New car sales: Volvo on track for Swede-dream 10,000 sales

There’s nothing minimalist about Scandinavian brand Volvo’s sales in 2021.

The Swedish car maker – Chinese-owned since 2010 – is Australia’s fastest-growing luxury brand with sales above 100 units, according to the latest official showroom data.

Volvo has sold 2617 cars after the first three months of the year, equating to a 67 per cent increase on the same period last year and putting the company on track to reach its bold annual target of 10,000 sales.

This would be more than double what the company sold just a few years ago – 4681 units in 2017 – and nearly 30 per cent higher than its record 7779 sales achieved in 2019.

Ongoing global parts shortages and production delays created by the COVID-19 pandemic could still scupper Volvo’s five-figure hopes, but for now momentum is on its side.

Sales are up 44 per cent – or 804 vehicles – when comparing first-quarter results for 2021 and its record year of 2019.

As in 2019, Volvo’s SUVs are doing all the hard yards. The S60 sedan and V60 wagon account for just 17 of the company’s Q1 total; the small XC40, mid-sized XC60 and large XC90 account for the other 2600 sales.

The XC40 is Australia’s best-selling Volvo with 1117 units to date, with the XC60 not far behind with 1052. The larger, seven-seater XC90 is the third most popular at 431 units.

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Volvo SUV sales up to the end of March are up 78 per cent on the same period last year, leading luxury rivals despite offering fewer models.

Mercedes-Benz is the next best luxury-brand performer for SUV sales, up 36 per cent. Audi SUVs are up 33 per cent, with eight and four per cent rises for BMW and Lexus, respectively.

The Volvo XC40 is the second most popular small luxury SUV, behind the Audi Q3, and the XC60 is currently the third biggest-selling medium luxury SUV – and not far behind either the second-placed BMW X3 or leading Mercedes-Benz GLB.

The XC90 trails the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE wagon, Range Rover Sport, Land Rover Defender and Lexus RX in the large luxury SUV segment, though can count several notable scalps including the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg.

Volvo Cars recently announced all its vehicles would be fully electric by 2030. Locally, the company is already shifting to a predominantly electrified showroom with mostly mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid variants.

The first fully electric Volvo, the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, is due here later this year, and in 2022 it will be joined by the C40 Recharge electric car.

A baby Volvo SUV, expected to be called the XC20, is widely reported to be in development.

Volvo Sales in Australia: 2010-2021

• 2021 forecast: 10,464*
• 2020: 7700
• 2019: 7779
• 2018: 6693
• 2017: 4681
• 2016: 5878
• 2015: 4943
• 2014: 4693
• 2013: 5174
• 2012: 5375
• 2011: 5272
• 2010: 4945

*Hypothetical total if Volvo maintains monthly 2021 average of 872 units

MARCH 2021: TOP 10 MODELS

1. TOYOTA HILUX - 5319 - up 49.6% YTD
2. FORD RANGER - 3983 - up 28.2% YTD
3. TOYOTA RAV4 - 3522 - up 17.8% YTD
4. MAZDA CX-5 - 3022 - up 74.3% YTD
5. TOYOTA COROLLA - 2892 - up 2.8% YTD
6. HYUNDAI I30 - 2514 - up 35.5% YTD
7. MITSUBISHI TRITON - 2492 - up 37.5% YTD
8. TOYOTA LANDCRUISER - 2244 - up 78.0% YTD
9. ISUZU D-MAX - 1994 - up 35.9% YTD
10. NISSAN X-TRAIL - 1932 - up 46.0% YTD

TOP 10 BRANDS

1. TOYOTA - 21,319 - up 21.2% YTD
2. MAZDA - 10,785 - up 58.2% YTD
3. HYUNDAI - 6852 - up 29.1% YTD
4. MITSUBISHI - 6430 - up 7.1% YTD
5. FORD - 5977 - up 23.1% YTD
6. KIA - 5802 - up 2.6% YTD
7. NISSAN - 4559 - up 30.2% YTD
8. SUBARU - 4212 - up 39.3% YTD
9. VOLKSWAGEN - 3358 - up 17.0% YTD
10. MG - 3303 - up 167.7% YTD

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