Volvo may not be the top dog just yet, but the Swede marque clocked an impressive 28 percent growth in sales volume in Singapore over the past year - the fastest growing among the top brands. Credit has to go to the fact that the carmaker has a keen focus on its roots and is known for its distinct Scandinavian design and high safety standards.
Riding on the recent tax changes, Volvo has introduced three diesel models for the local market - the S60, V60 and S80. All of them will come with a 1.6-litre D2 engine, and will garner a $15,000 tax discount under the CEVS scheme.
The latest entrant to the local lineup - the V40 Cross Country - also offers a fresh view on the outlook for the marque. We find out more with a face-to-face interview with Clas Olhag (CO), Product Offer Manager from Volvo Car Corporation, who is in charge of South East Asia, Russia, India, Latin America and Mexico for Volvo cars.
SGCM: Automotive designs have always been on the point of meeting form with function. Do you think there is a compromise for technology in lieu of design?
CO: At Volvo, we firmly believe in building everything around the customer. The aim is to make life easier, less complicated for the users, and as such the team is dedicated in determining the needs and wants of the consumer, and looking for a way to solve their problems.
Since its inception, Volvo's values are deeply rooted in enhancing functionality - form following function. And in this sense, there is no conflict for us.
SGCM: What are the factors that are taken into consideration when planning for a facelift?
CO: The customer forms the base for decisions we make at Volvo. Of course, there are a number of other factors, such as competition, anticipation and observation of new trends in the market. The preceding car no doubt is what we will start with, and we will look at the areas which the existing car can be improved on, with addition of our own ideas. For each model, we try to have at least one facelift per lifecycle, as well as offering more colours and other fashion options such as rim designs.
SGCM: Many carmakers have headed towards electric/hybrid drivetrain in their commitment towards a greener future. Will we see the same for Volvo, and what are the green initiatives undertaken by the company?
CO: We have showcased the V60 plug-in hybrid, a combination of diesel and electric drivetrain. Going full EV has its limitations, such as the limited range, which poses quite a big problem. Being hybrid utilises the best of both worlds - low on CO2 emissions, yet without having to make substantial changes to usage patterns.
For us, the V60 is also a good platform to debut the technology. The car is fairly large, which means it is practical and allows better stowage of the systems. Of course with one single model it is difficult to appeal to the different markets in the world and, as such, we will need to adapt and attend to other consumer needs and adopt such technologies in other models.
In Singapore, with the reduced diesel tax, we are optimistic about diesel and similar technologies to pick up, as the local consumers will find the advantages of diesel over petrol in time to come.
SGCM: The most recent V40 Cross Country has been a big hit on local shores, selling out in the first few shipments. Is the car a hint of where Volvo is heading in the future?
CO: Volvo cars, such as the 840 sedan, used to be boxy and that has cast a strong impression on people. To set ourselves apart we have a set of distinctive styling language. The recent cars may have evolved, but they still carry the roots and can be immediately identified as a Volvo. In the design of cars, the brand also emphasises strongly on safety and reliability - these are the base values which we build our cars on.
