Volvo Cars have a long and amazing history that spans over years and decades. Starting from 1927, to today, they have been manufacturing cars for over eighty years. And over the years, they have only improved.
Volvo Company, founded by Assar Gabrielson and Gustaf Larsson, produced its first car in a small factory at Hisingen, Gothenburg on the 4th of April in the year 1927. It was an open car with a four- cylinder engine and was called the Volvo OV4. They also produced the PV4 saloon. However, they were not successes and only 297 models were sold in that year. This was followed by two successful years with the PV651, the TR671 and the TR672 being released. Also, a more luxurious version of the PV651, called the PV652 was released. Volvo also bought the Hinsingen Factory where the cars were made.
In 1932, they passed a manufacturing landmark when they manufactured the 10,000th car. They made the first Volvo bus as well, which was called the LV70B. From 1933 to 1943, many new cars, buses and taxis were released. These were more modern and had many features that are seen in cars today. However after this, there was a difficult period for Volvo. The Second World War had broken out and this restricted the production of cars. But the year 1944 saw a significant change in the form of the Volvo PV444 and PV544. These dominated the Volvo car production till around the mid 1960′s and even caught the interest of the American market. They also released the popular Volvo 120 which was also called the Amazon.
These cars were far safer and security was even then, a main concern. The first car produced the Volvo company was the P1800, which rose to fame with Roger Moore. By 1964, the Volvo Company was pretty much booming. They had set up a company in Sweden that was capable of producing 200,000 cars a year. In 1966, the Volvo 140 family came into the market and the company hoped to secure their position with them. There were both saloon and estate models of these released, hoping to catch different people in the market.
The Volvo Company was also evolving and many new features like crumple zones, rear facing child seats, collapsible steering columns, side collision protection, and three way catalytic converter. In the 1970′s, Volvo sales soared with the release of the Volvo 240 and Volvo 340 series. In 1982, the Volvo 700 took the company into an exclusive market. The Volvo 400 replaced the 340 series and was extremely popular as it had more interior space and excellent road handling facilities.
In 1991 a new Volvo was released called the Volvo 850. It was the first front-wheel executive car and had a five-cylinder engine. It was a pleasure to drive and won great praise. They had proposed a merger with Renault but that did not come through. However, this turned out to be a boon for Volvo. This allowed the Volvo Company to develop the sleeker and smoother S40 and V40, which were instant hits. They merged safety, style and comfort and all of the other traditional values of the Volvo Company. With the 1998 Volvo S80 sedan the 1999 V70 wagon, they brought new meaning for the phrase ‘traveling in style’. In 2000, the Volvo S60 came out and in 2002, the Volvo XC90 was released. In 2003, the Volvo S40 and V50 were produced and in 2005, the C70 was released. The year 2006 saw the release of the Volvo C30.
Volvo, Ford’s Swedish luxury brand has earlier introduced a new sport utility vehicle that marks the beginning of a new design concept that would be employed for future Volvo cars. Steve Mattin, Volvo Cars Design Director said that the car represent “the DNA of future Volvos”. He further stated, “We’re about to elevate Volvo’s DNA to new levels by pumping up the volume. It takes the emotion of the C30 a step further.”
The XC60 that made its debut at the recently held North American International Auto Show in Detroit was said to exude brand new styling and design that reflects the forthcoming lineup of the automaker.
The XC60 is an addition to the SUV lineup of Volvo. Its features include a glass roof, mechanical tailgate, 20-inch rims, new shifting mechanism and newly styled grille. Its large Volvo logo has also made it look bolder and meaner. As an added feature, it was given a distinct rear end to further emphasize the tailgate and the Volvo logo.
This is precisely what Steve Mattin meant when he said, “If you can recognize a Volvo from 50 meters today, I want to get to the point where people will be able to spot one from twice the distance in the future. We need to be recognizable as Volvo. We’re still about Scandinavian simplicity; we can’t be playful or do styling for the sake of styling. Volvos last a long time, so our design must have legs. But we can’t be too simple or we’d edge toward blandness. And we can’t just change; we must be fresh. I want to broaden our design and have more variation between car lines.”
Volvo Car President Fredrik Arp has also added that the XC60 is likely to become “the C30 owner’s next car”. Arp also added that the production version of the SUV would be very much identical to the concept. Mattin said that XC60 was designed like a “giant iPod”.
The vehicle has undergone meticulous engineering so as not to compromise the traditional Volvo safety features. Volvo enthusiasts could still get to see the Volvo auto care feature that the loved like the low-speed adaptive braking system called the City Safety. This safety feature prevents the XC60 from running and crashing into the car in front that is running at low speed. The SUV is also given Volvo’s 3-liter 6-cylinder flex-fuel engine which allows the used of ethanol instead of the petrol. The new engine also reduces emissions by up to eighty percent.
“Our V8 package feels immensely solid. When it comes to power and performance, we’re in the same class as the very best in the segment. What’s more, we’re sure that a large proportion of these customers will appreciate the fact that the power and driveability can be combined with high safety and good environmental properties. It’s important that we can launch a V8 without compromising on our core values,” said Hans-Olov Olsson, Volvo Cars President and CEO.
The XC60 is Volvo’s entry to the fastest-growing sector of the automotive market. The automaker is also expecting for its XC60 to boost sales by seventy-five percent or 443,000 units of vehicles sold expected in the next couple of years. Volvo is also expecting that a great number of its buyers will come from the young and active urbanities. Arp also added that the XC60 will be as important as the C30 in expanding the brand’s sales. He further stated that the concept is a good indicator of what the production model will look like. It should be noted that Arp has previously made a statement confirming that the production will be identical to the concept.
Volvo has high hopes for its XC60 same as its other models. The XC60 SUV just like the other Volvo models are equipped with top-of-the-line auto parts from its most complicated parts down to bitsy parts like the Volvo ignition coil. This simply goes to show that the automaker is really serious when it comes to their cars.
About Volvo
Volvo is a medium size premier car maker in Sweden with a production of around 400,000 cars per year. It has been able to topple down Saab which was then the largest Swedish car maker. Unfortunately the volume of its manufactured cars was not enough to support the company and that was when Volvo industrial group, the mother company, decided to sell the car division to Ford in 1998 for $6.42 Billion USD. Volvo industrial has used the money in financing further its truck business.
Volvo Cars was then integrated into Ford’s premier Automotive Group (PAG) which consists of Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin (which Ford will also sell). Volvo has always kept its distinct design and R&D independent from the rest of other PAG members but shares platforms and components with Ford Europe and Mazda.
Volvo is recognized for producing the safest cars in the world and to keep up with this image the automaker has always made research and development its top most priority. The S40 and S80 manufactured by Volvo have scored the highest marks in the European NCAP crash test. Many innovations on car safety were also developed by Volvo such as the SIPS (Side Impact Protection System), inflatable curtain air bag, WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System) and the City Safety. Volvo is also the very first automaker to really take pedestrian protection seriously.
In the early 90’s the automaker has been building vehicles that are designed to lure younger buyers. It started by launching high-performance versions of the 850 sedan (T5 and T5R). This was succeeded by the introduction of a new breed of vehicles which includes the S80, V70 and S60 said to reflect the automaker’s new design direction. Volvo under Ford was able to expand its range to five model lines which includes the trend-setting XC90.
Fordâs Swedish luxury brand earlier unleashed a new sport utility vehicle that signaled the beginning of a more pumped-up aura of Volvo cars.
Steve Mattin, Volvo Cars design director said the car embodies âthe DNA of future Volvosâ. He added, âWeâre about to elevate Volvoâs DNA to new levels by pumping up the volume. It takes the emotion of the C30 a step further.” The Volvo XC60, revealed by Volvo at the recently-held North American International Auto Show in Detroit, is said to evoke brand new styling and design of the forthcoming lineup of the automaker.
The SUV features a glass roof, a mechanical tailgate, 20-inch rims, a new shifting mechanism and a newly styled grille. The larger Volvo logo contributed to the bolder look of the vehicle. It is also given a distinct rear end to emphasize the tailgate as well as the Volvo logo.
âIf you can recognize a Volvo from 50 meters today, I want to get to the point where people will be able to spot one from twice the distance in the future,â Mattin added. “We need to be recognizable as Volvo. We’re still about Scandinavian simplicity; we can’t be playful or do styling for the sake of styling. Volvos last a long time, so our design must have legs. But we can’t be too simple or we’d edge toward blandness. And we can’t just change; we must be fresh. I want to broaden our design and have more variation between car lines.”
Volvo Car president Fredrik Arp added that the Volvo XC60 would likely be âthe C30 ownerâs next carâ. The production version of the SUV would be very identical to the concept. Mattin said it was designed to be like âa giant iPodâ.
The vehicle is carefully engineered so as not to compromise the traditional Volvo safety aspects. Volvo enthusiasts could still expect Volvo auto care that features a low-speed adaptive braking system called City Safety. The safety feature prevents the Volvo XC60 from running into the car in front at low speeds. The SUV is also given Volvoâs 3.-litre 6-cylinder flex-fuel engine, which allows ethanol to be used instead of petrol. The new engine cuts emissions by up to 80 per cent.
âOur V8 package feels immensely solid. When it comes to power and performance, weâre in the same class as the very best in the segment. Whatâs more, weâre sure that a large proportion of these customers will appreciate the fact that the power and driveability can be combined with high safety and good environmental properties. Itâs important that we can launch a V8 without compromising on our core values,â said Hans-Olov Olsson, Volvo Carsâ President and CEO.
The Volvo XC60 is the automakerâs entry to the fastest-growing sector of the automotive market. Volvo expects that the new SUV will boost global sales by 75 per cent to 443,000 cars in the next couple of years. The automaker expects that the Volvo XC60 will also attract more buyers especially the young and active urbanites. Arp added that the Volvo XC60 will be as important as the Volvo C30 in expanding the brand’s sales. He also added that the concept is a good indicator of what the production model will look like.
Volvo is delivering the Volvo XC60 with high hopes same as its 240 model. The latter uses exceptional Volvo 240 parts to enhance its capabilities and functionality. The Volvo 240 was the best-selling car of the automaker. From 1975 to 1982, the Volvo 240 is the only vehicle from Volvo that is imported to the United States. Thatâs the measure of the Volvo 240âs global popularity.
