As the festive season has started, the Indian car market is witnessing launch of various models from almost every major car maker. The latest to join this bandwagon is Volvo, which is all set to introduce the facelift version of S60 sedan and XC60 on 23rd of October. Earlier, the Swedish car maker showcased both these models at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show wherein the underpinnings were kept same as the changes were primarily cosmetic in nature.
As seen in both the models, the designing was marginally altered in order to give a more rounded appearance. The upcoming cars of Volvo will get wider front fascia that will hold restructured grille and slimmer daytime running LEDs. In S60 sedan, Volvo has given cornering adaptive lights while the XC60 SUV gets torque vectoring technology on all trim levels, in order to derive maximum mileage from the car. Talking about the changes made to its interiors, the company has upgraded the infotainment system, which now gets 7-inch touchscreen display apart from the steering mounted paddle shifters equipped in the automatic variants of both the vehicles. It must be noted that these features are also given in the V40 Cross Country model, which made its debut in the country earlier this year.
The changes have been limited to the exteriors and interiors as the auto maker has resorted to the same engine configurations that currently powers both the models. The expected price hike for both the vehicles is said to be around Rs. 1.5 lakh to Rs. 2.2 lakh. To assess the competition of S60, the sedan shall be pitted against the likes of BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4. On the other hand, the updated XC60 shall be up against BMW X5 and Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class.
According to industry experts, Volvo has not been able to outperform the German car makers like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The main reason attributed to the weak showing of Volvo in the Indian car market has been the high pricing of its models. Apart from this, the company has not been able to expand its dealership network in the country due to which the sales of its cars have suffered. However, Volvo has been accredited with the tag of manufacturing the safest vehicles by EuroNCAP, an organisation which rates the cars based on their safety features. At present, the company is actively investing its capital in model upgrades and powertrain technologies.
Volvo maintains its presence in the compact crossover segment with its V40 Cross Country model that is priced at Rs. 28.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The 2-litre 5-cylinder diesel car is currently squaring of against the likes of BMW X1 and Audi Q3 and so far it has not performed well as per the expectations of the company. In the meanwhile, the company is assessing its options to introduce the facelift version of XC90 model at the upcoming 2014 Auto Expo wherein it is expected to showcase a number of vehicles. The company will be bringing both facelift versions through the Completely Built Unit (CBU) route in India while it is still unclear as to when Volvo will set up its assembling plant in the country.
