A new Volvo EV is coming — but that won’t (immediately) kill the XC90.
Volvo has quite a bit in store for its near-future prospects, including a new electric flagship crossover possibly called the “Embla”. We’ll know more about that soon, but with new EVs coming what will happen to the aging XC90? As it turns out, the company will actually give it some love before phasing it out entirely, says CEO Hakan Samuelsson.
“Why should we close down [the old XC90] in Torslanda when you still have a market for hybrids, especially in America and China,” he told Automotive News Europe this week. Despite the current generation being the oldest Volvo in the lineup — it’s been on sale for seven years now — it’s long been one of the brand’s best-sellers globally. Here in the U.S., it’s consistently the brand’s second best-selling car, just behind the slightly smaller XC60.
So, if you love the Volvo XC90, take heart — it will be around for a bit longer, and probably even sell alongside newer EVs when they emerge. You can currently buy it with a few different powertrains, including the Recharge plug-in hybrid. “We will even look into upgrading it so it looks a bit better,” Samuelsson said of Volvo’s current flagship. “But, technology wise, we’ll invest in the new generation of electric cars.”
And invest Volvo has. Even while it keeps the old warhorse XC90 going for another few years, it sounds, the company announced it will drop $1.1 billion to revamp the Torslanda plant to eventually produce its new electric models. Volvo plans to go completely electric across its lineup by 2030.
