It’s not the kind of risky maneuver any self-respecting Volvo estate driver would pull off, but the Swedish carmaker has made a sharp U-turn with the decision to stop selling them here, following an outcry from drivers devoted to a car synonymous with is with the British middle class. -class family life.
Last summer, Volvo said it would no longer market its estates and sedans in Britain and would instead focus on its SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles), which are increasingly preferred by drivers who enjoy the higher seating position and off-road style. .
“Demand for our sedan and estate models has fallen to very low levels in the UK, leading to our decision to withdraw these models,” the company said at the time.
However, in recent days the company has confirmed a change of heart, with the V60 and V90 models returning to UK showrooms and taking orders in July. Before being withdrawn from sale, both models started at around £41,000.
The traditional station wagon – usually a boxy five-seater with room for luggage (or dogs) in the boot – has fallen out of favor in many parts of the world, and by 2023 SUVs accounted for almost half of global car sales. This shift is bad news for the environment: the rise of the bulky, heavy SUV was responsible for a quarter of global oil demand growth last year, boosting global emissions.
A Volvo spokesperson said: “While this [shift to SUVs] While this remains a long-term trend, we have seen a resurgence in our estate products in recent months and in response we have decided to reintroduce the V60 and V90 to our UK portfolio. We will start taking orders next month.”
Station wagons – known as station wagons in the US – met the practical need to carry large amounts of luggage, with the name reminiscent of travel to and from the train station for the land classes. Volvo made its first station wagon in 1953, the Duett model, which could be used to transport both family and commercial loads.
In the decades that followed, it became de rigueur for middle-class car owners. In the 1970s, a Volvo 145 station wagon was the vehicle of choice in The Good Life, a sitcom set in London’s commuter belt. At the climax of Richard Curtis’ hit film Notting Hill, it is a station wagon, a Peugeot 406, that takes the endearing posho Hugh Grant, five friends and a wheelchair through central London to his movie star lover.
Tom Leathes, the chief executive of car sales website Motorway, said estate cars – which make up 7% of sales – were still in high demand because of their fuel efficiency compared to the more popular SUVs. He added that used prices for the V60 were up 2% quarter-on-quarter. “There is still strong demand from our dealer partners to stock their forecourts with these modern classics,” he said.
The V60 and V90 are both available as plug-in hybrids, which feature medium-sized batteries that can drive about 50 miles on electric power before the gasoline engine is needed. This gives the cars much better fuel economy than traditional petrol cars under test conditions, although in the real world the efficiency and environmental benefits are often limited as customers fail to plug in.
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It is unclear whether the Volvo Estate will survive the all-electric era, as all electric models so far have been SUVs. Volvo, which is controlled by Chinese conglomerate Geely, said it does not comment on future model plans.
Volvo said: “As we operate in a rapidly changing industry, we continually review our product portfolio to ensure we have the right mix to serve all our customers. As part of this process, it is not unusual for us to withdraw certain models or derivatives from sale and reintroduce them later.”