• Car Dealer Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
No Result
View All Result

Volvo: ‘We didn’t say so, but we were surprised!’

Dave Brown by Dave Brown
November 7, 2014
0
Home News

XC90THEY didn’t admit it at the time, but the bigwigs at Volvo were genuinely surprised when almost 2,000 limited-edition XC90s were snapped up in less than two days last month.

A total of 1,927 individually numbered cars sold out online just 47 hours after they were released at 3pm on September 3. Most were reserved within the first hour and at the peak of activity, seven cars were bought every minute.

The quantity of 1,927 cars was chosen to commemorate the year Volvo was founded and the top-of-the-range models had a price tag of £68,000. UK versions will be powered by a high- performance four-cyliner D5 twin turbo diesel engine which has 225hp and is teamed with eight-speed automatic transmission.

The whole sales process was stunningly successful but the official line at the time had Alain Visser, senior vice-president for marketing, sales and customer service, saying: ‘We are very pleased, but not really surprised.’

When we caught up with him in Paris, however, he smiled: ‘Although the press statements said it didn’t take us by surprise, I have to admit that it did! When you have a new idea, you have no idea how it will turn out.

‘Selling a car in that price range that nobody has ever seen via the internet is not without risks. However, we thought it was a calculated risk so we said, ‘‘let’s try it’’.

‘We gave ourselves 10 weeks to see how it evolved, so hearing that they had all gone after 47 hours – and it would have been earlier if it hadn’t been for people queuing online – was a nice way to start.

‘We even had some emails and messages from people afterwards offering us higher prices. We had to say sorry, they had all been sold out.’

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of the all-new XC90 to the Volvo brand. Put simply, it represents a global relaunch of the whole company, and it was the only car the Swedes displayed in Paris.

‘It’s the first step of our new phase,’ confirmed Visser. ‘We have our own platform, new powertrains, our own design – it’s a Volvo-made car from A-Z which is the first time ever.

‘For us there is an element of pride. This is us now and not a collaboration. It’s also a bit of a statement that we want to become a true premium brand.

‘In a new Cartier showroom, you would have a single diamond ring on display, not 10 of them, and in the same way, we didn’t want to create a car park in Paris but just have our one jewel here. We’re making a statement that we have the ambition and commitment to get on track with our premium competitors.’

Previous Post

Exclusive RAC VIP Reception planned for Used Car Awards

Next Post

Kia: ‘The new Sorento shows how far we have come’

Related Posts

BMW M posts record sales for 2020 despite ongoing challenges from coronavirus
News

BMW M posts record sales for 2020 despite ongoing challenges from coronavirus

January 12, 2021
Less demand at home and abroad sees car production drop by nearly a fifth
News

Car dealers blast manufacturers for continuing to impose sales targets during lockdown 3 as ‘morally wrong’

January 12, 2021
Ben launches ‘Breakout for Ben’ industry challenge to raise £1m
News

Ben launches ‘Breakout for Ben’ industry challenge to raise £1m

January 12, 2021
CarGurus and Pistonheads combine into one product to increase audience reach
News

CarGurus and Pistonheads combine into one product to increase audience reach

January 12, 2021
News

Auto Trader’s Rebecca Clark wins top gong in Automotive 30% Club’s most inspiring women of the year awards

January 12, 2021
Carwow enjoys healthy car sales in June – despite nationwide drop
News

Car dealers are ready for action in spite of lockdown, survey reveals

January 12, 2021

Want to receive the latest news?

Sign up to the Car Dealer daily news briefing for the latest news and advice during these unprecedented times.

Subscribe Now
Car Dealer Top 100 – The list in full of the most profitable car dealers in the UK
Car Dealer Top 100

Car Dealer Top 100 – The list in full of the most profitable car dealers in the UK

December 21, 2020
Used Car Awards Shortlist: Find out who made it through mystery shopping and are now in running for our gongs
News

Used Car Awards Shortlist: Find out who made it through mystery shopping and are now in running for our gongs

January 6, 2021
Investigation: Should car dealers be selling and delivering during lockdown?
News

What do we know about online used car dealer Cazoo? Who is Alex Chesterman? And will Cazoo float on the stock market?

January 5, 2021
Become a Car Dealer Plus member and get more out of this website including free legal advice
News

Become a Car Dealer Plus member and get more out of this website including free legal advice

January 5, 2021
Used car dealer Cazoo accused of online-only U-turn as it sets up physical sites and closes Imperial dealerships
News

Comment: Why Cazoo founder was naive to label this used car sales business as ‘flawed at every level’

December 1, 2020
Car Dealer Power

Car Manufacturer of the Year – Where did your manufacturer rank in Car Dealer Power 2020?

November 23, 2020
Investigation: What do car buyers want from online car sales? New research reveals customers’ likes and dislikes
Car Dealer Live

Investigation: What do car buyers want from online car sales? New research reveals customers’ likes and dislikes

November 28, 2020
Car Dealer Power

The best car dealer suppliers named in the Car Dealer Power Awards 2020

November 26, 2020
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
Call us: 020 8125 3880

© 2020 Blackball Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Car Dealer Plus
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100

© 2020 Blackball Media

Log In
Register
Register
Server C