Volvo adds awareness with V8s

Volvo’s global bosses have approved a multi-million dollar investment in local V8 Supercar racing in a bid to fix an “awareness issue” with the S60 sedan and lift the brand’s position within the luxury car segment.

Once one of the Australian market’s leading luxury players, the Swedish brand these days lags well behind the German heavyweights and its own past sales records.

Volvo’s 2012 tally of 5375 sales is well behind the 6771 peak it achieved in 1981 when the overall new-car market was much smaller.

The S60 accounted for just 640 of Volvo’s 2012 result, down 21 per cent from 2011.

“Volvo in Australia has a long history. We used to be leading in the luxury car segment,” Volvo Car Group Vice-President International Thomas Andersson told motoring.com.au at Monday’s announcement of the factory-backed V8 Supercars assault.

“We need to get the news across about our news cars, so I think there is an awareness issue to some degree especially on the S60 and this is great initiative to really bring that across to the buying public.

“We want to get back into a really good position. We are doing well but we can do much better we think.”

As international boss Linden had to approve Volvo Car Australia’s multi-million dollar investment in V8 Supercars, which enlists Polestar Racing in Sweden and Garry Rogers Motorsport in Dandenong to co-develop an S60 racer.

“We are allocating funds where we think it makes the best use and clearly the Australian case and the team has done a good job,” Andersson said.

While unwilling to lay down any formal timelines, he made it clear that there are expectations for strong performances quite quickly from the two-car team.

“I think we will be surprised. I think we will see some good results coming in the first season, although it is nothing that we expect.

“Success right now is just to start to participate, but no-one will enter motorsport without thinking of winning at some point. But we know it is going to take time.

“It has taken time in every venture we have gone into so far so it can’t come overnight. It shouldn’t come overnight probably either because it needs to build, and we need to build the quality and the team needs to be pulled together in the right way.”

Also designed to help inject more passion into the Volvo brand is the S60 Polestar limited-edition (pictured) launched this week.

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