Volvo’s XC60 SUV has just achieved a major milestone in its life cycle, reaching half a million sales since its launch. This not only makes it a popular model in its class, but also Volvo’s bestselling car overall since 2009.
500,000 of any car is a large number, but for a premium SUV, it’s even more impressive. Despite its age, the XC60 is actually accelerating its pace of growth. In 2012, they sold 106,203 of them for the first time, but demand in 2013 jumped again to 114,000 units. Due to a facelift and a major update of the engine range, demand is once again increasing by another 24.2% through April compared to the same period last year.
Assembly takes place at Volvo Cars Ghent in Belgium. The Y20platform is shared with the V60 and S60 models and is linked to a number of Fords and Land Rovers. Development was mainly carried out in Sweden, though Land Rover worked on the offroad capabilities under a partnership they shared at the time.
‘With the XC60 we have shown that we have the ability to compete on equal terms with our German rivals like BMW and Audi, and it gives us strength to do the same with future models,’ says Alain Visser, Senior Vice President Marketing, Sales and Customer Service at Volvo Cars. “This is a car that is not only a success today but will continue to be one in future.”
First shown by Volvo at the 2007 North American International Auto Show as a concept, the XC60 is a relatively new niche for the Swedish car company, having hit the market in 2008. This bread and butter car competes mainly with German rivals, such as the BMW X3 or the Audi Q5. The company believes other Volvos will soon replicate its success, starting with the V40 premium compact car.
“I see no reason why more of our models won’t sell just as well,” Alain Visser concludes. “For example, we are confident that the V40 will achieve over 100,000 units sold during this year and I see that as just one more step on the journey towards our long-term goal of selling 800,000 cars annually.”
