Volvo confirms plans to bring diesels, plug-in hybrids to North America
10/12/2009, 9:13 AM
By Andrew Ganz
Fuel-efficient diesel and plug-in hybrid variants are on the way for Volvo’s North American product lineup, according to Volvo Cars of North America CEO Doug Speck.
Ford might be trying to unload its less-than-profitable, but recently strong-selling, Volvo brand, but that’s not stopping the automaker from trying to expand further in the lucrative North American market. Volvo, like all other automakers, must comply with the stringent 35.5 mpg corporate average required by 2016.
The plug-in hybrid will be launched in Europe in 2012, and while Speck confirmed the automaker’s intentions to deliver a similar product to North American showrooms, he did not specify when it would go on sale during an interview with industry publication Automotive News. Speck did not say when diesel models, which have long been a staple of the automaker’s European portfolio, will be offered to North American buyers.
Volvo has seen year-over-year increases in sales during the last four months despite lacking a replacement for its recently-discontinued S60 sedan. The Swedish automaker would be the fourth European luxury brand to offer a diesel in North America – Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi all currently offer diesels in various models across their lineups.
10/12, 9:22 AM
posted by:
2WheeledSpeed
This should make some diesel fans a little happier.
10/12, 9:39 AM
posted by:
A4
YEAH IT DOES!
10/12, 9:42 AM
posted by:
2WheeledSpeed
Totally called it!
10/12, 9:51 AM
posted by:
jayjc08
I’m not sure how I would feel about a diesel Volvo, I just imagine them as being slow and even duller than their petrol versions. But, I think both powertrains would be put to good use in the C30, as it’s a model that hasn’t gotten a lot of media attention, and would be an alternative to the MINI with more options. I think they would find quite a few people that would be interested.
10/12, 10:29 AM
posted by:
TomF
Can’t understand why the favorite car of burned-out Sixties lefties and public-TV tote-bag progressives has been so late to the party on alternative powertrains. A clean-diesel Volvo is years overdue. NB most folks don’t buy Volvos for their acceleration.
10/12, 10:54 AM
posted by:
05Z88Path
“burned-out Sixties lefties and public-TV tote-bag progressives” lol.
They’re all driving Prii (the informal plural to Prius) now with about 15 left-leaning bumper stickers plastered on the back. I still think this would make an excellent addition to my truck: a bumper sticker that reads, “Save a deer. Hunt a liberal” with a picture of a hippy in the crosshairs of a rifle scope. How funny would that be?
10/12, 10:55 AM
posted by:
alsvw
i have been saying this for years. volvo has great diesel powerplants and should have been importing them for years now. vw/audi is finally going to have some compition.
10/12, 10:59 AM
posted by:
tastyorange
it would be funny to see what would happen to your truck if you parked it in DC – LOL
10/12, 11:27 AM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
As if anybody actually gives a crap about Volvo’s. Their overpriced rebadged Fords for Pete’s sake!
What a waste of news.
GM. An American Revolution
10/12, 11:40 AM
posted by:
05Z88Path
Nancy Pelosi walks out of the Capitol building, see my bumper sticker and faints in pure horror. Her facial expression doesn’t change at all. When she comes around, she calls Capitol police who lock down the area, evacuate the Capitol building, and issue a man-hunt for me. The FBI, Secret Service, and NSA contribute personnel and resources to the man-hunt. After hours of searching, I am finally found and immediately arrested. The ATF and FBI raids my home and finds a small cache of guns and ammo, and immediately assume I am a right-wing extremist plotting some kind of murder scheme at the Capitol. I am charged with making “terroristic threats”, and CNN runs a story comparing me with Ted Kaczynski, although their “facts” are purely fictional. Obama holds a press conference and reads from his teleprompter that I am an extremely dangerous criminal, a racist, and George W Bush is ultimately at fault. I am subsequently sentenced to 25 years in jail, just because some communist-loving wackos couldn’t handle my bad taste in humor…
10/12, 11:44 AM
posted by:
tastyorange
because she just had botox? :>)
10/12, 12:01 PM
posted by:
Borat
because battery in Panasonic personal pleasure appliance died? >)
10/12, 2:18 PM
posted by:
nickkop
do it volvo…. offer them in every model… they will sell… and selll…. and sell…
10/12, 2:48 PM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
But one thing that Volvo is trying to do that GM is not. Is trying to being fuel-efficient diesel and plug-in hybrid variants to America. Something that GM doesn’t have the brains or the will power to do.
10/12, 3:25 PM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
You’re belittling comments are drivel. Nobody is buying your routine so quit while you are ahead.
This is a GM fansite dumba$$, nobody is going to agree with your vitriol.
Be American. Buy American. buy GM
10/12, 4:23 PM
posted by:
Lionwithoutpride
Volvo already had diesels in the U.S. and they didn’t sell. My parents loved their 740 turbo-diesel. And despite what many of your fear, it was plenty fast and pick-up was not a major problem. However, again, Volvo’s diesels left the market because they simply were not selling. Will it be different now? I hope so, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
10/12, 10:33 PM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
Boy, I can’t what to get my next welfare/bailout check in the mail so I can get my refill on my meds. Because when I’m off my meds my di&k is in my mouth.
A GM fansite ! What a jacka$$ I’am.
GM. An American Embarrassment !
10/12, 11:11 PM
posted by:
nickkop
lmao
10/12, 11:26 PM
posted by:
85ZingoGTR
WTF? I dont get this Need more oil for GM character. lmao. You spend the time glorifying your worthless “American Embarassment” for a company and then you knock it down by ending the conversation with that last comment. LMAO. Sorry bud. You’re really making me laugh. Also. Ford is taking technology from Volvo to improve their own cars. (i.e. 2010 Taurus which is loaded with Volvo features such as blind spot indicator and crash alert notification). They learned their lesson by almost destroying jaguar by making a ford mondeo based Jaguar X-Type. When that car was a huge flop they decided that maybe it’d be better if they improved their cars by using the higher end companies like Volvo to improve their models. Sure enough it worked. Where does GM stand? Well they had the Cadillac Cimmarron which nearly wiped cadillac off the map. The Pontiac Aztek which almost screwed pontiac in the rear tailpipe. All the other GM models that changed their names more times then I change directions walking through a maze (ex. Chevy Cavalier, Chevy Cobalt, Chevy Venture, Chevy Uplander, etc.) Oh and I can’t wait to see how the Chevy Volt will turn out. Remember these words. I guarantee years from now that car will be one GMs biggest failures of all time. As GM is already known as “the company that nearly killed the electric car.”
10/13, 6:04 AM
posted by:
A4
^alright newbies, everyone has already added their two cents about NMOFGM, just ignore him.
10/13, 9:42 AM
posted by:
85ZingoGTR
Why A4? I’m actually having a blast poking at him with the truth of GM. btw. You’re an Audi fan aren’t you? A wise decision. Audi makes kick ass cars.
10/14, 11:31 AM
posted by:
A4
Because more than 50% of threads have become related to NMOFGM and wading through all the bullsh!t comments because of him to find anything that actually might be mentally stimulating in a positive manner has become more work for me to do while i’m already at work. And I don’t come on LLN to do work.