Has Volvo, the premier family car manufacturer, lost its way? Even though Ford now owns this Swedish company, I somehow suspect that Volvo isn’t building cars targeted at the American market, hence its late arrival in the SUV market. Still, for families with children, which I think is Volvo’s core market, nothing beats the convenience of a minivan in terms of passenger space and accessibility. So, where’s the Volvo minivan? I looked at some of Volvo’s concept cars and didn’t spot a minivan among them. Too bad. In a day and age when two infant car seats can completely crowd out the entire rear row of a sedan or wagon, having the full-sized third row becomes more of a necessity than a luxury.
Tag: volvo
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Chinese Auto Safety
New York Times: Ford in Talks to Sell Volvo to Chinese Rival, Report Says. Ford Motor is in talks to sell its Volvo car business to its Chinese partner, Changan Automobile Group, the National Business Daily reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed source at the Chinese company.
OK. The country that gave us melamine milk, pet food and candy may also acquire the automotive brand synonymous with product safety? I’ll believe it when it actually happens, but I see nothing but a total destruction of goodwill. I already don’t trust the Volvo brand as much under the care of Ford. I will trust it even less in the hands of a Chinese automotive company. Trust is earned, not purchased or sold. If you want to be the caretaker of the Volvo brand, you need to share their same passion for driver and passenger safety. Otherwise, you are just producing knock-offs.