Volvo Cars global sales up 13.4 per cent – new record in China

Volvo Car Group announces May retail sales:

Volvo Cars global sales up 13.4 per cent – new record in China

• Global sales of 40,449 cars, up 13.4 per cent versus May last year
• China sales up 60,9 per cent – new all-time-high
• Volvo Cars’ eleventh consecutive month of growth
• Year-to-date sales of 185,881 cars, an increase of 10.5 per cent versus 2013

The positive momentum continued for Volvo Cars in May with retail sales of 40,449 cars, up 13.4 per cent compared to the same month last year, driven by a strong performance in several key markets.

China set a new sales record for a single month with 7,104 cars sold in May, retaining its position as Volvo Cars’ largest market. For the first five months of the year, Volvo Cars’ sales have grown 35.2 per cent in China, in line with the company’s target of selling at least 80,000 cars in the market this year. The Volvo XC60 crossover was the best-selling model followed by the Volvo S60L sedan.

Another highlight was Sweden where Volvo Cars recorded a 21.5 per cent market share and retail sales of 6,228 cars, up 33.5 per cent from last year. Demand for Volvo cars in Sweden has been boosted by a strong product offer and two successful marketing campaigns. The first one featured football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, followed by a campaign starring music artist Robyn focusing on Volvo’s wide range of fuel efficient Drive-E engines.

Europe as a whole also demonstrated outstanding results in May with markets such as the UK, France and Germany growing significantly. All in all, sales in Western Europe were up by 15.1 per cent in May, while sales increased by 9.6 per cent in the first five months of the year. The Volvo V40 hatchback was the best seller in Europe, followed by the XC60 crossover. The United States became Volvo Cars’ third largest market in May with 5,014 retail sold cars, down 20.6 per cent from last year. For the full year, the company expects a turnaround in the US, built on new product launches and marketing investments initiated by a new leadership team.

“I am very pleased to see that customers appreciate the new products Volvo Cars’ has put to market and we have still not rolled out all variants of the new Drive-E engine range,”, says Alain Visser, Senior Vice President Marketing, Sales and Customer Service at Volvo Cars. “I also believe that the launch activities around the all-new Volvo XC90 will further boost the interest in our brand and products”.

Retail sales status (deliveries to end customers) for Volvo Car Group is as follows:

	May				January – May
	2013	2014	Change		2013	2014	Change
China	4 415	7 104	60,9%		22 905	30 972	35,2%
USA	6 318	5 014	-20,6%		25 900	23 347	-9,9%
Sweden	4 664	6 228	33,5%		20 778	24 887	19,8%
Western Europe*	12 751	14 671	15,1%		65 552	71 868	9,6%
Other markets	7 512	7 432	-1,1%		33 044	34 807	5,3%
TOTAL	35 660	40 449	13,4%		168 179	185 881	10,5%

*excluding Sweden

The Volvo XC60 was the best-selling model in May with 11,823 sold cars (2013: 9,706), followed by the Volvo V40 and V40 Cross Country for which deliveries reached a total of 9,025 cars (7,944). The third best-selling model was the Volvo V60 with 5,480 cars (3,811).

New Polestar versions of Volvo's S60 and V60

• 0-62mph in just 4.9 seconds
• Complete Polestar bespoke vehicle set-up
• Limited Edition

The new Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar are here, set for sale on four continents around the world in 2014. The countries confirmed to take the S60 and V60 Polestar include Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the USA, with further markets, final production numbers and pricing to be revealed next year.

Whilst the S60 and V60 Polestar will be available globally, Volvo Car UK will continue to deliver on the call for fast estates by limiting availability to the new V60 Polestar only.

”We are proud to present the S60 and V60 Polestar. A car developed for those who share our passion at Polestar: That driving really matters and that a true driver’s car should enable you to enjoy driving all year, on all roads and in all weather conditions. This is a driver’s car for real life,” said Christian Dahl, CEO of Polestar.

“With the introduction of the V60 model, we are proud to continue the heritage of fast Volvo estates like the racing 850 BTCC, a tradition deeply rooted among Volvo enthusiasts,” continued Christian Dahl, CEO of Polestar.

”Our motorsport co-operation with Polestar has been going on for almost two decades and it is rewarding to see how Polestar can use their experiences from motorsport to engineer such an exciting and competent car,” said Derek Crabb, Motorsport Director at Volvo Car Group (Volvo Cars).

“It is very satisfying to see how Polestar have been able to combine this level of driving performance in their interpretation of the S60 and V60 with maintained original service program, class leading safety features and certified fuel and emission ratings. Customers buying this car will get the best from both Polestar and Volvo,” said Alain Visser, Senior Vice President Marketing, Sales & Customer Service at Volvo Cars.

All-year performance

The car is based on the latest generation Volvo S/V60 and marks the start of an extended Polestar production model range. Development of the car has been ongoing over the past years, picking up from the C30 and S60 Concept cars and the Australian S60 Polestar. Thousands of development kilometres have been driven on twisty mountain roads, on the Autobahn and test tracks from the south of Europe to the frozen north of Sweden.

”We have continued our work to create a true driver’s car which is not limited only to a few specific driving conditions, but enjoyable on everything from your favourite winding roads to taking the family for a long journey, no matter summer or winter. And in my view, we have gotten very close to our goals, something that of course is best experienced first-hand behind the wheel,” said Robert Dahlgren, Polestar racing and test driver.

Polestar performance engineering

Chassis

Upgrades include modifications made to increase rigidity of the chassis to cater for the 80% stiffer springs relative to the standard S60 R-Design. These changes combined with the tailored high performance Öhlins shock absorbers and 20” Polestar wheels results in a precise, yet comfortable, driving experience.

Brakes

The brake system has undergone substantial modifications. Most visible are the 371 millimetre ventilated front discs and six-piston Brembo calipers, guaranteeing a high level of braking performance.

Aerodynamics

To reflect the increased performance of the S60 and V60 Polestar, positive aerodynamic effects have been achieved through subtle, yet efficient, modifications based on data from tests in the Volvo Cars wind tunnel. The changes are visible with the front splitters, optimising the airflow underneath the car, as well as a new rear spoiler and diffusor, increasing downforce.

Engine

The six-cylinder turbo-charged T6 engine has undergone extensive development with a new twin-scroll turbo and intercooler to produce 350 HP/257 kW at 5700 rpm and 500 Nm/369 lb-ft at 2800 rpm. The engine breathes through a 2.5” stainless steel exhaust system, making for a throaty engine note.

Transmission

The six-speed automatic gearbox features a new paddle shift system that together with the Polestar developed Haldex four-wheel drive system takes the car from 0-62 mph in just 4.9 seconds and to a limited top speed of 155 mph. The gearbox as well as the four-wheel drive system and traction control system has been recalibrated in order to provide an active driving experience and maximum grip in all situations.

Interior

The interior has been reworked with new details, materials and Polestar colours, such as the steering wheel, seats and more, with the sole purpose of increasing driver support and control.

”All in all we have taken a major step forward in all areas, from chassis and engine to interior and exterior details. Development work has been focused on the overall package in order to create a car that you want to use every day, both from a practical and emotional perspective,” said Henrik Fries, S/V60 Polestar Technical Project Manager.

Sales and delivery

Polestar will begin delivery of the new S60 and V60 Polestar in June 2014 to local markets.

“We are all very excited and proud over our launch of two new cars as yet another step towards a range of Polestar Engineered Volvo cars available for people like us around the world. To do it together with Volvo, one of the world’s leading car manufacturers, is greatly satisfying and we look forward to an exciting future,” said Christian Dahl, CEO of Polestar.

Goodbye to Volvo's baby

As the Volvo C30 comes to the end of the road, Volvo Cars takes a look back and celebrates the success of the sporty hatchback that sold almost 210,000 cars worldwide – with one in seven sold in the UK.

On sale for just seven years, the visually arresting C30 was a major design departure for Volvo Cars when it launched in 2006 and as a result has developed a hardcore following achieving cult status, particularly among a younger audience.

Making Volvo Cars cool for the first time since the heady days of the design classic P1800, the sleek and sporty four-seat C30 was immortalised in the Twilight films with vampire R-Patz taking the wheel to demonstrate just what the powerful C30 was capable of when rescuing love-interest Kristen Stewart.

Film appearances have swiftly followed, with the striking C30 starring in the Abyss and She’s Out of my League as well as spots on TV shows Primeval, Fifth Gear and Top Gear.  Even pop group JLS fell for the looks and charm of the C30, using it in one of their music videos.

With almost 210,000 C30s sold worldwide, if parked bumper to bumper, they would stretch almost 900km – from London to Munich.  If they were stacked on top of each other, they would reach the Thermosphere – or as tall as 934 Eiffel Towers, or 1,916 Blackpool Towers.

And for fans wondering about the last ever C30 – log on to www.LastEverC30.co.uk for more information and your chance to win the car.  It is a sporty and aggressive ice white R-design C30 with Polestar upgrade, up for grabs in an exciting Twitter competition.

The beginnings

The C30 started life in 2001 at the Detroit Motor Show, with the launch of the Volvo Safety Concept Car.

Fast forward five years and Volvo Cars launched a future classic in Paris in September 2006, clearly borrowing the shape and design of the instantly recognisable C30 from the Volvo Safety Concept Car.

The C30 was the starting point for Volvo Cars’ leadership in active safety. About 15 of the advanced technical solutions found in today's Volvo models were first seen in the Volvo SCC, such as forward collision warning, BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) and lane Departure Warning and Driver Alert.

Modified versions

Mix a Formula One car with a C30 and you’ve got the idea behind the concept by Evolve Cars Inc.  Created just a month after the Paris debut for the 2006 SEMA show in Las Vegas, Evolve created an enthusiast’s dream drawing on F1 technology and its renowned track record of maximising the performance potential of Volvo Cars with their stunning version of the C30.

Going Green with C30

Utilising the versatile C30 for another concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007, Volvo Cars launched the Volvo ReCharge Concept.  A plug-in hybrid with individual electric wheel motors, this modified C30 had batteries that can be recharged via a regular electrical outlet for maximum environmental benefit and can be driven around 100km on battery power alone before a four-cylinder Flexifuel engine kicks in to power the car and recharge the battery.

Polestar C30 Concept

In 2010, the team behind Volvo’s championship-winning Swedish Touring Car Team created a monster 400PS AWD road car version of their Volvo C30 Racer.  The Performance Concept Prototype was the result of what happens when a Championship-winning team of race engineers and designers get free-rein to design and engineer a car.

A Volvo C30 Polestar testing at Nürburgring Nordschleife may be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRgNezdpmQU

Swedish Touring Car Racing (STCC)

The C30 has seen massive success in the four years that Polestar raced a version in the STCC, winning both the team and driver’s titles in 2009 and 2010.  A similar version also raced for two years in the World Touring Car Championships.

A tribute to the Volvo C30 may be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LheJMyBfquE

Celebrating the end of an era

Volvo Car UK is celebrating the success of the Volvo C30 by launching a three-day game on www.LastEverC30.co.uk which will see one lucky person become the proud owner of the #LastEverC30.

The journey starts on Thursday 13th June at 07:00 when the C30 R-Design with Polestar upgrade departs from Gothenburg, Sweden, making its way to the UK and to a specific area over the next two days - but only with the help of the audience and through the power of their tweets.  Each tweet posted using the hashtag #LastEverC30 not only brings the car closer to the UK but enters the person posting into a competition to win additional prizes along the way.

On Saturday 15th June 2013, the third and final day of the competition, participants will have to unlock the car’s exact location by solving four clues posted on www.LastEverC30.co.uk and then get there as fast as they can to complete one final task. Whoever does this first will be crowned the winner and owner of the last ever C30.

Follow the action, find out how to play and take part in the Last Ever C30 journey on www.LastEverC30.co.uk.

Volvo US announces April sales

Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, (VCNA) reported U.S. sales of 4,464 units, a 7.9 percent decrease from April 2012. Year-to-date sales are down 8 percent over the first four months of 2012.

The S60 sports sedan was the top seller for the month with 1,547 units sold. The XC60 crossover, currently the only luxury SUV to earn IIHS' Top Safety Pick+ award, finished the month right behind with 1,455 units sold, up 15.4 percent versus April 2012.