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| Volvo Volvo is now another company within the Ford Motor Company. The car production side of Volvo (the other areas being trucks and industrial vehicles) was sold to Ford after several years of speculation regarding Volvo's survival without a major partner. Although Volvo is now owned by Ford, its identity will live on. It is now part of the Premier Automobile Group (PAG), the Ford group set up to take care of the prestige brands it has acquired over recent years. The current intention seems to be to build on what is deemed successful and remove the elements that are lacking promise. For example, the head of the PAG, Wolfgang Reitzle, is questioning the current links with Mitsubishi who produce the Carisma at the same factory as Volvo produce the 40 range. At the same time he identifies safety as one of the most important attributes of the marque. Volvo has been very successful over the last few years, combining sport, safety, prestige and practicality in the 850, which then became the V/S70. This car was the best selling car in Sweden in 1996. It generated new sales in the US where it became a family alternative to BMW. Now Volvo must build on this success, attract new customers and respond to consumers. This means that the cars must appeal to a variety of markets, without alienating certain consumers as they have done in the past. The styling of vehicles will build on the history of the marque, with the traditional Volvo grill being a prominent feature. Overall aesthetics will probably move further away from the boxy image but the overall style will develop in a similar way to Jaguar. Volvos will be designed to be instantly recognisable and more desirable - to keep existing customers whilst attacking the markets of BMW, Mercedes and Audi. It is also possible that Volvo will be forced to make a people carrier to respond to the number of consumers swapping estates for more flexible cars. Expect to see a consolidated, more well known brand where styling and safety separate Volvo from the other Ford companies -no doubt using the same chassis and drivetrains. |
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