All go for Volvo

WITH the C70 coupe-cabriolet, C30 hatchback and S80 luxury sedan all on sale by the end of the first quarter of next year, Volvo Car Australia (VCA) believes its sales prospects for the 2007 calendar year could surpass 4500 – significantly up from this year’s expected 3600.

The just-launched C70 is expected to add 400 sales, the S80 (due in January) should add 500 sales and the C30 (due in March) is tipped to add 600 sales in its first 12 months.

VCA has also added the 2.4-litre D5 turbo-diesel engine to the S40 and V50 range to supplement the petrol engines, with pricing starting around $44,000.

VCA spokesman Todd Hallenbeck said there was a clear trend to performance turbo-diesels among European enthusiasts and VCA was keen to tap into the trend.

"It’s clear buyers are increasingly becoming aware of their benefits," he said.

Left: New C70 coupe-convertible went on sale from December (top), while Volvo's redesigned S80 sedan arrives here in January (bottom). However, one Volvo model that has crept under the radar is the new XC70 and V70, which GoAuto understands will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March and should arrive in Australia towards the end of next year after debuting at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney.

Spy shots of the new models show a sharper interpretation, with the hallmark "boomerang" tail-lights carrying over and the XC70’s chunky plastic wheel-arches and bumpers also appearing on the new car.

The interior adopts similar themes to the new S80, including the "floating" centre console, while the XC70 is also tipped to get the new 175kW/320Nm 3.2-litre straight-six engine and the D5 turbo-diesel available in the XC90.

The XC70 is one VCA’s most important models, with 700 sales expected this year. The current car has been on sale since 1998, with little in the way of visual updates except some cosmetic changes.

Another car due for replacement is the S60, which could be unveiled in concept form at the Detroit motor show and be on sale in Australia by 2008.

One thing that is not on Volvo’s radar is any performance "R" models. Mr Hallenbeck said because Volvo’s plants in Sweden and Belgium, where the C30 is built, were committed to new products, the likelihood of any hot "R" turbo AWD models reappearing in Australia was unlikely in the short term.

"We are currently committed to the new model rollout – all our plants are flat-out with the new cars so any R models are a low priority," he said.

"There are not enough engineering resources at the moment for an R range."

What's coming from Volvo:

C70 coupe-convertible - December
S40/V50 D5 - January
S80 sedan - January 2007
C30 hatch - March 2007
XC70 SUV - November 2007
V70 wagon - November 2007
S60 sedan - 2008