New Volvo S60 not guaranteed for Australia

Volvo could further rationalise its traditional passenger car line-up in Australia after revealing the all-new S60 is not a certainty for showrooms.

The newest release in Volvo’s revamped model line-up, the latest S60 mid-size sedan would ordinarily follow in the wheel tracks of the new V60 wagon and XC60 SUV, offering distinctive new styling, safety and technology, along with a bristling range of four-cylinder powertrains.

Australian allocation was due to materialise in the second quarter of 2019, about six months after the arrival of the equivalent V60 wagon. However, Volvo Cars Australia has has now revealed it may not bring the S60 to market at all.

“A decision to take a model as part of the product portfolio is always a longer term proposition,” Volvo Cars Australia spokesman Greg Bosnich said.

“[There is] no final decision as yet. A decision will be communicated closer to the model’s global introduction.”

A clear indicator of the S60’s Australian status could be derived from its manufacturing origins. Unlike other Volvo models, which predominantly hail from native Sweden (even though Volvo is now Chinese-owned), the S60 will be built in a South Carolina plant in the US.

US tastes differ considerably from other western markets, particularly in the preference for conventional sedans over wagons and hatchbacks.

Back home, Volvo has begun to re-think its approach for regular passenger vehicles. Its V90 wagon is only available in high-riding, Cross Country form, for example.

The current S60 is still available to purchase, according to Volvo’s Australian website, but it struggles to find customers in a mid-size luxury sedan market comprehensively dominated by the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

Conversely, Volvo’s SUV ranks are finding favour with Australians in significant numbers. Collectively, the XC90, XC60 and newly-derived XC40 now account for 79 per cent of the marque’s local sales, which are up 29.5 per cent year-on-year.

It begs the question: is Volvo about to become an SUV-only brand in Australia?

“This isn’t a step in that direction,” Bosnich confirmed.

“The S60 will continue to be a fantastic car, but the segment needs more work and a closer look from us before we can commit.

“At the moment, we are looking at what, when and how; the model definitely has a place in Australia, and we think there is a segment there, we just need to be clever how we go about it.”