Renault has announced that the company has no interest in acquiring the Volvo brand from Ford. “Renault needs new products, new technologies. It does not need a new brand,” Renault’s CEO Carlos Ghosn said at a recent press conference. “Given the substantial amount of money we are being asked for Volvo, I don’t see the interest for Renault,” Ghosn said.
There has been speculation that the two automakers might join forces because Renault and Volvo had an alliance in the early 1990s. The union was broken apart at Volvo’s initiative, according to Automotive News. Heavy truck maker Volvo AB, which is separate from Volvo Cars, purchased Renault’s heavy truck division in 2001.
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08/29, 8:44 AM
posted by:
Deanster
Good to know, because Volvo needs to be taken up by someone who can retain the mature design language, not the cartoonish wild crap that Renault is famous for. For small coupes and hatchbacks, Renault is cool. Their sedans, however, are too gimmicky and unsophisticated.
08/29, 9:30 AM
posted by:
global_lightning
Translation:
Lower the price and we might get interested.
08/29, 9:49 AM
posted by:
Carguy5
I hope the continue the current designs but technicals could be fixed.
08/29, 10:50 AM
posted by:
HoosierHero
Just another chance for Ford to keep something that isn’t hurting their bottom line too much.
08/29, 12:18 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
Thank G-d. Volvo doesn’t need to be ruined by Renault’s butt-ugly designs and crap materials.
08/29, 1:47 PM
posted by:
TomF
Renault’s cheap cars are some of the most interesting cheap cars on the planet. I wish to God we could get them Stateside (re: the Le Car: all is forgiven). I agree that the bigger / costlier vehicles in the Renault stable are kind of sophomoric but who’s to say Volvo wouldn’t raise their game?
08/29, 2:00 PM
posted by:
angelo
are we praising Volvo’s boring design? Sure, it’s an improvement of the old Volvo… but with the exception of the new C30… what’s so revolutionary about it?
The S40 looks neat, but the C70 was a wasted opportunity to make a great car and the S80/S60 are plan dull. The new V70/XC70 has barely any changes from the previous one and the V50 has little different from the S40.
Conclusion: It can do better. I’ll take the Infiniti staff under Renault that designed the new G35/37 and the M35 and the FX SUVs. That’s good work!
08/29, 9:27 PM
posted by:
AMGoff
nor am I interested in this nonstory…
either way, dumping Volvo would be the biggest (aside from the whole aston thing) boner move ever made by Ford. I’m all for dumping Land Rover… and Jag, but to a lesser extent. But heaven forbid Ford hold on to a fairly respected euro-brand. Volvo is one of those rare brands that transcends categories and carves a nice niche of their own. keep it as their euro quasi-lux brand so to let Lincoln get back to making real Lincolns, not acura-esque turds like the MKZ.
08/31, 12:43 AM
posted by:
Cire
I agree with AMGoff. I can see Ford releasing Jaguar and Land Rover. I think Ford should keep Volvo. I think there are a lot of synergies between Volvo and Ford that benefit both companies/brands. It also gives Ford an upscale brand to sell in Europe.
09/01, 8:40 AM
posted by:
Got Handling?
Renault also bought Nissan, and I don’t see Infiniti design suffering Deanster.