Volvo Gives Up Chasing The Germans, Should They Focus On Lexus Instead?

How about selling/marketing a car to a man again for a start? When's the last time a MAN bought one in the USA? 5 years ago?

001

Haha. Show me a man in the USA driving one now. Take a cell pic and email to me if you see it.

Dare you!

001

Edward Cullin doesn't mind sporting a Volvo C30, and he's a vampire.

I would have to agree with BlackDynamite and Agent001. I don't necessarily think that not liking or affiliating a car as a chick does not actually means that a man is insecure with his man hood. It means more to me that it is an emotional that is conjured up when thinking about Volvo. And for one, it would not even be on my radar considering the likes of the Mercedes and BMW. Lets be honest here, the Volvo fleet does not initially come across as a power/ego stroke vehicle as though the Merc and the Bimmer do.

Sport bike is right (This time)

Try the SC90 Concept...

Stick a fork in them. They don't have enough money to go after Lexus....

The Volvo Curse: For as long as I can remember, Volvo has been marketing their cars as the safe, practical choice, and as such you can forgive them for being devoid of style and passion. Even in the movie "Crazy People," the main character, an ad man in an insane asylum, comes up with the catchy tag-line "Volvo: They're boxy, but they're good."

These are the seeds that Volvo has sewn for decades, and now, they want a different crop. Well folks, it's gonna take some time to change mass public perception.

So Volvo, what do you wanne be? Maybe you need to chase the Germans. Maybe you need to chase Lexus. Or maybe, just maybe, you need to redefine yourself, reinvent yourself, and *lead* rather than following?

Agreed. Volvo's intent on being reknown for only safety has definitely hurt brand recognition overall. Today, all automakers have strong initiatives for passenger safety. And those safety measures have been further integrated into interior content (voice-activated systems & such).

Volvo once stood its "ground" with their legendary box vehicle designs, then began to infuse their lineup with more appealing exterior curves. But now, Hyundai/Kia has 'bested' the "safety leader" with exciting new designs for its small & midsize offerings.

Volvo is a lost brand now. Their SUVs are awkward, their flagship sedan isn't really competive with other foreign luxury flagship vehicles, the overall brand perception is more like premium variant of some plain mainstream vehile line. Volvo can link back up with Ford as an upscale division an no one would see them as being any different than what they are today.

Maybe Volvo, JUST MAYBE, you don't have to follow Lexus or the germans. Maybe you should make your line-up unique and better instead of aiming for a specific brand ;).

Maybe Volvo, JUST MAYBE, you don't have to follow Lexus or the germans. Maybe you should make your line-up unique and better instead of aiming for a specific brand ;).

Well 001 is an 80 year old man who just bought a 911... mid-life,,errr.... end-life crisis?

I agree with Jacoby completely. Volvo needs to be unique. They cannot be following or copying any one manufacturer. For starters, make the designs more aggressive or menacing looking.

Volvos have always been unique and were NEVER in the same league as the Germans. German cars are known for the sporty nature. Who takes a Volvo to track day? Both Swedes are known to be quirky but with lots of character. Volvo has safety, SAAB has sportiness. Both have been losing ground because they forgot their roots. I think SAAB is on to something with the new 9-5, but Volvo missed the mark for me with the S60. The nose is too busy and is not elegant at all.

I'd gladly take an XC60 or S40 T5 AWD in manual and I'm a man. Although I'd much prefer a no longer sold V70 R, to me the ultimate family wagon with 6 manually shifted gears and turbo.

Volvo needs some oomph in the performance department, the R used to be respected, and the S40 needs a desperate re-design although I do like the current proportions.

Forget Lexus or the Germans. Volvo is barely competitive with Cadillac, Lincoln and Buick.

I agree. If I said it once I said it a million times. That they need to concentrate on competing with Buick. Volvo is trying to be what it no longer is.

I totally agree with Dumpsty. Volvo has evolved from distinct, quirky, loveable and slow selling into... actually, I'm not sure what Volvo stands for today (except the brand remains slow selling.) The designs, engineering, performance, "luxury" and even safety is now "me too." Dealers in our area routinely apply deep, deep, deep discounts just to move the metal.

If Volvo, like Acura, disappeared tomorrow, would anyone notice?

Let Volvo be Volvo!

Rear Wheel Drive...Boxy...Safe

Something that a 6'4" Man can Drive without feeling Claustrophobic.

Can you tell that I miss the 240?