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Volvo has released the first image of the S60 Concept that will be shown at the Detroit Motor Show in January.

The Swedish company clearly reckons that the new car will be better able to take on premium rivals like the Audi A4 and BMW 3-series. The new car shares clear similarities with the new XC60, with a familiar grille and angled headlights.

Volvo’s design director, Steve Mattin, says the S60 Concept will give a “clear indication of what customers can expect of the all-new S6...Read the full article

Autocar:

Volvo has released the first image of the S60 Concept that will be shown at the Detroit Motor Show in January.

The Swedish company clearly reckons that the new car will be better able to take on premium rivals like the Audi A4 and BMW 3-series.

 

Here is a prime reason people get so confused with Volvo. 

I was under the impression that the range went like this....

V30  -  BMW 1 series / Mercedes CLC / Audi A3 rival.

S40 -  BMW 3 series / Mercedes C Class / Audi A4 rival.

S60 -  BMW 5 series  Mercedes E Class / Audi A6 rival.

Until they know what they are rivalling, how will the customer?

I've never, ever thought an S40 could be seen as a 3 series rival - the pricing is nowhere near for starters and it's no bigger than a Focus (well, it is a Focus underneath the Volvo frock)

Similarly - how do you get S60 = 5 series ? When pricing wise it actually undercuts the 3 series and is no larger than an E90 ?

If an S60 is a 5 series competitor - what does that make an S80 ?, a rival for the 7 series ?

its not exactly like that, here is the correct order :

Small Family car :

Volvo S40/C30 - Audi A3

Compact executive car :

Volvo S60 - Audi A4

here is alittle trickier, they are both mid-size cars but :

Volvo S80 -> Mid-size luxury car

Audi A6 -> Mid-size executive car

And for last our Large Luxury car :

Volvo nothing here !

Audi A8

i hope i helped you enough

kisses

I agree Teg that the range needs realignment so that there isn't this class and a half rubbish going on. If the C30/S40/V50 trio are all sub-compact up against the A3 and 1 series then fine. That means the S60 needs to come down half a size and compete with the 3 series and A4. In fact, it should probably remain the size that it is now, as all of it's competitors have been piling on the pounds since the S60 was first introduced. Back then it was much bigger than it's competition, which is why there has always been this confusion about where it fits in the market.

This concept looks pretty damn sharp by the way- nice evolution of the current design ethos. I like.

Just a thought, but do they need to match exactly with their competitors sizes?  Surely Volvo as a manufacturer build a range of cars of different sizes and we as punters show up at the showroom and buy the one that suits us best.  The fact a car is halfway between a Mondeo and a Granada (like all right minded people I use Ford for my size benchmarking, even when the benchmark in question went out of production years ago) is neither here nor there.  After all, the increase in niche marketed cars means that the old sizes are going out the window anyway.

Sorry fellas can't see Volvo surviving past Jan 2009 the way it's headed.

Have posted on here before that Volvo's sales in Britain are out of step with other markets. Volvo is really struggling, be lucky to clear 70,000 units in US this year.

Have just looked at its sales in Germany:

Model, Oct08 sales, Jan-Oct08 sales, Oct07 to Oct08 %age change, Jan-Oct07 to Jan-Oct08 %age change

V50  617, 6,400, -12, -1

V70  505, 7,265, -60, -1

XC90 380, 3,409, -23, -31

C30  221, 2,970, -18, -39

C70  82,  1,425, -39, -21

S60  62,  604,  -33, -33

S80  61,  736,  -65, -58

S40  55,  668,  -47, -11

All looks bleak.

horseandcart:

All looks bleak

As for the rest of the industry.

I've always thought that the original S60 was the (modern) forerunner to the recent wave of 4-door coupes. No frameless windows, but just look at the angle of the rear screen.

Concept looks promising too.

Chips:

I've never, ever thought an S40 could be seen as a 3 series rival - the pricing is nowhere near for starters and it's no bigger than a Focus (well, it is a Focus underneath the Volvo frock)

I'm working on dimensions, and my perceived thoughts on the model range.

V40  -  4476mm long

3 Series - 4520mm long

With only 44mm between the two (less than 2 inches), I would have personally said the V40 and 3 series were direct competitors.

What's a V40 ? - do you mean S40 or V50 ?

 A Focus saloon is 4481 mm (i.e, 5mm more than the s40) - so by that rational it must be a 3 series rival also ?

 The S40 range starts with a 99 bhp petrol and is circa £15 - £16k

 The 3 series range starts with a 143 bhp petrol and is over £21k.

Therefore I don't see them as rivals at all

In US and Canadian reviews, the V50 very much rivals - and often bests - the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series tourers, but I guess they don't have as many compact tourers over there as we do in Europe.

Chips:

What's a V40 ? - do you mean S40 or V50 ?

Sorry, meant S40 - the saloon version.

See, how confusing is that!

As for the pricing, how many people really look at that when considering what size car to drive.  Personally, when I buy a car, I want a car of a certain size and will look like for like.  I certainly wouldn't think "I have £20k to spend, what's the biggest car I can get for the money".

In reality, does it matter at what price the range starts?  If I were looking at a 143bhp 3 series, then I would also be looking at the 145ps S40.  It is from that point in I ( and I guess most people) would look at other factors, running costs etc.