With its U.S. sales steadily declining for 7 years now, Volvo has no choice but to radically rethink its strategy. The Swedish automaker is currently offering nine models in the States or about as many as Volkswagen does, but it sold almost five times fewer cars than the Germans in 2010. Consequently, the Swedish brand, which is now owned by China's Geely, has decided to significantly reduce the number of models in its North American lineup and concentrate on best-selling vehicles in an effort to increase sales. “Five or six is probably a good number”, said Doug Speck, head of Volvo’s operations in the U.S., in a telephone interview for Bloomberg. “We have to focus on the key segments with significant volume potential”.
Mr. Speck confirmed that the V50 estate is sure to go, although didn’t specify exactly when, saying that dealers will be notified first. The manufacturer hasn’t decided yet which other models will be phased out, but it will definitely keep the S60 sedan and the XC60 and XC90 crossovers, he added. Volvo will also try to boost sales with more advertising and expects “double-digit” percentage growth in the U.S in 2011. As for the near future, Mr. Speck said that Volvo will introduce hybrids and all-electric cars, but declined to say if it will bring diesels to America.
Ford has presented, before the opening of the the Detroit Motor Show, the first information and pictures of the new generation Focus, a model that, this time, will be the same both in US and Europe. Ford presented the first official pictures of the new generation Ford Focus 2011 that will have its world premiere during the day, at the Auto Show in Detroit. Unlike the previous generations, the new Focus is a global model, planning to have the same form in the US and Europe, which is also why the model is presented to anauto show in its native country. Moreover, Ford has chosen – for this very reason – to present, in the same time, both the hatchback and the sedan versions of the new model, the US market being accustomed to rather choose the ordinary four-door version than the Focus hatchback so present on the European streets. Aesthetically speaking, the new Focus highlights a very clear belonging to the new line of models of the Blue Oval, being practically a larger version of the Fiesta subcompact model. Focus’s design is purely European, the car being developed at a design center in Germany that the Michigan brand owns. The dimensions remained the same both for the sedan and the hatchback, the dimensions of the chassis and the suspension’s hardware being also borrowed from the old generation, with the necessary improvements.
The chassis and the entire suite of mechanical elements that make up the new model will be the basis of a series of 10 different models of the Focus family, models that will be lounched by 2012. At the engines chapter, the great new appearance will be represented by a Ecoboost 1.6-liter turbo unit that will rise to the same performance as the 2.0 liter engine that it replaces, provided that consumption will be, say the guys from Ford, “an exceptional one”. The Duratorq diesel engine will not escape the improvements, but these will be presented only in March, when the newFord Focus 2011 will make its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Both in U.S. and Europe, the new model from Ford will have a new automatic transmission with six-speed dual-clutch that promises, just like the 1.6-liter Ecoboost, interesting consumption figures. The new generation Focus will be made in parallel in the Ford plants in Saarlouis (Germany), Michigan (USA) and Chongqing (China), following that, later, production sites in Spain and Russia to enter the game, too. The new Focus will go on sale in 2011.
