Volvo has two new SUVs on tap for the U.S. market, according to a report from Automotive News that cites conversations with multiple American Volvo dealers briefed on the plans. And as it turns out, both of them are crossovers you should be excited about.
The first one, reportedly named C40, should arrive in late 2021. It will be a fully-electric, sportier-looking version of the XC40 crossover, with a rakish roofline. It will reportedly be relatively affordable and targeted (of course) at millennials. A dealer described it as a “price-point leader” and a “lease leader,” according to AN.
Volvo will reportedly also introduce a new luxury flagship SUV called the XC100 in 2023. It will be seven inches longer and five inches wider than the XC90 that it’s closely related to. It will allegedly debut as a hybrid model, with a battery-electric version coming a year later. It’s expected to compete with the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class and the BMW X7; a dealer described it as “an XC90, a Range Rover [and a] Cullinan, all in one.”
Both the C40 and an XC100 should fill important niches for Volvo. The small compact crossover segment has been booming, with vehicles like the just-launched Kia Seltos. So has the larger three-row SUV market, whether it’s at the Volkswagen/Subaru/Kia or Mercedes/BMW ends of the spectrum. Besides, the market is moving toward electric vehicles, and Volvo has had a lot of success with its SUVs; doubling down on both makes sense.
