn't mind retiring to somewhere walkable where I don't need to drive, but can drive when I want to..  
    • Right now I am looking at retirement in Latin America. Maybe somewhere where I won't even have to own a car. Life without driving might be really interesting.  Modern cars are indeed amazing.  Sadly yes, I love flying on the 737 MAX. It's just a matter of the ethical flaws of Boeing in its production... I demand the restoration of that picture of a white Pontiac G6 I posted in 2012...you ungrateful internet host...(sarcasm...) This particular Lexus is lust worthy. 
    • Argh.  This is a question I almost want to avoid. The A380 is incredible.  Yes, I had a roundtrip through AA on British.  They have a small economy section at the back, upstairs.  Then I flew a one way from Italy to New York-JFK on an Emirates "fifth freedom" flight segment.  They have economy taking the entire main level, with none upstairs. Economy seats are a little wider on the A380 ... definitely on Emirates, at least.  It was an outstanding flight because of that.  On British, I paid for an economy seat upstairs and the curvature of the exterior translates into windows that are too sloped and with an odd and bigger void in between the cabin and the exterior.  I will be sitting downstairs if there is a future flight on one. The 747-8 isn't as comfortable in economy because the seats are traditional economy width.  I feel more comfortable in one because I know it.  It's also much more photogenic all the way around.  You feel good when it pulls up to the gate and you see that beautiful and proportioned machine through the big glass windows. The humidification is good on both planes. It's really sad that no more passenger quadjets are being produced.  It's easier to get onto an A380 if Europe bound (British, Lufthansa, Emirates, and others via connections, with Air France holding back).  For a 747-8, Lufthansa is the only choice and I am grateful to them for that.
    • My car has a supposed 525 mile highway crusing range on a full tank (19.5 gallons).   I haven't fully tested that since I tend to fill up at 1/2 tank when on road trips..but I have recorded averages of 29.5 and 30 mpg on road trips, which is pretty good for a comfortable 4200lb AWD sedan..
  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search