Volvo V40 to make way for new Suv-coupé
THE VOLVO V40 could be indirectly replaced with an Suv-coupé in the next three years, in reaction to falling sales of the model and the need to accommodate electrification.
Lex Kerssemakers, Volvo’s European boss, confirmed to Autocar that the V40 will not be replaced directly but said it would be superseded by a higher-riding model.
He is confident that Volvo can achieve its annual sales goal of 800,000 units with its existing triple approach of the 40, 60 and 90 Series cars, but added: “We probably need another bodystyle in the next two to three years in the 40 Series. We need to do something more creative, which is why we decided not to replace the V40 directly.”
While he did not describe the incoming car as an Suv-coupé, Kerssemakers confirmed it will be higher-riding than the V40, allowing for easy, high ingress and egress – something the V40 does not offer.
A higher car will also more easily allow for electrification, which all of Volvo’s new cars will offer. Kerssemakers said: “We can’t launch a car that is not equipped to be fully electrified.”
The V40 is the only remaining Volvo model that sits on an old Ford platform, which does not accommodate electrification.
Kerssemakers confirmed that the process of designing the new car is currently under way and said he hoped it would be ready in the next two years, using some of the same panels as other Volvo models.
Referencing that the V40 will stop production this year, he said: “We can’t wait too long to introduce the new car. We don’t want to lose our space in the segment. We are still confident we can cover certain parts of the market, although not [for] the die-hard hatchback fans.”
To that end, the new model is likely to sit slightly lower than the XC40 and have a sportier roofline, helping to appeal to existing hatchback owners while ensuring enough differentiation from the XC40.
It is possible that the design might be in a similar vein to the forthcoming Polestar 2 electric car, which is expected to be a production version of the Concept 40.2, a concept that Volvo showed in 2016.
Last year, 77,587 V40s were sold, a drop of 23% on 2017. By contrast, the XC60 sold 189,459 units in 2018 and the XC40 is expected to sell 150,000 in 2019 in its first full year on sale.