By Blaze Sky
Volvo has decided to remove station wagon models from production. The company’s management is trying to adapt the lineup to a changing market where buyers prefer crossovers. Volvo has concluded that introducing numerous models and keeping them in the market is too expensive, even though station wagons have recently promised to be revived. However, according to the Indy Auto Man used car dealer from Indiana, this body type is still in demand, and with the Volvo decision, station wagon fans will face a shortage.
Volvo current policy
Brand CEO Jim Rowan announced that Volvo will focus on those market segments where it has a traditionally strong position — sedans and crossovers. In these areas, it will be easier for the company to defend its position from competitors, especially if it does not waste energy on launching new models.
The head of the brand did not specify whether the station wagons, V90 and V60, that are still in the lineup will be promptly discontinued. However, he assured that Volvo plans to expand the number of special versions for existing and future models, including the off-road Cross Country. Previously, such a modification was received by the small EX30 electric car.
According to one version, by abandoning station wagons, Volvo confirms its unwillingness to compete with other premium brands in this segment, primarily BMW and Audi. The former, for example, released the extreme five-door M3 CS Touring, and the latter recently showed the new generation A6 Avant.
Latest novelty
The latest new product from Volvo is the large electric car ES90, which the company prefers to position as a sedan despite its five-door body. This allows the developers to claim that one model combines the advantages of three body types, including a crossover.
With a wheelbase of 122.1 inches, the ES90 has a trunk with a volume of up to 15.8 cubic feet. About a cubic foot of luggage can be placed under the front hood. The drag coefficient is 0.25, a record for the Volvo battery. The new model shares the SPA2 platform with the EX90 crossover. The basic version of the electric car will be equipped with one 245 hp electric motor with a 92-kilowatt battery, which will provide a range of up to 400 miles. The intermediate modification is equipped with two motors with a total output of 442 horsepower. The battery capacity has been increased to 106 kWh, the range has been upgraded to 435 miles. Finally, the flagship modification with the same battery and range on one charge has 670 forces and can accelerate to 60 mph in about 4 seconds.
At the same time, the model is equipped with crossover features, including, increased ground clearance and a light protective body kit.
Why do manufacturers abandon station wagons?
Back in the eighties, minivans successfully shook the pedestal under the American family station wagons, but due to their specific appearance, these autos still could not completely displace all passenger cars of traditional types. This task was intercepted first by SUVs, then by crossovers on passenger platforms, which in most cases are still the same station wagons in body configuration.
It is very likely that in the last class, the concept of a universal car in the true sense of the word has finally found its embodiment. A crossover is capable of functionally replacing a sedan, a hatchback, a station wagon, and in some cases an SUV (just within the limits of what the average driver needs in a big city like Indianapolis).
Actually, passenger station wagons in the traditional sense of the word — with a low body, unified with a sedan — have become an endangered species today and are increasingly gravitating towards the purely niche role of a sports station wagon/shooting brake.
