Now owned by Chinese group Geely, Volvo is continuously looking to expand its product lineup, and the first project that could receive the green light could be a Volkswagen Golf rival. To be produced in a five-door hatchback configuration, the new model is likely to show its face at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, but only as a concept, while the production ready version is expected later next year.
Not much is known about such a vehicle, but Volvo Australia boss Alan Desselss confirmed for drive.com.au that the Swedish group is indeed looking to build a new small car, hinting that it could be a five-version of the C30.
“That [premium small-car] segment is growing,” he said. “We’ve seen the [BMW] 1-Series, Audi has the new A1 ... we’ve seen that market is expanding, especially in Europe. I don’t think [that demand] is as prolific in Australia yet, but I think it will come. The trend is moving towards smaller cars and then manufacturers [such as Volvo] will be challenged to give an S60 [mid-size luxury car] type of feel but in a smaller version. People don’t want to compromise just because they’re going smaller.”
Furthermore, Desselss confirmed that Volvo is also pondering a new crossover SUV to enter the product range below the XC60 and thus become a cheaper alternative to this particular model. A price tag of $40,000 in Australia would clearly make the vehicle a true alternative to already existing models.
“I think every manufacturer is looking at [the compact SUV segment],” he added. “You’d be crazy if you weren’t. The nomenclature [for the model] is not yet defined. There is a debate: should it be [XC]30 or [XC]40.”
Not much is known about such a vehicle, but Volvo Australia boss Alan Desselss confirmed for drive.com.au that the Swedish group is indeed looking to build a new small car, hinting that it could be a five-version of the C30.
“That [premium small-car] segment is growing,” he said. “We’ve seen the [BMW] 1-Series, Audi has the new A1 ... we’ve seen that market is expanding, especially in Europe. I don’t think [that demand] is as prolific in Australia yet, but I think it will come. The trend is moving towards smaller cars and then manufacturers [such as Volvo] will be challenged to give an S60 [mid-size luxury car] type of feel but in a smaller version. People don’t want to compromise just because they’re going smaller.”
Furthermore, Desselss confirmed that Volvo is also pondering a new crossover SUV to enter the product range below the XC60 and thus become a cheaper alternative to this particular model. A price tag of $40,000 in Australia would clearly make the vehicle a true alternative to already existing models.
“I think every manufacturer is looking at [the compact SUV segment],” he added. “You’d be crazy if you weren’t. The nomenclature [for the model] is not yet defined. There is a debate: should it be [XC]30 or [XC]40.”