Volvo product planner Lex Kerssemakers says the new wagon is well overdue. "We were preoccupied,'' he says of the delay. "I sympathise with Australian buyers who have been a strong supporter of the car, but we had a lot on our plate.
Australia is in the Top 5 of XC90 buyers worldwide. "But I can confirm a new XC90 is coming and it will retain all the elements that made the current car so popular.
''Kerssemakers, who headed up Volvo's overseas operations - including Australia - five years ago, says the design of the XC90 replacement is "still in the early stages'' but he says it will still be a seven seater and retain the easy entry and egress to the third seat row.
"These are some of the things that made it popular.'' he says. "It will grow a bit in size - that's mainly because of safety requirements. But it will definitely be under 5m in length. "There are critical issues with a new model, including safety and the need to balance space and vehicle weight. It's very complex.''
The next XC90 is likely to come only with a four-cylinder engine in different power and fuel choices. "We see hurdles in performance (with a four) but we're very comfortable with a four cylinder with turbocharging,'' he says. " That technology gives very good driving performance - because it's all about torque - and fuel economy and low emissions.
"We're even looking at twin charging (supercharger and turbocharger together) and that may come within two years. Of course there is also plug-in hybrids which are suitable for all-wheel drive vehicles.''
Volvo last year sold 45,000 XC90s. "That's pretty strong for a car of its age,'' Kerssemakers says. "We have just done an update - which doesn't involve any mechanical changes - which will last until the new model.''
He says he is keen to see a smaller SUV in the Volvo lineup but repeats that the company is very busy on other projects. "I won't speculate on a small SUV other to say it would be a nice fit.
But we have other things to do first. The XC90 replacement has to come out first and then the replacement for the S80 - about the same time,'' he says.
"The S80 won't be a bigger car. We have a long wheelbase S80 which we make in China for the local market, but that's purely for China.
"We're driven by Europe and China. A large sedan is important in Europe but we're not looking at a Mercedes S-Class rival. "That market is too small. We're happy with the S80's size and position in the market.''
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