Volvo hopes the U.S. success for XC 90 – Swedish Dagbladet

Volvo hopes the U.S. success for XC 90 – Swedish Dagbladet

– This car makes the company stronger, said Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson when he got up on stage in the art gallery Artipelag.

The car was first hidden under a blanket just as gray as the rain-laden clouds outside. During a lavish sound and light show projected images of the car while the key people at Volvo succeeded each other on stage to talk about the company’s re-launch.

– A milestone for us. It is the first car that we have developed from scratch, said sales manager Alain Visser.

New XC 90 is the first in the Volvo Cars enormous effort to take a step up in both quality and volume. It is the safest Volvo ever. It is also bigger but lighter and bränsesnålare than its predecessor. In addition, more luxurious, more connected and more expensive. A half million dollars must be prepared to pay for the simplest version.

The car is the first own model since kineiska Geely took over as owner four years ago and is seen as very important for Volvo’s future.

– If it becomes a success, it will be very painful, has Geely’s owner, Li Shufu told the Wall Street Journal.

It is based on Volvo’s new proprietary platform SPA that all future major Volvo models to be built on, the new four-cylinder engine range, large touch screen instead of buttons and a wide range of security news. As automatic braking when turning left to avoid collision and steering assist if you are close to swerve.

When the first XC 90 was launched twelve years ago hit it big in the United States and became the largest export product. Volvo is now hoping that the new XC90, although the seven-seater, to turn Volvo’s decline in the American market.

Volvo imagines large families and people who want to load up sharply in the car as the target. The first year is planned for 50,000 cars. At most, Volvo hopes to reach up to 80,000 cars annually. A third is expected to be sold in the United States. Other key markets are China and Russia.

– In Sweden, it will not become a people’s car, but it is nevertheless important for the company. As usual with SUVs, we will certainly see the most in the inner city, says Håkan Samuelsson.

Next year the XC90 plug-in hybrid that and then get the Volvo down emissions to 60 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer. The range on pure electric power for at least 40 kilometers.

– You can drive an SUV without feeling as an environmental villain, says Håkan Samuelsson.

The car begins to be built in Torslanda in January.