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3 new models for Volvo

// October 20th, 2004 // Cars & Bikes // 1,488 views

According to CARtoday.com, “…Volvo plans to introduce three new models. They are a saloon-wagon crossover placed above the S80 and the V70; a small SUV based on the S40 and V50 platform; and a hatchback/wagon smaller than the V50.”

It’s reported that, “The most contentious addition will be the small car-based SUV, which the designers were still haggling about. The decision whether to ‘make it a sport wagon like an Alfa 156, or a real SUV like a XC90′ is causing the most concern.”

I’ve heard rumours of the SUV based on the S40 for some time now. It would be really nice to see it in an SUV format, like the XC90. I think it would compete very well with the likes of the BMW X3, Jeep Cherokee Sport and the LandRover Freelanders.

Has anyone seen/heard more around these new models? If so, please leave your comments…

Update:

More details found over at FordForums.com.

“Kerssemakers said Volvo has been working with Land Rover to share the architecture of such a vehicle, but that it is proving awkward.

“Land Rover is off-road focused with on-road capability, while Volvo is on-road focused with off-road capability,” Kerssemakers said. “Land Rover knows they would have to make a lot of changes for theirs to work. But if they make all those changes, then we can’t afford to build it, or at least we won’t need all that capability.”

Eric Noble, president of The Car Lab consultancy in Orange, Calif., said building a smaller version of the XC90 is ‘a no-brainer’.

“If they made a Volvo version of the BMW X3 with any level of execution, and show the same aggressiveness on pricing as they did on S40 and V50, their biggest problem would be capacity,” Noble said.”