New plans for Volvo: a rival for the Golf, and a luxury coupé

At the offices of the Swedish brand, work is going full steam ahead. Volvo wants to recover that premium image that once defined it, and it already has a well-defined roadmap.

Volvo knows the car market is getting more complicated and competitive every day, there are always alternatives, and that is why it wants to take on the king of kings, the Golf. In addition, a great 2+2-seat coupé is expected to rival the Audi A5, BMW Series 4, and others.

To achieve these ambitious goals, Volvo will make use of its Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA), something akin to the VAG group’s modular platform (MQB). Thanks to this adaptable platform, Volvo will be able to launch on the market a compact similar to the Golf, both in its hatchback version and as a saloon body style, the latter an alternative that has gained popularity in recent years.

In addition, a compact SUV (XC40) is also planned, which will fill the gap between the V40 Cross Country and the XC60, and which will target the BMW X1, Audi Q3, VW Tiguan, or Mercedes GLA. With these two models, the Swedish brand will be able to occupy two of the segments it had most neglected as a result of how its lineup was structured.

The lineup will continue to be restructured in 2017 with the arrival of the new S60 and XC60, new generations also based on the SPA platform, which will be accompanied by the new generation of its flagship, the S80, which will grow until it is called S90.

The latest model, and one of the most important in Volvo’s history in recent decades, is the C60. The natural heir to the legendary P1800, it will be a coupé with clear sporty touches and a 2+2 interior layout, which will challenge (or so it aims to) the leadership of the Audi A5, BMW Series 4, and Mercedes C-Coupé.

Source | Automobile