Volvo Cars (Swedish: Volvo personvagnar), stylized as VOLVO, is a Swedish luxury automobile marque. It is headquartered in Torslanda in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The company manufactures and markets sport utility vehicles (SUVs), station wagons, hatchbacks, sedans and compact executive sedans.  Volvo was founded upon the concept of safety in 1927 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company was created as a subsidiary company 100% owned by SKF (Swedish: Svenska Kullagerfabriken). Assar Gabrielsson was appointed the managing director (CEO) and Gustav Larson as the technical manager. When AB Volvo (now a separate company) was introduced on the Stockholm stock exchange in 1935, SKF sold most of its shares in the company. Its cars are marketed as being safe, solidly built and reliable while emphasizing their Swedish heritage and design.

The heavy truck and construction equipment conglomerate AB Volvo and Volvo Cars have been independent companies since AB Volvo sold Volvo Cars to the Ford Motor Company in 1999.

In 2010, Volvo Cars became a subsidiary of the Chinese manufacturer Geely Holding Group. Both AB Volvo and Volvo Cars share the Volvo logo, and cooperate in running the Volvo Museum. The trademark Volvo (which is Latin for 'I roll') was first registered by SKF on 11 May 1915 with the intention to use it for a special series of ball bearing for the American market.

ÖV 4

The Volvo ÖV 4 was the first car built by Volvo. The designation ÖV 4 stands for "Öppen Vagn 4 cylindrar" in Swedish, which means Open Carriage, 4 cylinders. The model ÖV 4 was often referred to as "Jakob" but that was just a name for one of the 10 pre-series ÖV 4 that was ready on 25 July, Jakob's name day. All 10 prototypes were assembled in Stockholm at the company AB Galco, Hälsingegatan 41 where Gustaf Larson worked at that time. Only one of the 10 pre-series cars manufactured during 1926 was saved for posterity and is housed at the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg, Sweden. When the first series produced ÖV4 was about to drive out of the factory and engineer Eric Carlberg put it into first gear, the car went backwards, where the car was actually in reverse gear. The explanation was that the differential gear in the rear axle had been fitted incorrectly. This mistake delayed the introduction by one day and the official introduction day for the ÖV4 was then adjusted to 14 April 1927, the day AB Volvo officially says the automobile company Volvo was "born"— this is from a marketing point of view. The company as an automobile company was born as a subsidiary company to SKF on 10 August 1926.

pv650 series

The Volvo PV650 Series is an automobile manufactured by Volvo between 1929 and 1937. The model name stand for PersonVagn ("passenger car"), 6 cylinders, 5 seats; the third digit indicates the version.

Volvo had started planning for a larger successor for its first car, the ÖV4 in 1926, even before the little four-cylinder car was introduced. The Swedish car market was dominated by American manufacturers and Volvo needed a large six-cylinder car to be competitive.

Volvo PV651 was introduced in April 1929. The new car had a stronger chassis to cope with the more powerful engine. The bodywork was manufactured in the traditional way, with a wooden frame covered with steel plates. The 3010 cc DB engine was very robust and its crankshaft was supported by seven main bearings. The gearbox was a non-syncromesh 3-speed box.

In the spring of 1930 the car was succeeded by the PV652, with modified interior and dashboard. The engine had a new carburettor but the main improvement was the introduction of hydraulic brakes. In 1931 the car got a 4-speed non-syncromesh gearbox. In January 1932 the PV652 was updated with the larger capacity 3366 cc EB engine and a new 3-speed gearbox with synchronized 2nd and 3rd gear.

In the autumn of 1933 the six-cylinder Volvo cars were updated with a new, stronger chassis with an X-shaped cross member support, smaller 17-inch rims and an all-steel body, without the wooden frame.

pv444/544

The Volvo PV is a series of two-door, four-passenger car models — the PV444 and the PV544 — made by Volvo from 1947 to 1966. During World War II's early stages, Volvo decided that a new, smaller car that could deliver good fuel economy would assure the company's future. A raw materials shortage during the war drove home the point that an automobile should be smaller, and also complicated Volvo's ability to mass-produce the product. In 1944, when the car was finally introduced to a car-hungry public, response was very positive and orders poured in from the Swedish population. It was another three years though, until 1947, before series production began.

The PV quickly earned a reputation for being strong and rugged, although the design was considered outdated from early on. The PV also competed successfully, in the American SCCA class but also internationally, with a second-hand PV544 memorably winning the Safari Rally in 1965. No PV 544 were produced in 1966. Last production was October 1965, some were sold in 1966 and titled as such. But last model year is 1965.

The first PV444s were powered by a 40 PS 1.4 L inline-four engine designated the B4B, with three main bearings, overhead valves, and a single downdraft carburettor. The power of this engine increased to 44 PS  in October 1950, and to 51 PS  in October 1955. 

philip

The Volvo Philip was a concept car that was built by Volvo in 1952. It was designed especially for the market of the United States, so it was fitted with one prototype V8 Engine called the B8B producing 120 hp  at 4000 rpm and was fitted with whitewall tires and one hint of tailfins. The design was inspired by cars of the United States and was similar to the 1951 Kaiser. The designer was Jan Wilsgaard who also designed the Volvo Amazon. However, it was cancelled by the board and never reached production, and only one car was made.

p 1900

The Volvo Sport (also known as P1900) is a Swedish fiberglass-bodied roadster of which sixty-eight units were built, first 19 by Glasspar Company in California, between 1956 and 1957 by Volvo Cars.

Assar Gabrielsson, Volvo's president and founder, got the idea for the car when he saw a Chevrolet Corvette in the United States and wanted to make something similar. He asked Bill Tritt of Glasspar, an American boatbuilder in Santa Ana, California, to design and tool a fibreglass/reinforced polyester body, which was later produced in Sweden. Glasspar was a pioneer in building fiberglass auto bodies from 1951 to 1957. Demand was low, and the build quality was not up to Volvo standards. Gunnar Engellau, who replaced Gabrielsson as president in 1956, took one for a drive on a holiday weekend and was dissatisfied enough that on returning to his office the following week cancelled the remaining production. 

The total "Volvo Sport" production was sixty-eight cars, plus four or five prototypes. Forty-four were built in 1956, mostly for the Swedish market, and most still survive. The bulk of 1957's production went to the U.S. and elsewhere, and fewer of these are still in existence.

122

The Volvo Amazon was a mid-sized car manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars from 1956 to 1970 and introduced in the United States as the 122S at the 1959 New York International Auto Show.

The Amazon shared the wheelbase, tall posture and high H-point seating of its predecessor, the PV444/544, and was offered in two-door sedan, four-door sedan, and five-door wagon body styles — all noted for their ponton styling. In 1959 Volvo became the world's first manufacturer to provide front seat belts as standard equipment — by providing them on all Amazon models, including the export models — and later becoming the first car featuring three-point seat belts as standard equipment.

When introduced, the car was named the Amason (with an 's'), deriving from the fierce female warriors of Greek mythology, the Amazons. German motorcycle manufacturer Kreidler had already registered the name, and the two companies agreed that Volvo could only use the name domestically (i.e., within Sweden), modifying the spelling to Amazon. Subsequently, Volvo began its tri-digit nomenclature and the line became known as the 120 Series.

The Amazon was originally manufactured at Volvo's Lundby plant in Gothenburg and subsequently at the company's Torslandaverken plant, which began operating in 1964. By the end of production, 234,653 four-door models, 359,917 two-door models and 73,220 station wagons had been produced, of which 60% were exported;  for a total of 667,791 vehicles. The Amazon sedan's ponton genre, three-box styling was inspired by US cars of the early 1950s, strongly resembling the Chrysler New Yorker sedan and the Chrysler 300C hardtop Coupe. According to designer Jan Wilsgaard, the Amazon's styling was inspired by a Kaiser he saw at the Gothenburg harbour.

p 1800

The Volvo P1800 is a 2+2, front-engine, rear-drive sports car manufactured  between 1961 and 1973. Originally a coupe (1961–1972), it was also offered in a shooting-brake configuration toward the end of its production (1972–1973).  Styling was by Pelle Petterson under the tutelage of Pietro Frua when Frua's studio was a subsidiary of the Italian carrozzeria Ghia, and the mechanicals were derived from Volvo's Amazon/122 series.

Marketed as a touring car rather than a sports car, the P1800 became widely known when driven by British actor Roger Moore in the television series The Saint, which aired from 1962 to 1969. In 1998, an 1800S owned by Irv Gordon (1940–2018) was certified as the highest mileage private vehicle driven by the original owner in non-commercial service—having exceeded over 5.23 million km as of his death in 2018.

The engine was the B18 (B for the Swedish word for gasoline: Bensin; 18 for 1800 cc displacement) with dual SU carburettors, producing 100 hp. For the last model year, 1973, only the 1800ES wagon was produced. Total production of the 1800 line from 1961 through 1973 was 47,492 units. Production ended on 27 June 1973,^[14] although Volvo was in negotiations with Coggiola concerning a possible P1800ESC.

164

The Volvo 164 is a 4-door, 6-cylinder luxury sedan unveiled by Volvo at the Paris Motor Show early in October 1968 and first sold as a 1969 model. 46,008 164s were built before the car was succeeded by the 264 in 1975. The 164 was Volvo's first venture into the luxury segment since the end of PV 60 production in 1950, and was the first six-cylinder Volvo since the PV800 last produced in 1958. Jan Wilsgaard designed what would eventually become the 164 in the late 1950s as a concept car called the P358 and powered by a V8 engine. The front styling was inspired both by the Wolseley 6/99 and the Volvo P1900.

In 1968 Volvo introduced the 164 as a luxury version of their 140 series. The wings, the grille, the front bumper, the bonnet, the headlamp bezels, and the front indicators were all unique to the 164; to accommodate the long 3-litre 6-cylinder engine the 164's wings and bonnet were longer than those of the 4-cylinder 140, but the overall height and width of the 164 were the same as the 140 series. The interior featured a simulated woodgrain dashboard face and leather seating surfaces. Introduced the same year as the BMW E3, the 164 was Volvo's answer to the Mercedes-Benz 250 and Jaguar XJ6. The 164 compared favourably in terms of fuel economy with similarly sized 6-cylinder European cars such as the BMW 530. The 164 was powered by a 3-litre overhead-valve B30 engine, a 6-cylinder derivative of the B20 4-cylinder engine that powered most other Volvo models.

In 1973 the 164 received a major facelift including new rear and side lamps, a new grille and front bumper, and a new instrument cluster and dashboard which included air ducts.

gtz & gtz 3000

The Volvo GTZ and GTZ 3000 are Swedish concept cars built for Volvo. Both were designed by Zagato, with the GTZ debuting at the 1969 Turin Auto Show on the Zagato stand and the GTZ 3000 debuting the following year at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show.

Motauto, the Italian importer for Volvo, commissioned the design for the GTZ in 1969 from Italian design house Zagato. Motauto had previously tried to influence Volvo to add another sports car offering to their lineup alongside the P1800, having already debuted an updated design by Carrozzeria Fissore for that car at the 1965 Turin Auto Show, as sports cars were very popular at that time in Italy. 

The GTZ is based on the underpinnings from the 140 Series, using an evolved version of that car's 2.0-litre B20 inline-four engine. The GTZ 3000 was now based on the Volvo 164, powered by a 3.0 L B30 I6 engine producing 190 bhp.

240/260

The Volvo 200 Series (or 240 and 260 Series) is a range of mid-size cars produced by Swedish company Volvo Cars from 1974 to 1993, with more than 2.8 million total units sold worldwide. Like the Volvo 140 Series (1966 to 1974), from which it was developed, it was designed by Jan Wilsgaard.

The series overlapped production of the Volvo 700 Series (1982 to 1992). As the 240 Series remained popular, only the 260 Series was displaced by the 700 Series, which Volvo marketed alongside the 240 for another decade. The 700 was replaced by the 900 Series in 1992, a year before the 240 was discontinued. Production of the 240 ended on 14 May 1993, after nearly 20 years.

The 200 looked much like the earlier 140 and 164, for they shared the same body shell and were largely the same from the cowl rearward. However, the 200 incorporated many of the features and design elements tried in the Volvo VESC ESV in 1972, which was a prototype experiment in car safety. The overall safety of the driver and passengers in the event of a crash was greatly improved with very large front and rear end crumple zones. Another main change was to the engines, which were now of an overhead cam design. The 260 series also received a V6 engine in lieu of the 164's inline-six.

DAF was only a small company, so were a good candidate to be snatched up by a bigger firm. Not only would a buyer be blessed with small cars, but it would also secure DAF’s future. BMW were interested, but were put off by the whole truck thing. Eventually DAF would find a buyer in Volvo, who took control in 1975.

They were the big winners out of this, as not only would they get DAF’s range to play with, but they got the licencing for Renault engines and as Sweden wasn’t yet a member, access to the European Community via DAF’s Dutch plant, but also they got the all new car that DAF was working on. I’ll get back to that later.

In 1972, the Dutch company launched the DAF 66. It was a development of the old DAF 55, their first car with a water-cooled engine, and the one that DAF took racing. The new DAF 66 had styling that was a bit more conventional and some well-needed engineering upgrades.

It’s a good looking little car, and it was penned by none other than Giovanni Michelotti.

After Volvo’s takeover in 1975, the car was simply rebadged as the Volvo 66, although there were a few Volvo-ey changes under the skin, all in the name of safety. First and most noticeably there was a new grille, bigger bumpers, head restraints, and a softer steering wheel. Hidden were the side impact beams. Very unusual for a small car of the age.

Apart from that though, it was the same as the old DAF, and it was made through to 1980.

The DAF 77, which was already being developped, was renamed and launched as the Volvo 300 Series after the Volvo takeover. Although a bit bigger, that was the car that would replace this little thing, and as you’d expect it was available with that Variomatic transmission.

66

The Volvo 66 sprang directly from the DAF 66, which was originally styled by Giovanni Michelotti. The compact car was introduced in August 1975, almost exactly a year after Volvo bought DAF, and before production of the Volvo 300 Series began.

The Volvo 66 was known for its continuously variable transmission, the Variomatic. The Volvo version of the car was slightly restyled and given larger bumpers compared with those of the original DAF model. Although this was in keeping with Volvo's emphasis on safety, it also increased its cost of production.

The Volvo 66 was available as a two-door saloon and three-door estate, whilst the two-door DAF 66 Coupé was dropped, and therefore was never sold as a Volvo. Volvo produced roughly 106,000 units of both the saloon and estate 66, and no more than 14,000 were sold in the United Kingdom. The majority were sold in continental Europe rather than in Sweden, where the car was never accepted by Volvo buyers.

300 series

The Volvo 300 Series is a rear-wheel-drive small family car sold from 1976 to 1991, both as a hatchback and (from 1984) as a conventional notchback saloon.

It was launched in the Netherlands shortly after Volvo acquired a major stake in the passenger car division of DAF in 1973. The series consisted of the Volvo 340 (previously 343/345) and the later Volvo 360.

After building a series of compact cars, DAF sought a partner to bring its new larger model, codenamed P900, and intended to become the DAF 77, to market in 1970. Several manufacturers were approached, including Audi, BMW, and Volvo.

The 300 series was unusual in having the gearbox mounted to the De Dion tube rear axle as a transaxle. Overall, the 300 series was considered heavy and often underpowered, but reliable and safe by the standards of its day.

The 300 Series had a choice of three petrol engines; a 1.4, 1.7, and a 2.0-litre. The 1.4 litre B14 was a 72 PS  Renault C-series  unit, and for the 360 there was the 2.0-litre engine taken from the Volvo 240 with outputs varying from 95 bhp to 118 PS. The 300-series was a strong seller for Volvo and in 1988, 12 years after its introduction, the one-millionth 300 was built.

262c

The Volvo 262C is the first luxury coupé made by Volvo. Based on the Volvo 200 Series, the 262C was built by Bertone in Turin for the 1977-1981 model years. Aimed mainly at the United States market, the 262C was Volvo's first entry in the luxury car market. About half of the annual production was earmarked for the United States.^[5] It competed against the Cadillac Eldorado and the Mercedes-Benz 280CE. 6622 cars were produced from 1978 to 1980.

480

The Volvo 480 is a sporty compact car that was produced in Born, Netherlands, by Volvo from 1986 to 1995. It was the first front-wheel drive car made by Volvo. The 480 was available in only one body style on an automobile platform related to the Volvo 440/460 five door hatchback and four door saloon models.

It features an unusual four seat, three door hatchback body, somewhere between liftback and estate in form. The 480 was marketed as a coupé in Europe starting in 1986. The car was originally intended to be marketed in the United States as a 2+2 "sports wagon" in the fall 1987, although these plans were cancelled due to the continued weakness of the U.S. dollar during 1987.

Volvo described the car as a four seater with "sporty styling" and the first front wheel driven Volvo. The press described it as having a "sleek hatch body" in contrast to Volvo's traditional "boxcar look". The 480 was the first Volvo of its style since the P1800ES, and the last until the unveiling of the C30.  All of these models featured a frameless glass hatch for cargo access. The 480 was produced in Born, Netherlands, at the factory that built DAF cars, including the DAF 66 based Volvo 66, and later, the Volvo 300 Series. The 480 was the forerunner of the Volvo 440 and 460 models, which were built on the same platform.

In 1988, a Turbo version was introduced, the Garrett AiResearch turbocharger increasing the power from 109 PS  to 120 PS for its naturally aspirated 1.7 L engine.

700

The Volvo 700 series is a range of executive cars produced  from 1982 to 1992. The 700 series was introduced in 1982 with the luxurious 760, followed two years later by the lower priced 740 which capitalized on the prestige attained by the very similar 760. The 700 series was then gradually replaced, beginning in 1990, by the 900 series. The 700, designed by Jan Wilsgaard, was originally to have been a replacement for the 200 series, but production of that model continued until the early nineties. The expensive 780, a Bertone-designed coupé version, entered production in 1986 and departed without a direct successor only four years later.

The most visible differences between the 700 and the 900 series were the more rounded corners on the body of the latter, and a somewhat better-appointed interior. The 700 series came to an end in late 1992 when the last 740s were built (although they were considered to be of model year 1993). The range had been augmented and finally supplanted by the Volvo 900 in 1993, with the last of the 900s being sold in 1998.

The 760 marked a new strategy for Volvo, as they introduced the executive six-cylinder model first with the four-cylinder 740 only following a few years later. Jan Wilsgaard, head of Volvo's Design and Styling Team, proposed over 50 new designs for the new car. The 760 was discontinued after the 1990 model year (with production ending on 27 June 1990), replaced by the Volvo 960, an update of the 760 chassis. The Volvo 740 outlived the 760, remaining for another two years, finally being discontinued in 1992 after the 850 was launched.

780

1986-1990

The Volvo 780 coupé debuted at the International Auto Show in Geneva, Switzerland in 1985, marking Volvo's return to the two-door coupé market following the departure of the 262C in 1981. The 780 became available in Europe in 1986 and in United States a year later.

850

The Volvo 850 is a compact executive car that was produced by the Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars from 1991 to 1996. Designed by Jan Wilsgaard, the car was introduced in a saloon body style; an estate style was introduced in 1993. The Volvo 850 was shown for the first time in June 1991, and the car marked a departure for Volvo, featuring multiple unprecedented features for the company; these included a transverse 5-cylinder engine driving the front wheels, a Delta-link rear axle, a side impact protection system, and a self-adjusting front seat belt mechanism.  The Volvo 850 was succeeded by the Volvo S70 and Volvo V70.

The Volvo 850 was introduced in Europe in June 1991. It was launched with the slogan "A dynamic car with four unique innovations" which referred to the newly developed five cylinder transverse engine, the Delta-link rear axle, the Side Impact Protection System (SIPS), and the self-adjusting seatbelt reel for the front seats. Initially, only the saloon was available, badged as 850 GLT, and came with a choice of 2.5L or 2.0L 20V engines.

For 1995, the special limited edition 850 T-5R was offered, and was a commercial success, leading Volvo to produce a second run in 1996. Originally, it was to be called 850 Plus 5. The vehicle was based on the 850 Turbo, utilizing the B5234T5 engine with a special ECU that added an additional 2 psi (0.1 bar) of turbocharger boost pressure, giving the engine an extra 18 hp for a total of 243 hp.

900

The Volvo 900 Series is a range of executive cars produced by the Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars from 1990 to 1998. The 900 Series was introduced in 1990 to replace the 700 Series from which it derived. Prior to the end of its production, the 960 was renamed as the Volvo S90 (saloon) and Volvo V90 (estate), and the 940 was renamed 940 Classic, becoming the last rear-wheel-drive cars from Volvo.

Visible differences between the 700 and the 900 Series included redesigned rear styling of the saloon models (late 700 estates and early 900 estates are visually identical). The 960 was introduced in 1991 along with a new family of modular engines, and then was substantially revised for the 1995 model year, improving the handling. The range was augmented by the new Volvo 850 in 1991. The last of the 900s was sold in 1998. Some 900 Series were built as chassis for ambulances and hearses after the main production run had been completed. The Volvo 940 is among the last in the long-running line of large rear-wheel drive cars from Volvo.

The engines options were carried over from the 740, with 8-valve 2-litre (B200) and 2.3-litre (B230) four cylinder gasoline engines, either naturally aspirated or turbocharged, as well as the familiar 2.4-litre Volkswagen six-cylinder diesel and turbodiesels being fitted. There were also 16-valve versions of the gasoline engines fitted on some 1991 and 1992 models.

70

The Volvo S70/V70 was a compact executive car produced by Volvo Cars from 1996  to 2000. The S70 was essentially a facelifted 850 saloon. The S70 was replaced with the Volvo S60. Introduced in Europe in late 1996 for the 1997 model year and later in the U.S. for the 1998 model year, the Volvo S70 was an updated version of the Volvo 850 saloon. The S70's body style was overall more rounded compared to its predecessor. 

For model year 2000 a new 5-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift logic was introduced. It was only available on non-turbo, front-wheel drive models and the 2000 V70 R AWD. The naturally aspirated 10V engine was replaced by a detuned 20V variant. Drive-by-wire throttle was introduced for all non-turbo petrol engines. The 2.0L V70 XC was discontinued.

The second generation V70 was styled by British designer Peter Horbury, who said "the design challenge involved marrying sports car style at the front with the necessary limitations of a wagon back." More specifically, he described the concept as the "front end of a Jaguar E-Type married to the back end of a Ford Transit van."

The third generation V70 was offered for the first time with four- and six-cylinder engines. The high-performance V70R AWD models were discontinued with this third generation, only a mostly cosmetic R-Design package was made available. After model year 2011, Volvo discontinued sales of the V70 in North America, instead marketing the FWD variant of the XC70.

Ford saw advantages in acquiring a profitable prestige mid-size European automobile manufacturer, well renowned for its safety aspects, as an addition to its Premier Automotive Group. The buyout of Volvo Cars was announced on 28 January 1999, and in the following year the acquisition was completed. As a result of the divestiture, the Volvo trademark was used by two separate companies:

• Volvo Group – a manufacturer of trucks, buses and construction equipment (among others) owned by Swedish interests
• Volvo Car Corporation or Volvo Cars – a manufacturer of automobiles owned by Ford Motor Company

Volvo Car Corporation was part of Ford Motor Company's Premier Automotive Group (PAG), along with Jaguar, Aston Martin and Land Rover. While part of the PAG, the company significantly expanded its range of vehicles.

After Ford sold Jaguar Land Rover to Tata Motors of India in 2008, the company initially decided to keep Volvo Cars despite mounting losses and major economic downturns. Ford decided to restructure plans for Volvo Cars, pushing it further upmarket, alongside the lower end of Mercedes and BMW sedans, wagons, and SUV crossovers. The outcome was the luxurious second generation Volvo S80 and the new small premium crossover Volvo XC60.

When the global economic crisis of 2008 threatened the US automakers, Swedish authorities became concerned about the fate of Volvo, should Ford file for bankruptcy. These concerns mounted after repeated mass-layoffs at Volvo. In December 2008, Ford announced that it was considering selling Volvo Cars. Although it was rumoured that Volkswagen would buy Volvo Cars, and despite initial denials, Chinese company Geely Holding Group was ultimately selected to take over the Swedish automaker.

Ford Motor Company offered Volvo Cars for sale in December 2008, after suffering losses that year. On 28 October 2009, Ford confirmed that, after considering several offers, the preferred buyer of Volvo Cars was Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the parent of Chinese motor manufacturer Geely Automobile.  It was the largest overseas acquisition by a Chinese automaker.

Under Geely ownership, Volvo has refocused its product lineup. The manufacturer has developed a new line of 3- and 4-cylinder diesel and petrol engines while eliminating larger engines. It has also developed a new vehicle platform, the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), and re-introduced an expanded -90 series of models, including the S90 sedan and Volvo V90 wagon in addition to a redesigned XC90 SUV. In 2015, Volvo sold more than half a million cars for the first time in its 89-year history. Volvo reported strong sales from all three core global regions. 

In February 2020, Volvo and Geely announced that the companies have started formal discussions about a merger of business. Geely currently owns Volvo, however, Volvo Cars has largely been allowed autonomy with its resources. Volvo is trying to gain back independance.

90

The Volvo S90 is an executive sedan manufactured and marketed by Swedish automaker Volvo Cars since 2016. Its estate variant is called the Volvo V90. While not a direct successor to the second-generation S80, the S90 replaces it as the flagship sedan in Volvo's lineup. Several trim levels are available, ranging from Momentum to Inscription. In July 2016, an optional, cosmetic R-Design package was announced. A long wheelbase version was announced and is available in the United States.

By mid-2017, the Swedish Torslandaverken Plant no longer produced the S90. Production and assembly has mainly moved to the Chinese Daqing plant. It also locally assembled (CKD) in Volvo Car Manufacturing Malaysia in Shah Alam, Malaysia and Volvo Trucks Bengaluru plant in India.

The S90 is only available with 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines from the VEA family (Drive-E). The more powerful petrol engines are compound charged, as is the plug-in hybrid variant called the T8. The D5 diesel engine features Volvo's new PowerPulse technology that is designed to eliminate turbo lag, as well as an i Art injection system.

xc90

The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury SUV manufactured  since 2002 and now in its second generation.

The first generation used the Volvo P2 platform shared with the first generation Volvo S80 and other large Volvo cars. It was manufactured at Volvo's Torslandaverken. Volvo moved production equipment of the first generation to China and ended Swedish production at the end of 2014, renaming the car as the Volvo XC Classic (or Volvo XC90 Classic). At the end of 2014, the second generation XC90 was introduced. It is based on a new global platform, the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). Both generations of the XC90 have won Motor Trend's SUV of the Year award in their debuts.

A Yamaha V8 engine was added in 2005. This 4.4-litre Volvo B8444S engine produced 288 hp (215 kW) for the first few models later upgraded to 311 hp  and 441 N⋅m of torque. 

In May 2012 Volvo announced that the second generation XC90 would go into production in late 2014, with orders being taken in 2014 and the vehicle officially going on sale in 2015. The SUV would be sold in Europe, Asia and North America, with the United States expected to account for at least a third of global sales.

The present generation XC90 is based on Volvo's new platform, marketed as Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) technology which features a stronger platform offering weight reduction while improving safety and efficiency.  The line-up include two petrol engines: a twincharged 320 hp T6, producing 400 nm of torque and a turbocharged 254 hp T5, producing 350 nm of torque, two diesel engines: a twin turbo 235 hp D5, producing 470 nm of torque and a turbocharged 190 hp D4, producing 400 nm of torque. The top-of-the-line model is the XC90 Twin Engine, a plug-in hybrid which combines the more powerful petrol engine at the front with an electric motor at the rear to produce 400 hp and 640 nm of torque.

concept coupé

The Volvo Concept Coupe is a concept car which was first revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013. The concept car was based on Volvo’s new platform Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) which will provide the technical foundation for all future Volvo models. The front wheels are driven by a four cylinder two litre petrol engine, from Volvo’s new engine family Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA), fed by both turbocharger and supercharger. The rear wheels are driven by an electric motor, making this car a plug in hybrid. Together the engines have a peak power of 400 PS  and max torque of 600 N⋅m. The car was designed by Volvo’s head of design Thomas Ingenlath, taking inspiration from the Volvo P1800 of the 1960s. Volvo Cars’s subsidiary, Polestar, made the car into production and re badged it as Polestar 1.

ex90

The Volvo EX90 is a battery electric mid-size luxury SUV manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars. A three-row vehicle, it is Volvo's flagship SUV, replacing the XC90. It was released in November 2022 as the first bespoke electric vehicle marketed under the Volvo brand.

The base model of the EX90 is called the Twin Motor, with a power output of 402 hp and a range of around 600 km. The higher model is called the Twin Motor Performance, which offers a claimed 590 km of range. The power output is rated at 510 hp for the model designated as 'EE', or 496 hp for the model destined for North America and designated as 'E2'. All models are electronically limited up to 180 km/h.

The EX90 is equipped with Lidar technology by Luminar fitted as standard across the range to detect pedestrians up to 250 m (820 ft) away. Combined with 16 ultrasonic sensors, eight cameras, and five radars, the EX90 provide Level 3 autonomous capability.

Cyan Racing is the official motorsport partner to Geely Group Motorsport, formerly the Volvo factory auto racing team, and runs the FIA WTCR programme for Lynk & Co, based in Gothenburg, Sweden. The team’s current drivers are Thed Björk, Yvan Muller, Yann Ehrlacher and Santiago Urrutia who will drive the Lynk & Co 03 TCR race car.

The team was founded by Jan "Flash" Nilsson as Flash Engineering in 1996. Christian Dahl bought the team in 2005 and renamed it Polestar Racing. After Dahl sold the Polestar performance road car division to Volvo, the team was renamed Cyan Racing.

p1800 cyan

Geely’s motorsport arm - formerly known as Polestar - has completely reworked the gorgeous 60s coupe into a pared-back sports car weapon. The car you see here uses a 1964 P1800 as a starting point, but with significantly redesigned carbon fibre bodywork allowing for a wider track, bigger wheels, a repositioned greenhouse and more.  Cyan went with something arguably better than all of those - a racing engine from the WTCC title-winning Volvo S60 TC1.

The turbocharged inline-four is good for 414bhp and 336lb ft - plenty considering the P1800 Cyan weighs a paltry 990kg. The response from the four-pot is said to be similar to a naturally-aspirated unit, with the rev limiter not coming in until a zingy 7700rpm. Power is sent rearwards via a five-speed Holinger dogleg manual gearbox and a mechanical limited-slip differential.

The starting price for the restoration and modification process is $500,000, Cyan says. The company doesn’t have a specific production number targeted, with all cars built on customer request.

Polestar is a Swedish automotive brand established in 1996 by Volvo Cars' partner Flash/Polestar Racing and acquired in 2015 by Volvo.  Geely describes the brand as "independent" from 2017 onwards and "co-owned" by it and Volvo Cars. It is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden with vehicle production taking place in China. The company develops electric performance cars and offers performance hardware upgrades and engine software optimisations for Volvo models through their Polestar Engineered division.

The Polestar name originates from the STCC Polestar racing team which spawned Polestar Performance AB, in turn acquired by Volvo Cars in July 2015. The racing team changed its name to Cyan Racing, while maintaining close ties to both Volvo and Geely, later focusing on Polestar sister brand Lynk & Co.

In June 2017, Volvo announced Polestar would begin producing high-end electric performance cars under its own name and badge. Polestar also functions as an innovation lab for Volvo Cars, developing designs and technologies of a more experimental nature.

c30 polestar performance concept prototype

polestar 1&2

The first Polestar car was introduced on October 17, 2017: Polestar 1, a luxurious 2+2 coupé inspired by Volvo's Concept Coupé introduced in 2013, which includes influences from the Volvo P1800. The Polestar 1 features an electric hybrid drivetrain, with a combined power output of 600 hp and 1,000 N⋅m of torque, vectored by two rear  110 hp motors. The car has a 46 hp⋅h battery and a range of 150 km in pure electric mode. The Polestar 1 will be built in a new purpose-built Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China, from 2019 at a rate of up to 500 per year, and made available via subscription rather than sale.

In 2019, Polestar announced the Polestar 2, a mid-sized battery-electric vehicle (BEV). It was unveiled on February 27, 2019 in an online unveiling which was broadcast from the Polestar headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden. Directly after, it had its public debut at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. It is produced at Geely's existing plant in Luqiao, China.

precept

The Polestar Precept is a 4-door electric concept car by Polestar, a subsidiary of Volvo Cars and Geely. The Precept was unveiled on February 25, 2020. Prior to precautionary cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Precept was scheduled to debut at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. Polestar later announced that the Precept will enter production in 2024 as the Polestar 5.

The Precept has a wheelbase of 122 inches and lacks B-pillars. Its design focuses on sustainability, with the interior materials utilizing flax, recycled plastic bottles, and recycled cork vinyl; minimalism and athleticism are also focuses of the design.

Lidar is incorporated into the roof, and there is an additional sensor array called the "SmartZone" of dual radar and a high-definition video camera built into the front of the car in place of a grille. The side and rear-view mirrors have all been replaced with cameras. The Precept runs Android Auto.

polestar 4

The Polestar 4 is the brand’s latest addition to the electric automaker’s growing lineup, with the new SUV slotting between the Polestar 2 sedan and the larger 3 in terms of size and price. The compact crossover adopts a stylish design showcasing key features from the Polestar Precept concept car. 

The Polestar 4 will be available in both single- and dual-motor layouts. The long-range, dual-motor version produces 544 horsepower. The crossover can hit 100 km/h  in 3.8 seconds, making it the brand’s fastest production car ever. Even though the Polestar 1 had more power, the Polestar 4 will hit 100 quicker. The long-range, single-motor version, which powers the rear wheels, makes 272 hp.

The Polestar 4 debuts with a new drive optimization function that allows drivers to select between range and performance driving modes. Range prioritizes efficiency, with the crossover capable of disengaging the front electric motor to save energy via a disconnect clutch. 

Performance mode sharpens the 4’s responsiveness and engages both motors at full power at all times. The dual-motor version has a semi-active suspension, while Polestar offers the model lineup with a range of 20- to 22-inch wheel choices wrapped in either Pirelli or Michelin rubber.