Volvo Cars is facing the most new-car launches ever in the company's history, starting with the new C70 coupe-convertible just issued. Over the next three years Volvo will introduce seven new models and, according to Fredrik Arp, president and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation, his company is shooting for a target of 600,000 cars sold annually. "To achieve this, improved product quality, further development of our car portfolio, and putting more effort in developing existing and emerging markets are essential," Arp said at Volvo's Geneva press conference.
The first car in the product offensive is the C70 coupe convertible that was launched earlier this year. The upcoming S80, unveiled in Geneva , is the next. We expect to see the production version of the small C30 hatchback in September in Paris , in European as well as U.S. versions. With the new generation of the S80, Volvo may have a real competitor to the Mercedes E-Class, the BMW 5-Series, and the Audi A6.
The new S80 adopts the sophisticated styling of the VCC concept car that was unveiled in 2003. The interior keeps the simple forms that emerged in the S40 and V50 as well. The S80 also has the first Personal Car Communicator, which allows the driver to check from a distance if the car has been locked and the alarm has been activated. The system even can sense if there is a person in the car.
The S80 will be available with the same 315 hp V-8 engine that was introduced recently in the XC90. For this version all-wheel drive is standard. In Europe, AWD will be an option as well as the Four-C (Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept) semi-active suspension. We expect it to be the same for the North American market. Volvo also has a brand-new in-line six available for the S80. This 3.2-liter powerplant replaces the 2.9-liter six-cylinder and delivers 238 hp. The well-known 2.5-liter turbo five and five-cylinder diesel with 185 hp also will be available.
Volvo hopes to sell 50,000 units per year in its main markets North America, Germany, England, and Sweden. Sales will start in June.
Pininfarina's Four Models
Pininfarina may not be its own car brand, but it does have four recent models on display in Geneva. Besides the new Alfa Spider, the Italian designer and coachbuilder helped design and engineer three of the coupe-convertibles on the Geneva show floor: the Volvo C70, the Ford Focus CC, and the Mitsubishi Colt CZC. And of course, there's the Pininfarina-designed Ferrari F599 GTB Fiorano. The Torino-based company builds the C70 in the Swedish Uddevalla facility that is a joint venture of with Volvo. The Focus CC, Colt CZC and the Alfa Spider will all be built in its Italian facilities. In the meantime, Pininfarina has also styled, developed, and engineered projects for several Chinese manufacturers, such as Brilliance, Chery, and Dongfeng.
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