The new Volvo is coming and it’s focused seriously on the world’s largest auto market — China. The company hopes to make it a major luxury seller over the next few years. Curiously, Geely, the new Chinese owners of Volvo, has expressed itself in disagreement with the Swedish executives who are in charge of making and selling the new car. Li Shufu, the Geely chairman, thinks the Volvo should be even plushier than it is. But he’s agreed to back off for the time being. For his part, Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby says the concept car shown above, the Tiandi or Universe, “has nothing to do with Geely” and was not influenced in any way by the Chinese company. “I don’t report to Li Shufu,” Mr Jacoby said. Launching the car at the start of the Shanghai show, Volvo Cars officials made only scant mention of Volvo’s traditional brand values of safety and environmental friendliness, focusing instead on its “voluptuous curves” and “coupe-style roof line”. Asked whether safety was no longer important to Volvo Cars, Mr Jacoby said: “We have to look for other brand values next to safety. Safety will remain a core competence, but we will maybe not directly market this as a safe car.” Volvo’s amazing Chinese adventure
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The new Volvo is coming and it’s focused seriously on the world’s largest auto market — China. The company hopes to make it a major luxury seller over the next few years. Curiously, Geely, the new Chinese owners of Volvo, has expressed itself in disagreement with the Swedish executives who are in charge of making and selling the new car. Li Shufu, the Geely chairman, thinks the Volvo should be even plushier than it is. But he’s agreed to back off for the time being. For his part, Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby says the concept car shown above, the Tiandi or Universe, “has nothing to do with Geely” and was not influenced in any way by the Chinese company. “I don’t report to Li Shufu,” Mr Jacoby said. Launching the car at the start of the Shanghai show, Volvo Cars officials made only scant mention of Volvo’s traditional brand values of safety and environmental friendliness, focusing instead on its “voluptuous curves” and “coupe-style roof line”. Asked whether safety was no longer important to Volvo Cars, Mr Jacoby said: “We have to look for other brand values next to safety. Safety will remain a core competence, but we will maybe not directly market this as a safe car.” 