Volvo XC90: Swedish production ends for first generation

End of an era for Volvo Cars, as Swedish production of the Volvo XC90 ends after a successful run of 12 years. The last XC90 out of Torslanda plant now joins Volvo Museum collection, following which Torslanda plant prepares for the production of the all-new XC90. Ever since beginning, the outgoing XC90 started rolling out in 2002 from this very plant. Till now 636,143 have been produced from the Torslanda facility. The last XC90 made in Gothenburg will be driven to the Volvo Museum, marking the end of its production thus paving way for the all-new XC90 model. However, the production of the outgoing XC90 will continue in Volvo’s younger plant in Daqing later in 2014. The model will be called the Volvo XC Classic, and will be only sold in China.

Production for the all-new Volvo XC90 will commence in the Torslanda facility. The new model will be revealed in August 2014, and production will start at the end of January 2015. "We have learnt a great deal from the first generation XC90". Now the first generation XC90 will make room for the next, a car that has made advances in terms of development and content at least on a par with the first. "I am convinced that our customers will be very pleased," says Dennis Nobelius, who is primarily responsible for the all-new XC90. "We have learnt a great deal about the important holistic approach for everyone in the car, when it comes to following up this success."

Although Volvo Cars was a bit late to enter the SUV segment in 2002, the XC90 still addressed a few issues faced by the entire segment. These included the potential to create a flat cargo floor behind the front seats, driving dynamics of a regular car and leading fuel economy within the segment. “Our all-new XC90 is not just a natural development from an incredibly successful car, it is also an excellent example of the transformation underway at Volvo Cars, both within the company and from a brand perspective,” said, Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President Product Strategy & Vehicle Line Management, Volvo Cars.

Source : CarDekho