Volvo aims for 5K

Volvo Australia is planning to top 5000 sales and rebuild its market share in 2009. In the face of continued uncertainty regarding the ownership of the brand and challenging economic conditions, local boss Alan Desselss is banking on the opportunity new product will deliver to boost the brand's fortunes Down Under.

Last year Volvo sold just under 4500 new vehicles in Australia, down from a recent peak of 4851 units in 2007. In 2009, the marque is looking towards its new XC60 prestige SUV/crossover (more here) to drive its growth.

"The growth will come from XC60," Desselss told the Carsales Network.

"Essentially we're looking at about 12 per cent reduction in [sales of] the [models in the] line-up up as it exists currently. We've taken it down across the board, because we do anticipate XC60 is going to affect XC70 and XC90. How much it will, we don't know," the Volvo Australia boss explained.

Desselss says the contribution the XC60 will make will nonetheless be stock constrained. Launched with the range-topping T6 turbo petrol and two diesel models, a naturally aspirated sub-LCT threshold priced XC60 3.2 will be added later in 2009.

"[Volumes] really are dependent on availability," Desselss said.

"I'd really like to think we can sell 80-100 per month... Clearly we do expect XC60 to attract a lot more people to the brand. Where the XC90 with seven seats is probably too large for many people -- and we haven't had an alternative -- the XC60 will do exactly that."

According to Desselss, Volvo has been caught "a little by surprise" by the continued strength of V70R sales and ironically is also buoyed by renewed interest in the XC90 which has been generated by the new release XC60.

The Volvo boss confirmed the company would push forward to introduce DRIVe models locally this calendar year (more here) but said smaller (four-cylinder) petrol-engined variants of the S40/V50 were not on the agenda.

Further down the line, Desselss says the new S60 will give the carmaker the ability to better compete in the burgeoning medium prestige segment.

Where once the company attempted to 'sell' the S40/V50 as a viable competitor to the likes of BMWs 3 Series and Audi's better performing A4 range, the all-new car -- revealed in concept for at the Detroit motor show in January (more here) -- is a true segment competitor, Desselss says.

The Detroit car was criticized as being purely a concept. According to Desselss, whacky showcar doors aside, it is in fact "absolutely" true to the production car that will debut at Detroit in 2010.

"The [current] S60 has been left to its own devices to some extent [locally], while everything else got attention," Dessells explained.

"The new model will give us the opportunity to compete head to head," he said.