Photo: Volvo
After Volvo unveiled the heavily anticipated XC90 a week ago, the Swedish carmaker has announced that roughly a third of the SUV's annual production will hit U.S. dealerships. That basically means America will get a tad over 25,000 XC90s per year, while the rest of the world will have to make do with a maximum of 55,000 units of the new flagship model.
Although the second-generation Volvo XC90 is that more costly than its 11-year-old forerunner, the Scandinavian manufacturer might be on to something here. Not only crossovers, but also seven-seater SUVs are big sellers in this part of the world. If you add the extra poshness, tech and exquisite styling of the new XC90 into the mix, then you have a sure shot recipe for big demand and big sales volume on your hands.
Expected to hit U.S. showrooms next April as a 2016 model year, the XC90 and future models that'll be underpinned by Volvo's SPA modular platform architecture are expected to boost the automaker's sales in the States to the magical 100,000 figure, similar to how many vehicles Volvo sold here back in 2007. In 2013, the Euro manufacturer had moved a nudge over 61,000 cars, and the aging XC90 isn't a top seller. In fact, the first-gen mid-size SUV enjoyed its best sales year in 2004, when 39,000 were moved.
Including destination, the 2014 model year will set you back at least $40,616, but the all-new Volvo XC90 will cost at least $48,900 without destination charges, so it's pretty clear how big a difference is between the two. Thankfully, the extra dough does buy you a very different, more upmarket vehicle than before. U.S. customers will have to pay the aforementioned sum of $$$ for the all-wheel-drive T6 variant, which boasts with a turbocharged and supercharged 2-liter Drive-E four-cylinder engine that provides 320 horsepower and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque.
Don't get turned off by the apparently modest output figures. You can opt for a T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid with "around 400 horsepower and 640 Nm" of torque at its disposal. Furthermore, the 2016 Volvo XC90 is some 275 pounds (124 kilograms) lighter than the old model and over 400 (181 kgs) lighter than direct rivals thanks to a sizable quantity of boron steel that makes up the body shell of the XC90, a material which is lighter and stronger than normal steel.
Expected to hit U.S. showrooms next April as a 2016 model year, the XC90 and future models that'll be underpinned by Volvo's SPA modular platform architecture are expected to boost the automaker's sales in the States to the magical 100,000 figure, similar to how many vehicles Volvo sold here back in 2007. In 2013, the Euro manufacturer had moved a nudge over 61,000 cars, and the aging XC90 isn't a top seller. In fact, the first-gen mid-size SUV enjoyed its best sales year in 2004, when 39,000 were moved.
Including destination, the 2014 model year will set you back at least $40,616, but the all-new Volvo XC90 will cost at least $48,900 without destination charges, so it's pretty clear how big a difference is between the two. Thankfully, the extra dough does buy you a very different, more upmarket vehicle than before. U.S. customers will have to pay the aforementioned sum of $$$ for the all-wheel-drive T6 variant, which boasts with a turbocharged and supercharged 2-liter Drive-E four-cylinder engine that provides 320 horsepower and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque.
Don't get turned off by the apparently modest output figures. You can opt for a T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid with "around 400 horsepower and 640 Nm" of torque at its disposal. Furthermore, the 2016 Volvo XC90 is some 275 pounds (124 kilograms) lighter than the old model and over 400 (181 kgs) lighter than direct rivals thanks to a sizable quantity of boron steel that makes up the body shell of the XC90, a material which is lighter and stronger than normal steel.
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