2014 will be a year of growth and profitability: CEO
Volvo Car Group (Volvo Cars) has turned around a SEK577m first half loss in 2013 and will report a full year operating profit when it announces its results later this month, said Håkan Samuelsson, President and CEO.
Full details of the factors behind the turnaround will be announced on March 21 when the unlisted company releases its full year results.
The growth story will continue in the coming year. Volvo Cars expects to sell “a good” 5 per cent more cars than the 427,840 sold in 2013, driven by steady growth in key markets and an improved product offer, said Mr Samuelsson.
“2014 will be a year of growth. Our transformation journey is well underway and the initial effects of our SEK75bn investment drive are now starting to show,” said Mr Samuelsson. “We are profitable, we have the first of several cars on our SPA architecture coming up with the all-new XC90 and sales will grow in 2014.”
Volvo’s two largest markets are the US and China. In China, Volvo Cars will build on a strong sales performance in 2013, when sales rose 45.6 per cent to 61,146 cars. New models like the S60L and the sales start of the V40 Cross Country as well as a further expansion of the dealer network will support Volvo Cars’ continued growth in China.
In the US, Volvo Cars will have an improved customer offer with a line of fully refreshed S60, XC60, XC70 and S80 models, the sales start of the V60 sports wagon and the roll-out of the highly efficient Drive-E powertrains. Global Volvo Cars sales for the first two months of 2014 rose by 3.6 per cent.
The Volvo Concept Estate
At the Geneva Motor Show, Volvo Cars officially debuts the Volvo Concept Estate, the third and final concept car that showcases the new design direction developed under Senior Vice President of Design, Thomas Ingenlath.
While continuing the exterior design language established in the Volvo Concept Coupé and the Volvo Concept XC Coupé, the centerpiece of the Concept Estate is the interior design and the new centre console touch screen display. The touch screen replaces the traditional array of buttons and controls in the centre stack with one sleek control panel and simplifies and enhances the way Volvo drivers operate their cars.
Volvo Cars has been on a winning streak with its concept cars. The Concept Coupé was named ‘Car of the Show’ by a leading German auto magazine at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, while the Concept XC Coupé received the prestigious EyesON Design ‘Best Concept Car’ award at the 2014 Detroit Motor Show.
Global attention for Volvo Cars’ concept cars has been intensifying as they provide the first significant clues as to how the company’s all-new and much-anticipated XC90 SUV and subsequent cars will look. The XC90 is due to be launched later this year.
Volvo brings Apple CarPlay to the all-new Volvo XC90
Building on the unveiling of Volvo Cars’ new interior design and centre console display, Volvo Cars and Apple Inc. announced in Geneva that the companies are joining forces to offer Volvo drivers full access to Apple’s widely-used and hugely admired operating system in their own cars.
Called Apple CarPlay, the new service brings all the features and services familiar to iPad, iPhone or iPod users directly into the car via Volvo Cars’ large centre console touch screen display. The first Volvo to offer Apple CarPlay will be the all-new XC90.
Class-leading Drive-E powertrains available in V40
Geneva also means a world premiere for Drive-E powered Volvo V40 and V40 Cross Country models. The V40 and V40 Cross Country can now be equipped with a 245 hp petrol turbo T5 engine or a 190 hp turbo diesel D4 engine, taking the V40 series to a new dimension in terms of efficient driving pleasure. The CO2 emissions of the 190 hp Volvo V40 D4 with manual gearbox are now down to a mere 85 g/km – an offer no competitor is even close to matching. From May 2014, Drive-E powertrains will be available in all new Volvo models except the XC90.
Other product launches in Geneva include the Volvo V70 and XC70 Edition and the fifth generation of the sailing-inspired Volvo Ocean Race Edition models. The Volvo Ocean Race package is available on the Volvo V60, V40, V40 Cross Country and XC60 and includes special colours, wheels and interior details. The V70 and XC70 Edition are designed for customers with a taste for a more dynamic look and handling and have a number of special interior and exterior design features.
