Volvo shares news of upcoming face-lifts planned for almost all the models in its luxury fleet. For the latest coverage from the 2013 Detroit Auto Show and all things Volvo, follow Patrick Volvo, your source for a Volvo in Chicago.
Source: Automobile Magazine
We had the opportunity to sit down with John Maloney, the President and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America during the 2013 Detroit auto show. Starting last year, Volvo embarked on a sales expansion plan in hopes of nearly doubling its sales by 2020 and raising the company's image to the same level as the leading German luxury brands. Revised versions of the same five products that are the core of the Volvo lineup will lead the charge.
The next two years will be critical for the brand's products. Later this year, Volvo will roll out facelifts for all of its models save for the XC90. The revisions will focus primarily on cosmetic upgrades, to bring all four models in line with the Swedish brand's most-recent design philosophy. Expect to see cues from the V40 make their way onto the vehicles we see here. While neither Maloney nor Volvo PR would confirm timing of when we'd see the facelifts outside of "this year, for model year 2014," a Volvo representative told us that the company will have a big showing at this year's New York auto show, so expect the revised cars this spring at that show. Maloney also pointed out that these revisions will be the first product renewal done by Volvo post-Ford ownership.
Coming in 2014 for the 2015 model year is an all-new XC90 crossover. The XC90 will be the first car to ride on Volvo's new Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA). As the name suggests, SPA will underpin every upcoming Volvo following the 2015 XC90 from 60-series and up. The SPA will exclusively use four-cylinder power, but is also flexible enough to include a plug-in hybrid electric powertrain. Maloney confirmed that the PHEV program is still in the cards for the U.S., and hinted that it could find it's way into the new XC90. Volvo currently sells a PHEV with a diesel four-cylinder in the V60 wagon in Europe, which is "totally sold out, all 1000 copies" according to Maloney.
Also coming with the SPA will be an all-new infotainment system to replace Volvo's clunky and button-heavy Sensus system.
While Maloney refused to comment on timing, he did refer us to the Concept You as an indicator for the next S80. However, he also said the car would remain in the midsize luxury class, competing with the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Lexus GS, and Infiniti M (nee Q70).
Categories:
News
AdChoices