End of the line for the Volvo estate ... for now
Volvo will only sell Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) in the UK after the company decided to drop its saloon and estate models. The move comes as a result of a decrease in demand for its non-SUV models.
Earlier this year, Volvo removed its one-time flagship luxury saloon, the S90, from sale.
Volvo is shifting towards the full electrification of its model range, with the S60 saloon, V60 estate and V90 estate models being older designs approaching the end of their typical model life.
The company is also in the process of updating its factory in South Carolina, where it builds the S60.
“We continue to rapidly transform our product offer, which means not only moving towards full electrification but also shifting to new platforms and technologies across all our cars,” read a statement published by Autocar.
“We will naturally need to evolve and consolidate our line up as we prioritise fully electric cars and make this technological transition.
“As a result, we have removed further models from the UK line up. These include the S60, V60 and V90. Demand for our existing SUV line-up continues to grow, while interest in our forthcoming fully electric EX30 and EX90 models is strong.
“Meanwhile, appetite for our saloon and estate models has fallen to very low levels in the UK, which has led to our decision to remove these models from sale in the UK.”
Volvo recently unveiled the XC30, a compact electric crossover that will go on sale in 2024 with a 300-mile driving range. That will have a starting price of £33,795 when it goes on sale and is some £13,000 less than the current cheapest electric Volvo, the XC40.
That car will use technology from parent group Geely, the Chinese behemoth that also owns Lotus, LEVC and Polestar. The SEA underpinnings will also be used for the Zeekr X, a model that is due to go on sale in Europe in the near future.
After the XC30, Volvo will roll out a more rugged off-road version called the EX30 Cross Country.
However, Volvo might not be turning its back on saloons and estates permanently as company CEO Jim Rowan has said that it will get to “different formats, saloons and estates” after satisfying the current demand for electric SUVs.
Rival car makers, including Volkswagen and Skoda, already have electric saloon and estate models in development and Volvo may follow suit using the same platform architecture as the EX90 SUV to boost sales in China and the United States.
Ford, meanwhile, is also concentrating on SUVs, having ended production of its saloons, MPVs and traditional hatchbacks, including the Focus and Fiesta.
Volvo hints at electric estate
Speaking to Auto Express earlier this year, Jim Rowan said: “I get so many emails asking me when somebody is going to do a proper electric wagon (estate) – mainly from people in northern Europe and Maine.
“But then you say, ‘What if we did that?’ and ask, ‘What if we did a Cross Country version of it?’ Would that be something that would work in our portfolio?
“I’m not going to give an answer on that right now, but I will say that it’s something that it makes sense for us to be looking at.
“Can we do a really nicely designed and intelligent wagon? Yes, of course can can. The point really is whether we should do it – is there enough margin there; is there enough demand for that car? … Do we think the market is going to move back into that area? … We’re going to launch a new electric car every year for the next five years. Will an electric wagon be one of them? Watch this space.”
- If you were interested in the new Volvo EX30, you may want to read our review of the updated Volvo XC40 and C40 Recharge
- Looking for other options to go electric? Here are the top 10 longest-range electric cars
- Read how the EX90 aims to be the safest Volvo yet
Keyword: Volvo to kill off saloon cars and estates, sell only SUVs in UK