What a long strange trip it's been of late, but Volvo keeps on Truckin.
Ford Motor Company, which not long ago sported seven-some-odd nameplates under its corporate hood, sold its Volvo car unit (after 11 years of ownership) in August of 2010 to Geely, an influential Chinese automotive conglomerate. Volvo headquarters remain comfortably tucked up north, in Gothenburg, Sweden where it began operations back in 1927. Volvo's former Blue Oval landlord dealt down its hand considerably, leaving just a pair of brands showing: Ford and Lincoln.
Since purchasing the Swedish delicacy, Geely began infusing $11 billion into Volvo's research, development and factories, part of a global transformation. A portion of this cash influx gave birth to a new Volvo Engine Architecture or VEA, some of which now is arriving under hood.
In 2014, Volvo's U.S. sales totaled 56,371, down about 8 percent from the previous year. In fact, 2014 marked the first time Volvo sales in China outpaced U.S. volume. Worldwide, Volvo sold 465,866 vehicles in 2014, up about 9 percent from 2013 with most transactions from Western Europe, the U.S. and China.
Putting these crunched numbers in perspective, Toyota's U.S. dealer network sold 146,063 vehicles just in the first month of 2015 alone, more than twice Volvo's 12-month total last year. Reading between the tea leaves, Volvo must shore up market share (now well under 1 percent, so a huge ready-made upside awaits) in the highly competitive
U.S. market to keep dealers and loyal Volvoites engaged. Give Volvo a mulligan for a couple disruptive years between the Ford divestiture and Geely arrival slowing progress, but times-a-ticking.
Doubling the U.S. marketing budget with its recently announced "Volvo way to Market" should regain some traction in the minds of U.S. shoppers. Volvo plans to pair down current sponsorships, opting instead for a lazar focus aimed upon its multi-continent Volvo Ocean Race, now in its 12th year. New online marketing channels in full cooperation with existing dealerships continues in the implementing stages, utilizing a greater on-line presence to drive greater showroom foot traffic. Expect major facelifts in these existing showrooms with a Scandinavian bent.
Also proposed, a dwindling presence at auto shows nation and worldwide, although eventually foregoing the consumer-targeted, digitally plugged-in Chicago Auto Show may need contemplative rethinking.
The five-passenger XC60 crossover, this week's tester, rates as Volvo's best-selling car worldwide. Drilling into naming nomenclature, the XC prefix signifies 'crossover' body style or more precisely Cross Country (with 'X' denoting Cross and 'C' Country). Built from a uni-body, car-like platform, the XC60 delivers surprisingly engaging road manners in a crowded luxury compact crossover segment.
Volvo's U.S. dealerships also offer a larger XC offering with a suffix enlargement alongside body size: the XC90, three-rowed crossover. Next-generation 2016 XC90 models jump-started sales early in the 2015 calendar year. While Volvo classifies XC60 as a compact, dimensions skew to the larger end of the spectrum, boding well for overall comfort, accommodating three riders in row two.
Through all the ownership maneuvers and flashy marketing visions, Volvo's greatest consumer connection quite possible remains an unchanged constant; the company's rock-solid safety reputation reflective of top-ranking crash tests scores. All XC60s also include whiplash protection system for driver and front passenger seats. Worth the investment, the $900 blind-spot package with cross traffic alert, lane change merge aid, front-rear park assist and blind-spot monitor.
A major 2015 update arrives under hood. Two new, lighter-weight four-cylinder engines add spunk while goosing fuel economy. One utilizes turbocharging while the second employees both turbo and supercharging. Both unite to a new eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive exclusively. Prior years relied largely upon five and six-cylinder engines; a novelty in the compact class usually reliant on smaller, more fuel-friendly four bangers.
Our tester retained a returning, inline turbocharged six cylinder, an engine available with mid-west-friendly all-wheel drive connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy at 17 miles per gallon city and 24 mpg highway matches the redesigned 2015 Ford Edge's 2.7-liter V-6 Ecoboost engine. Regular, 87-octane fuel fills the 18.5-gallon tank. Volvo offers higher-mileage diesel-powered variants in Europe, but has yet to bring them ashore in the U.S.
While no all electric, gas-electric hybrid or plug-in hybrid Volvos yet grace U.S. dealerships, VEA designs lay the groundwork for possible future electrification. New four-cylinder engines, however, include 'start-stop' mode activated during prolonged idles, helping conserve fuel at stops by temporarily idling the engine and a staple in current gas-electric hybrids.
Pricing for our XC60 T6 with 3.0-liter turbo six-cylinder all-wheel drive started at $42,400 with many stand-along and option package added. The platinum package ($4,400), child booster seats ($500), recommended blind-spot monitoring ($ 900), metallic paint ($550) sport seats ($500)and upgraded 20-inch alloy wheels ($1,000) brought the bottom line to $51,675 including $925 destination charge. Sport seats and 20-inch wheels are new for 2015. In-dash navigation, power glass sunroof and a six-month subscription to Sirius satellite radio come standard.
As expected in this up-tempo class, road imperfections get smoothed out for a luxury rather than sport-tuned ride. Responsive handling never felt sloppy at any speed. The six cylinder provided punch-a-plenty, but the incoming four cylinder front-drive team provides improved fuel readouts.
Inside, the highly animated instrument panel includes white lettering with black backdrop accented by fire-red needles. A center circle, home of the speedometer gets flanked by left-right wing-like extensions chuck full of information tidbits. The in-line fuel gauge resides far left with secondary gear shift indicator far right. Outside this framework and high to the right is the rectangular, electronic start-stop ignition button.
The high-quality black dashboard's center column gently skews towards the driver. A generous array of brushed aluminum trim adds to the likeability factor. Atop the center column, a rather diminutive, deep-set, multi-function screen. Below, a greyish, semi-smooth flat surface structure contorts gracefully (a-la a Scandinavian ski slope) ending its run connecting up with inline beverage holders between the supportive bucket seats with white stitching. Audio and ventilation and phone functions intermingle somewhat haphazardly within this surface.
A phone-like key pad doubles as radio pre-set selections framed by larger push buttons operating A/C, rear defrost, navigation screen and other functions. A pair of larger side twist dials control audio volume and station selection (top two) and dual temperature settings (bottom two dials). A smaller twist dial activates fan speed within a three-sectioned anatomy-outline push panel (head, torso, bottom) summoning fan direction.
The manual tilt-and-telescope steering wheel would benefit from a luxury-oriented electronic upgrade.
Headroom remains decent in both rows. Second-row seatbacks fold flat onto cushions, growing cargo capacity from 30.8 cubic feet to 67.4 cubic feet; generous for the segment.
Outside, an artistic bent flanks wide hatchback glass in the form of high tail lights stroked with a double-diamond Alpine slalom theme widening out near the bottom and concaving to side fenders. Narrow side windows and high side belt lines, common in the crossover community, create a bottom-heavy asymmetric. In front, narrow band-like headlight structures wrap around to side fenders while Volvo's familiar circular logo with protruding arrow head at 2 o'clock sits front and center. Headlight beams swivel, proving enhanced illumination when turning.
2015 Volvo XC60Price as tested: $51,675
Wheelbase: 109.2 inches
Length: 182.8 inches
Width: 74.4 inches
Height: 67.4 inches
Engine: 3.0-liter six cylinder
Horsepower: 300
City/Highway economy: 17 mpg city/ 24 mpg highway