Volvo delinks from Ford India

Volvo in India will no longer be a subsidiary of Ford India, but a separate company.

With Ford Motor Company planning to sell Volvo Cars and announcing Chinese carmaker Geely as the preferred bidder, the Indian operations of the Swedish company have severed its ties with Ford India, said Mr Paul de Voijs, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India, while speaking to Business Line.

Volvo Cars India has changed its name to Volvo Auto India Pvt Ltd, with effect from October 1.

“The process which started in May should help in case of a possible sale. It will help avoid complications,” he said.

In 1999, Ford had acquired Volvo Cars from Volvo AB as part of its Premier Automotive Group, which then included Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover. Volvo had begun operations in India in March last year as a subsidiary of Ford India, with all backend operations being handled by Ford.

When asked how the sale of Volvo may affect the company’s plans, especially in terms of component supplies for Volvo products, Mr de Voijs said that there should not be any impact.

“Short-term changes won’t affect our long-term plans for India. We do not believe in setting up a huge network at first, but instead, we believe in the gradual process to build our strength in terms of volumes as India is a huge market,” he said.

He added that the company already has seven dealerships in the country, which it will increase to 12 by end 2010. The new dealerships would be in Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Goa and Coimbatore.

Mr de Voijs said that Volvo had sold about 100 units between March and December last year and sales for the current year is close to doubling. “The luxury segment has grown by 20%, whereas we have grown by 23%,” he said.

Volvo has plans to launch two new cars in India next year. First up will be the smaller brother of the XC90 luxury sports utility vehicle (SUV), the compact crossover SUV XC60, which is slated for launch in the first half of 2010. This will be followed by the launch of the new S60 sedan in the second half of the next year. Volvo sells its top end S80 sedan and XC90 in India.

“The XC60 will be launched after the Auto Expo. We are currently road testing it at the International Centre for Automotive Technology (iCAT),” said Mr de Voijs.

He said that Volvo will also launch a diesel variant of the S80 next month, while the C70-coupe may also be made available, but on an individual basis according to demand.

Volvo to introduce plug-in diesel-electric hybrid by 2012

Volvo will launch its first series-production plug-in hybrid car in 2012

According to a press release from Volvo, the Swedish car manufacturer will launch its first series-production plug-in hybrid car by 2012. This vehicle will be fitted with a fuel-efficient diesel engine and a lithium-ion battery-powered electric motor, and its combined range would be about 1,200km.

According to the statement from Volvo, ‘Pure electric power from the battery will cover the daily transport needs of 75% of drivers. For longer distances, an efficient diesel hybrid engine will automatically take over when the battery energy levels start to run low. CO2 emissions will be less than 50g/km while mileage figures would be around 148.6mpg.’

‘The new Volvo plug-in will be a truly enjoyable car to drive, featuring Volvo's high safety and comfort standards. At the same time, CO2 levels and fuel consumption will be as low as half that available on the market today,’ says Stephen Odell, President and CEO of Volvo Cars.

All-Electric Volvo C30 BEV

The Swedish luxury auto manufacturer Volvo has revealed its C30 BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The car company is presently working on launching its first plug-in hybrid car by 2012. As a result, Volvo is evaluating the commercial and technological viability of the all-electric C30 BEV, which is fitted with a lithium-ion battery that can be fully charged in eight hours.

The Volvo C30 BEV has a range of 150 km. The automotive major has built a few prototype units of the C30 BEV this year, which it has been testing extensively. In addition to focusing on performance and safety, research has also been carried out on the integration of the electric propulsion system with the rest of the car.

The C30 car is the first model of Volvo that runs on electric power. The Volvo C30 BEV is excellent for driving in the city traffic and its relatively low weight makes it particularly suitable for this driving condition. As electric cars are primarily expected to be used in and around cities and for daily commuting, Volvo has paid special attention to the weight of the car and its performance in congested city conditions.

Volvo perceives that car buyers must feel that the car should be attractive both to drive and own. In order to ensure this, Volvo ensures that its electric car is comfortable and safe and offer similar levels of performance as cars that run on other power sources. The C30 BEV project will help Volvo develop more electric cars in future.

The Volvo C30 BEV is limited to a top speed of about 130km/h and it can accelerate from zero to 100km in less than 11 seconds.

Volvo to Launch S60 in India by 2010

Swedish luxury carmaker Volvo is planning to launch a new luxury sedan in India by 2010. The luxury sedan S60 will be launched in India after the company re-launches the car in the European car market, which will happen sometime during the middle of next year.

"We will be launching the S60 in the Indian market after it is rolled out in Europe in the middle of next year. We hope to have it in India before the end of 2010," said Paul de Voijs, Managing Director, Volvo Cars India.

The S60 has been phased out completely in May this year and the new S60 will be a completely new and advanced version of the car. The S60 would be brought to India as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) from its parent facility in Belgium.



"We will look for annual sales of, may be, around 2,000-3,000 units before setting up an assembly plant here. Our major plants in Sweden and Belgium have still got a lot of extra capacity," said Voijs.

The company seems to be very enthusiastic about the fast growing luxury car market of India. Currently Volvo has three models in its portfolio in India that are Volvo C70, Volvo S80 and Volvo XC90.

First seven-seater car launched in India

The Swedish Volvo Group is launching its first seven seater car in India, which is available in five attractive colours, stylishly priced at Rs 58 lakhs. Paul De Vojis, managing director, India says, they plan to launch three more models soon..

SWEDISH LUXURY car manufacturer Volvo has rolled out the latest variant of its luxury SUV XC90 in the Indian market. The car comes outfitted with a powerful V8 4.4 litre petrol engine delivering 315 bhp.

The XC90 made an entry to the Indian market in the year 2007 and the all-new variant is loaded with a host of luxury and safety features. It comes equipped with sports calibrated steering, sport-tuned chassis, and stylish stability control techniques.

According to Volvo Car India managing director Paul De Voijs, “The launch of the new variant of XC90 aims to broaden our model range to attract more customers with an active and urban lifestyle. Volvo that entered the Indian market in September last year with two models, has so far sold over 100 units.

He also said that we plan to launch our most recent offering XC60 soon after it is rolled out in Europe in November this year. We have three other models that might also be launched in India.”

The Volvo XC90 R-DESIGN will be available in five colours and is the first seven seater Volvo car in the country. The car is priced at Rs 58 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The company is also planning to bring its all-new compact-sized crossover, XC60, in the country after its launch in Europe next month.

Volvo Car India launches special edition

Special edition Volvo cars to be showcased during ocean race.

As the Cochin Port is making all efforts to host the biggest yachting race in the world - Volvo Ocean Race - the Volvo Car India, a division of the Ford Motor Company, has announced the launch of special edition cars to add glamour to the largest sporting event.

Announcing the launch, Volvo Car India managing director Paul De Voijs said that the company would be showcasing these special edition cars on the event mainly because the Volvo Ocean Race reflects the values that our customers look for when they choose a car. It was all about an active lifestyle, adventure and passion, he said.

The new Volvo Ocean Race car edition encompasses three models: The Volvo V70, Volvo XC70 and Volvo XC90 in ocean blue and electric colours. The seven yachts participating in the race will arrive Kochi in December and they will remain here for 10 days.

Following the launch in India during September last year, around 100 Volvo cars had been sold so far. The company has set a target to sell 500 units by the end of this year, he said.

The luxury cars range between Rs 38 lakh and Rs 52 lakh.

Volvo plans to launch new models in India

Volvo Car India (VCI), a division of Ford Motor Company, is planning to strengthen its dealer network and launch new models in the Indian market, the company’s Managing Director Paul de Voijs has said.”Currently we market our products in India through three dealers: one each in Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh. Now we are planning to expand our business in places like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune and Cochin. We will disclose our business details within the next two weeks,” Voijs said here Saturday.

“We will monitor our business progress in India for one more year then based on the response we may also open an assembly unit at some appropriate place in India,” he said.

However, all this depends on the response and support that we will get from Indian business facilitators.

“Permits for constructions and other business requirements here are very complex and vary from state to state,” he said.

Eyeing the rich Punjab market, Voijs said: “Punjab is one of the flourishing states of India and we consider it as a potential market for us. We are particularly planning to intensify our business operations in this state. I believe that the rich populace of Punjab prefers quality products and the unmatched Volvo cars will be the first choice for them if we market well in this region.”

VCI has ten luxurious models in its portfolio and they have plans to introduce 2-3 more models by the end of this fiscal year, Voijs said.

He said VCI believes in direct marketing and direct promotional activities right at the doorstep of the potential buyers rather than blind advertising. We intend to sell 400 to 500 Volvo cars in India by the end of this fiscal year.

“The Volvo Ocean Race will also cross India this year for the first time to promote the Volvo brand,” Voijs said.

The Volvo Ocean Race is an yacht race that goes around the world and is held every three years. This year it is being sponsored by Volvo.

The race starts from Spain and runs for 8-9 months covering various countries across the globe. It will cross Kochi at the end of 2008 and will finish in Russia in 2009, Voijs said.

VCI presented its S80 3.2 model car to India’s first Olympics individual gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra Saturday.

“We will also try to promote sports in India. Indian boxers have also done well in the Olympics, we will also try to felicitate them in the near future,” he said.