Volvo has been under Chinese ownership for a few years now, but the influence has generally been subtle and the cars have retained their unmistakable Swedish charm. This week, the brand strengthened ties to its “second home” as the first cars began rolling off of the line of Volvo’s newest factory in Chengdu.
Chengdu will be home to the new Volvo S60L, which is a long-wheelbase S60 aimed at the Chinese market. The car will be officially introduced on November 21 at the Guangzhou Motor Show. No plans to export it have been announced, but long-wheelbase luxury vehicles have a history of playing well with American buyers as well as those in China, so it’s certainly possible that we might see the S60L on these shores, competing with long-wheelbase luxury sedans from Jaguar, Mercedes and Audi. The factory is capable of producing 120,000 cars per year, according to Volvo. We’ll know more after the S60L’s release.
Volvo’s sales in China have been brisk, and the company has over 150 dealerships in the country–a significant increase from the 100 dealers that existed just two years ago. “We are truly firing on all cylinders in China,” says Lars Danielson, Senior Vice President Volvo Cars China Operations. “The official start of series production in Chengdu is only the latest of many milestones we have achieved in recent years. Helped by our strong product portfolio, our highly competent organization in China is determined to book many more successes in the future and the outlook for Volvo Cars in China is indeed very bright.”
