Cape Town – Volvo Cars’ entire new product portfolio is on display on South African soil as a family unit for the very first time. Including the new XC40 and the all-new XC60, two models which are due to be launched locally in 2018, the line-up forms part of the Product Deck at the Volvo Ocean Race Village at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town – which is open to the public until Sunday 10 December.
Making its first public debut outside of Europe is the new Volvo XC40 – Volvo’s first-ever entrant into the popular compact SUV segment. The XC40 does away with the rule book and exhibits unique, youthful Swedish style, inside and out, while bringing segment-firsts like semi-autonomous driving and Volvo’s industry-leading safety systems to its class. The unique new interior places particular emphasis on the minimisation of clutter and offers numerous innovative storage solutions like an integrated rubbish bin and a multi-adaptable boot floor. Making its local debut in April 2018, the new XC40 is an expression of definitive personal style and is the first Volvo to be built on the new CMA platform.
Competing in the medium SUV segment, the all-new Volvo XC60 is also on display, exhibiting a stylish and practical new take on one of Volvo’s most popular cars, ever. The original XC60, which set the tone for safety innovations and went on to sell over one million units globally, is being replaced by a completely new and even safer model. Built on the same SPA platform as Volvo’s 90 cluster cars, the all-new XC60 also inherits all of Volvo’s latest and greatest safety, efficiency, infotainment and design technologies – all of which come together in a uniquely characterised package which also dictates the tone for other new 60 cluster cars which have yet to make their global debuts.
“2018 is going to be a big year for us,” comments Volvo Car South Africa Managing Director, Greg Maruszewski. “With two new SUVs on the way that compete in fiercely popular segments, we are not only going to replace one of our most popular models with the all-new XC60, but also invite a new audience to join the Volvo family with the new, compact XC40.”
Naturally, the first of the new-era Volvo cars to be launched in South Africa is also on display, in the very same spot where it was first unveiled on local soil at the 2014 Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Cape Town. The Volvo XC90 has been on sale locally since 2015 and, having expanded since then with the addition of T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid variants and the ultra-exclusive XC90 Excellence in 2016, the XC90 was crowned the 2016 South Africa Car of the Year and set the tone for a new Volvo Cars brand globally with over 120 global awards to date. The model on show in Cape Town, the XC90 Excellence, exhibits the ultimate in opulent, first-class SUV motoring, with its four-seat interior and superior luxury elements.
The Volvo S90, a contender for the 2018 South African Car of the Year crown, is also on display in Cape Town. The svelte Swedish sedan made its local debut early in 2017 and brought unique Scandinavian style – and new class-leading features like standard semi-autonomous driving – to the large premium sedan segment, creating a stir amongst its formidable competitors. The R-Design version on display adds a dose of sporty dynamism to the elegant and poised S90 range, with a more aggressive overall look and sportier driving dynamics.
The new V90 Cross Country Volvo Ocean Race is the last car in the 90 cluster to see South African sun at the event, exhibiting its strong environmental and sporting lifestyle ties with the Volvo Ocean Race itself. While the special edition model is not destined for local retail, the rest of the V90 Cross Country range has been available in South Africa since May 2017 and brings with it no-compromise, genuine crossover motoring with all the new-era Volvo hallmarks introduced by the XC90 and S90. Competing in a class of one in South Africa, the V90 Cross Country is a truly unique offering that continues Volvo’s legendary crossover estate heritage in a new, stunning overall package.
“This opportunity to showcase all our latest cars to the public and in the exciting surrounds of the Volvo Ocean Race shows not only that we are committed to the product but also our customers, who have been able to get up close and personal with some of their dream cars, comments Maruszewski. “We have solid order books gathering momentum for the new XC40 and all-new XC60, and we look forward to welcoming them onto local roads next year.
“Of course, the 90 cluster has done a lot of the ground work for us, allowing new-era Volvo cars to make new inroads in their respective segments in South Africa. Our 2016 COTY win with the XC90 was proof that the new Volvo recipe works, and we have high hopes for the 2018 award with the S90 as well.”
The Volvo XC40, XC60, XC90, V90 Cross Country Volvo Ocean Race and S90 will be on display at the Race Village until the evening of Sunday 10 December, when the racing boats depart for their next port of call in Melbourne, Australia.