Volvo offers Excellence

Multiple Australian buyers have signed up for Volvo’s new flagship, the XC90 Excellence.

And ironically, the news of the new uber-expensive Volvo has emerged as the Swedish brand announced it will shift global production of its flagship sedan to China.

The top-of-the-range XC90 is the most expensive Volvo sold Down Under ever. Only available in the large SUV’s top performance variant, the T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid petrol-electric, the Excellence is officially priced at $172,200 plus on road costs.

Volvo Australia spokesman, Greg Bosnich, confirmed that a number of Aussie orders had been accepted for the XC90 range-topper. He also confirmed Volvo Australia was considering adding an Excellence trim grade to the new S90 executive sedan.

The S90 Excellence just confirmed for the Chinese market, actually dispenses with the front passenger seat and replaces it with what Volvo calls a ‘Lounge Console’ which the maker says is “designed to meet the chauffeur-driven executive customers’ need to relax or work while on the move”.

It’s unlikely any Australian market S90 Excellence would follow suit. Nor would we likely see the stretched S90 long-wheelbase model also offered to Chinese buyers.

In terms of upgrade materials and equipment, however, a local S90 Excellence would almost certainly follow the lead of the XC90.

The XC90 Excellence boasts a limousine-style four-seater layout with multi-adjustable heated and cooled reclining rear ‘captain’ seats upholstered in Nappa leather. Standard equipment amounts to almost every conceivable feature, including rear screens, work tables, individual heating and cooling, and a higher level of materials and finishes. There’s extra sound-deadening, and custom-made Orrefors crystal champagne flutes are included within the chilled rear cocktail cabinet.

Volvo announced plans to base S90 production in China earlier today.

Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo Car Group global boss stated: “The new S90 will be the most premium car ever made in China. Both versions [long and short-wheelbase] will be built in Volvo Cars’ production facility in Daqing, China, and exported globally, highlighting the high levels of quality that underpin Volvo’s global manufacturing strategy."

Daqing is in Heilongjiang province, in northern China.

The Swedish company also announced that existing and future 60-series medium-sized cars will be built at its plant in Chengdu, Szechuan province, in Western China, while its planned 40 series smaller cars, based on Volvo's new Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), will be made at a plant that is currently being built in Luqiao, 350km south of Shanghai

The company is being tight lipped on exact timing of the shift from European to China production for the S90 but Samuelsson says China will “contribute” to its global target of 800,000 cars by 2020.

“China will play an increasingly important part in our global manufacturing ambitions. Our factories here will deliver world-class products for export across the globe in coming years,” Samuelsson stated.

Volvo Australia said it had no timeline for the arrival of Chinese built S90s. However, the company spokesperson told motoring.com.au it would be a “fair assumption” that within the current S90’s model life Aussie cars would be sourced from China.