Photo: Volvo
For the past three years or so, Volvo did an incredible job at reimagining its mid and upper models. And even though the Swedish automaker has its eyes on electrification at the present moment, the Gothenburg-based company has not forgotten that its lesser models also need a makeover.
We already know that the 40 Series needs the most TLC of the lot, but here’s something we weren’t expecting: the 20 Series. Volvo didn’t officially confirm the plan to make smaller-than-compact vehicles, but Volvo’s big kahuna in the U.S. sort of did. Speaking to Car & Driver, Lex Kerssemakers said:
“It’s pretty straightforward: The 90 is the biggest [family in terms of size], and the 40 is the smallest. And when there is a 20, it will be a smaller one.” Lex also declared that the automaker “only makes global cars, so [the said cars] should apply to all parts of the world.” Reading between the lines, that means that the 20 Series, if it’ll ever happen, might be sold in the U.S.
The cited publication and Kerssemakers both make a case that a V20 wagon is out of the question, chiefly because demand favors the sport utility vehicle. A subcompact sedan (S20) doesn’t make sense either, so it’s highly probable the core model of the 20 Series to be a little crossover.
Tentatively named XC20, such a product would be an instant hit. The European market is mad about subcompact crossovers, and so is the People’s Republic of China. What’s more, it’s a segment where BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have yet to enter. And if Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture is fit for the XC20, there’s also the possibility of plug-in hybrid and all-electric powertrain for the purported crossover.
What would be even nicer, however, is for Volvo to reimagine the C30 three-door hatchback and the C70 cabriolet with a retractable hardtop. But the Swedish automaker doesn’t do those anymore, apparently. As per Kerssemakers, “Coupes and convertibles - we don’t have them in the plan because we are focusing on the bread-and-butter [cars] for the moment.”
“It’s pretty straightforward: The 90 is the biggest [family in terms of size], and the 40 is the smallest. And when there is a 20, it will be a smaller one.” Lex also declared that the automaker “only makes global cars, so [the said cars] should apply to all parts of the world.” Reading between the lines, that means that the 20 Series, if it’ll ever happen, might be sold in the U.S.
The cited publication and Kerssemakers both make a case that a V20 wagon is out of the question, chiefly because demand favors the sport utility vehicle. A subcompact sedan (S20) doesn’t make sense either, so it’s highly probable the core model of the 20 Series to be a little crossover.
Tentatively named XC20, such a product would be an instant hit. The European market is mad about subcompact crossovers, and so is the People’s Republic of China. What’s more, it’s a segment where BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have yet to enter. And if Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture is fit for the XC20, there’s also the possibility of plug-in hybrid and all-electric powertrain for the purported crossover.
What would be even nicer, however, is for Volvo to reimagine the C30 three-door hatchback and the C70 cabriolet with a retractable hardtop. But the Swedish automaker doesn’t do those anymore, apparently. As per Kerssemakers, “Coupes and convertibles - we don’t have them in the plan because we are focusing on the bread-and-butter [cars] for the moment.”
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