Ford says Volvo's not for sale, and the Blue Oval would be smart to hold on to its remaining vestige of the Premier Auto Group as long as it can, especially since engineering and platforms have become so entwined with Dearborn's product line. For its part, Volvo is angling to take on the high end Germans. Volvos have long been premium products, having built a reputation on exceptional durability, meticulous engineering, and of course, safety. Try as it might, however, Volvo has a hard time competing head on with BMW, Audi and Mercedes. The cachet of the Swedish automaker is diminished compared to the Germans, and dynamically, Volvos tend to get schooled hard despite being good, capable drivers when taken alone.
Operations chief Steven Armstrong tells Automotive News that Volvo is looking to be mentioned in the same breath as its intended targets, even as losses mount and layoffs ensue. Volvos already occupy the same pricing arena as the premium Germans, but that's partly due to a weak dollar and transport costs. The possibility of building its cars in the United States might bring prices down and allow better developed performance versions, versus the outclassed R models of the past. Also hurtful is the model range's appetite for fuel -- we've gotten mileage in the teens from some Volvos in the Autoblog Garage. Armstrong says that the fuel economy issue will be addressed soon as technologies like start-stop, energy recovery from braking, and further down the road, hybrid powertrains are brought to market. Green is a good way for Volvo to go, given the Scandinavian proclivity for low-impact, gentler consumption. What it all means is that soon, we may see a kinder, gentler, meaner, faster Volvo product lineup -- possibly managed by Russian, Chinese, or Swedish owners.
Ford might be looking to sell Volvo to a Chinese company according to a report by Dagens Industri and followed up by Automotive News. Sources are saying that Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. may be one of the potential suitors, while a Russian investor has also expressed interest in Ford's Swedish arm. FoMoCo's CEO, Alan Mulally began a strategic review of the automaker last year and the possible sale of Volvo was reported to be in the cards. However, Ford denied such a plan at the time and when AN contacted a Ford spokesperson for comment about the report today they said, "We have been consistently saying since the end of last year that Volvo is not for sale. We are focused on improving Volvo's business results."
Regardless, news of the possible sale of Volvo comes on the same day Ford announced that 2,000 workers will be laid off in an effort to cut costs due to an overall weak market and rising material costs. Volvo is hoping to slash around $662 million in costs, with the primary cuts coming from workers in Sweden. 1,200 workers were informed of the cuts today, and overall, 1,400 white-collar staff and 600 blue-collar jobs are on the chopping block.
