It’s not the kind of risky maneuver that any self-respecting Volvo station wagon driver would pull off, but the Swedish carmaker made a sharp U-turn when it decided to stop selling them here following an outcry from drivers devoted to the car synonymous with the British middle class. -class family life.
Last summer, Volvo dropped the bombshell that it would no longer sell its station wagons or sedans in the UK, focusing instead on its sports utility vehicles (SUVs), which are increasingly popular with drivers who like a higher seating position and off-road style. .
“Interest in our saloon and estate models has fallen to very low levels in the UK, which has led to our decision to remove these models,” he said at the time.
However, in recent days the company has confirmed a change of heart, as the V60 and V90 are set to return to UK showrooms and start taking orders in July. Both models started at around £41,000 before they were withdrawn from sale.
The traditional station wagon – usually a boxy five-seater with room for luggage (or dogs) in the boot – has fallen out of favor in many parts of the world, and by 2023 SUVs accounted for nearly half of global car sales. The shift was bad news for the environment – the rise of the bulky, heavy SUV accounted for a quarter of global oil demand growth last year, driving up global emissions.
A Volvo spokesman said: “While [shift to SUVs] remains a long-term trend, we have seen a resurgence in our property products in recent months and in response we have decided to re-introduce the V60 and V90 to our UK portfolio. We will start taking orders next month.”
Station wagons – known in the US as station wagons – catered for the practical need to carry large amounts of luggage, the name evoking the route to and from the station for the landing classes. Volvo produced its first station wagon in 1953, the Duett model, which could be used to transport both family and commercial loads.
In the decades that followed, it became de rigueur for mid-size car owners. In the 1970s, the Volvo 145 station wagon was the vehicle of choice in The Good Life, a sitcom set on a London commuter belt. The highlight of Richard Curtis’ hit film Notting Hill is a station wagon, a Peugeot 406, that speeds cute posho Hugh Grant, five friends and a wheelchair through central London to his movie lover.
Tom Leathes, managing director of car sales website Motorway, said estate cars – which account for 7% of its sales – were still in high demand because of their fuel economy compared to more popular SUVs. He added that used V60 prices were up 2% quarter-on-quarter. “There continues to be high demand from our dealer partners to stock their yards with these modern classics,” he said.
The V60 and V90 are available as plug-in hybrids, which have mid-sized batteries capable of going about 50 miles on electricity before a gasoline engine is needed. This gives the cars much better fuel economy than traditional petrol cars in test conditions, although in the real world the efficiency and environmental benefits are often limited because customers don’t engage them.
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It’s unclear whether Volvo’s station wagon will survive the all-electric age, given that all of its electric models have been SUVs to date. Volvo, which is controlled by Chinese conglomerate Geely, said it would not comment on future model plans.
Volvo said: “As we operate in a fast-paced industry, we are constantly reassessing our product portfolio to ensure we have the right mix to serve all our customers. As part of this process, it is not uncommon for us to remove certain models or derivatives from sale and then reintroduce them later.”