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Growing up my parent's car was a 340GL. Then in my adult years I've had a 480, a 440GLT and I currently drive an S40 2.0T.
I'd like a V70R next. Or a V60.
But they're leaving us 🙁 Genuinely surprised at this.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/volvo-goes-suv-only-uk-all-saloon-and-estate-cars-axed
Not surprised at all. Polestar cars will presumably be for all markets, Volvo only for the main ones. Makes sense. The electric brand is the future, and the UK is increasingly an edge case when it comes to making decisions on product lines and supply chains for them.
Awesome cars. Goodbye😢
I started this thread 4 years ago, ours is still going strong.
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/volvo-estate-appreciation/
Well, they're not really leaving us, are they. They're reducing the range by getting rid of models that don't sell. Clickbait nonsense.
Mate, your last thread title was about UFOs.
Well, they’re not really leaving us, are they. They’re reducing the range by getting rid of models that don’t sell. Clickbait nonsense
It's a pretty big deal actually, how many other G20 countries have they cut more than half their range from?
Sad state of affairs given how cool their normal cars are but all the UK wants is SUVs. It probably is because polestar 2 is the Volvo family sedan going forwards
Nobody got upset when Mitsubishi left uk. They may have got upset on Pistonheads mind you.
Mate, your last thread title was about UFOs.
And your point is?
The reality is, Volvo has been a niche brand in the UK for a long time, even more so their saloon cars
Isn't it a Chinese owned brand now?
I don't know the address but there is a graveyard of Volvo's near Falkirk...they are bound to have some V70R models in amongst the many they have.
I think it is here - https://maps.app.goo.gl/qRdvoHzwXM3pzs7p9 - Streetview gives a better indication!
I don’t know the address but there is a graveyard of Volvo’s near Falkirk…
That place is amazing. Was on the route we used to use to get to my folks/Glesga before they moved. Must’ve been in excess of 100 Volvos last time I drove past.
The S60 polestar in blue from a few years ago looked great and if you can find one and have some spare cash a nice motor
My 2001 S60 2.4T sounded great with the 5cyl engine, not quite the T5 but still over the 200bhp , it was a wee bit heavy all that solid built and loads of sound deadening , Ford owned them back then, Focus St had the Volvo engine
Sad sign of the times unfortunately. Ford are getting rid of the fiesta as well FFS in favour of these **** stupid crossovers and SUVs. I’ve recently got my first estate car after a run of hatches and saloons, and it’s absolutely superb! Not an actual Superb or a Volvo for that matter.. it would have been a V60 polestar if I could have afforded one mind. I think they look absolutely MINT:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202307059328368
Ohlins adjustable suspension FTW and you could do plenty of local trips without bothering the ICE motor. Seems like the best of all worlds. If I come into a bit of money I’ll get a minter and keep it forever.
As an SUV driver... I totally agree about the moans about SUVs.
I ended up with one because of the dire options for practical estates at 2-4 years old that were not ludicrouly expensive (most have become too aero and swooshed at the rear (like the V90) making it shiiite for actually putting things in like square boxes, or dog cages for a proper sized dog - too much wasted volume.
In other words what I wanted was a V70 or XC70. Stopped making them (or at least bringing into the UK) about 5 or 6 years ago from what I could tell. And a 2nd hand one with 60,000 miles and 6 years old for £25 grand is barkingly mad.
Toyota have made a great new Prius for 2023 that even motoring journalists like. Looks great, 200bhp, 70mpg, 4wd and 40 mile plugin options, but they're not selling it here because it's not an SUV and Brits won't buy them. It's even being sold in the USA.
That's sad. I was counting on buying a v60 in three years once they'd introduced Google automotive services to the range.
I really struggle to understand the appeal of SUVs beyond the zero sum game of buying a higher up car so you can see over the person in the big car in front of you.
My estate car options are becoming so constrained I might end up in a BMW.
I really miss my V70. Best car I've ever owned.
I was driving my father in law's S60 last week and was reminded how lovely they are to waft around in. Although I also got why saloons are a dying breed...
The world moves on.
I do wonder if the whole SUV thing might become less fashionable in the future - and we see a return to smaller vehicles and hatches/estates.
Geely (along with Shanghai motor group aka MG) are one the companies heavily involved in the genocide and forced Labour of Uyghur Muslim people.
🙁
Got a link about that?
This really annoys me as a serial Volvo estate buyer. I won't have an SUV.
Growing up my parent’s car was a 340GL.
This house has about 40 of them outside - and he drives a one as a daily.
buying a higher up car so you can see over the person in the big car in front of you
This. It's an arms race that makes no-one safer, certainly not vunerable road users. It feels like a zero-sum game as a result.
I ended up with one because of the dire options for practical estates at 2-4 years old that were not ludicrouly expensive (most have become too aero and swooshed at the rear (like the V90) making it shiiite for actually putting things in like square boxes, or dog cages for a proper sized dog – too much wasted volume.
Really? I had a C class (2011, demonstrator) I bought with 6k on the clock, did another 150k with me, sold 9 years later. Bought another (10k on the clock) for only £2k more than the old one. Im not a car fan so bought the Merc in the hope it would be reliable over the 8-10 yrs I keep it. Making no claims for how good it is in comparison to other cars but I didnt struggle to find a medium size estate car. The E class is bigger if required for a bit more, plus lots of alternatives, 3 series, 5 series etc.
<p>Not read the article </p><p> </p><p>Small Volvos were always a bit meh. Anyhow Volvo isn’t leaving the UK , they are just changing their brand name to Polestar </p><p> </p><p>
This really annoys me as a serial Volvo estate buyer. I won’t have an SUV.
SUV’s are brilliant far more practical than an estate (having recently owned both)</p>Dnt let it really annoy you, life’s too short
The S60's are built in the US, maybe they're building left-drive only as they consolidate as they move to a greater percentage of EV's.
I like saloons, drive one at the moment and more than half the cars I've bought have been saloons - never had an SUV but I do drive them as my OH has had a few. They drive nice and for info, while both our cars are 4x4 2.0d's and 5-seater, my saloon weighs more.
Polestar is a Swedish automotive brand established in 1996 as Flash Engineering. It was later rebranded Polestar Racing, then acquired in 2015 by Volvo Cars.[3] It is headquartered in Torslanda outside Gothenburg, Sweden.[4] Its vehicles are produced in China, home to Volvo's corporate parent Geely.[5]
Ford, Nissan etc not selling cars as such. Even the bloody Yaris has stopped and become a SUV (ugly thing).
This place also is very good for Volvo servicing and repairs... https://goo.gl/maps/PUdyBykSbTiC2MMh6 - thing is I don't know if it is McBoyle Motors or Headswood Garage - as it was always called the Volvo fixer!
SUV’s are brilliant far more practical than an estate (having recently owned both)</p>Dnt let it really annoy you, life’s too short
Only if it's massive. e.g. the boot in an XC60 is pitiful, far less useful than an A4 estate, less useful even than our old Focus hatchback
Only if it’s massive. e.g. the boot in an XC60 is pitiful, far less useful than an A4 estate, less useful even than our old Focus hatchback
Agreed to an extent.
I currently have an E Class estate which volume wise is probably as big as it gets. However our 2019 BMW X1 SUV had more useable rear space ie it would take bikes stood up with rear wheels on, could fit a wheel barrow in the back, lawnmowers, wacker plates etc. Estates are just too low to get stuff like that in.
So Volvo are not actually "leaving the UK", its just their marketing Dept. recognising that we're a nation of knuckle draggers wot only likes Tonka trucks. This isn't really a new phenomena.
Plus they'll still probably be flogging polestars here to the EVs for affluent folks market.
Is this really just a manufacturer getting ready for 2030 in the UK? Not exactly an insane move TBF, why keep making RHD cars for export to that strange little island in the North Atlantic when they've got the rest of the world to cater for and all Brits seem to want are Teslas, Kugas and Q7s...
Kind of a non-story, but does somewhat highlight the demise of practicality when Brits go choosing new cars. We used to like hatchbacks and Estates, now we buy jacked up SUVs so that's mostly what we'll get offered.
Is this really just a manufacturer getting ready for 2030 in the UK?
I think there will be a lot of that coming ahead of when they have to - and Brexshit won't be helping there either.
I suspect by 2030 we will have far fewer choices of cars, a huge swing to electric cars and homes with massive storage and grid projects underway. I also hope we will see a change in how many drive cars, and that we move to smaller and more efficient cars.
#optimist
a huge swing to electric cars and homes with massive storage and grid projects underway
we move to smaller and more efficient cars
Seen the new “5” coming from Renault? It’s both storage for the home and a small car. Well, will be in the EU. That kind of integration with the grid needs public sector guidance and involvement though, or car manufacturers can’t play their part. The lack of government planning here is shocking. Manufacturers can’t work with that.
Demand for big saloon cars is just not there anymore. Ford did something similar hence the Mondeo has gone in favour of SUVs, etc.
GlennQuagmire
Free MemberDemand for big saloon cars is just not there anymore. Ford did something similar hence the Mondeo has gone in favour of SUVs, etc.
Not just the Mondeo, also the Fiesta, Focus, Galaxy, S MAX and KA. Their replacements being the Edge, Puma, Kuga, ???, ??? and the ironically titled EcoSport which is neither economical or sporty.
It’s quite depressing when you put it like that. I didn’t realise the Focus was a gonna too!
Edge
Already killed off in the UK too, barely sold any of them. EcoSport isn't on their site now too.
So I think that leaves;
Mustang Mach-E
Kuga
Focus
Puma
Right back to growing up in the 80's when they just had Fiesta, Escort/Orion, Sierra and Granada/Scorpio Not even that!
I also hope we will see a change in how many drive cars, and that we move to smaller and more efficient cars.
Most electric cars are getting bigger and heavier !
On Radio 4 recently they were saying that the date of 2030 for stop of sale of diesel cars may well be put back to 2035.
We could all buy Citroen Ami's for the same price as an ebike.
His is bad news. As some one who like diesel powered estate cars I’m going to get stuck for options soon. I don’t want an suv and I certainly don’t want electric
For anyone wondering if the human race will step up to the plate and make the necessary sacrifices to defeat global warming this announcement tells you everything you need to know.😬
That's disappointing. I was thinking of a Volvo estate for when my Focus dies (hopefully a while yet). The Focus estate is an ideal size for me, but apart from being discontinued, I'm not buying another Ford after their refusal to take responsibility for the timing belt and other design defects in the EcoBoost engine.
mashr
Already killed off in the UK too, barely sold any of them. EcoSport isn’t on their site now too.
So I think that leaves;
Mustang Mach-E
Kuga
Focus
Puma
Oh shit you're right, missed that one.
Guess the Edge will be replaced with the Explorer electric when that arrives. Not sure about the electric version, but the petrol one can be configured with 7 seats, if so i guess that could be the Galaxy/SMAX replacement also.
Most electric cars are getting bigger and heavier !
Huge vehicles with little space inside. The big Teslas are very popular and wrong for everything in the UK.
We could all buy Citroen Ami’s for the same price as an ebike.
Some laws need changing to support this. Again, not going to come from this government. Would love something like an Ami as a second car for our household… if we lived over the other side of the channel we’d have one today.
Volvo recently published its global sales figures for the first half of 2023, revealing that its most popular car – an SUV – outsold its entire saloon and estate range by a margin of nearly 70%.
The S90 was the most popular of the now-discontinued cars, with 23,000 sales over the six-month period. The S60 accounted for 18,000 and the V60 just over 16,000. The V90, however, notched up just 7100.
The best-selling Volvo XC60, meanwhile, sold 106,000, remaining hugely popular even in its sixth year on sale.
Figures don't lie unfortunately. I am also in the estate rather than SUV camp, so unhappy with the way things are headed 😔
Oh dear, how sad, unfortunetly 1980s car choices arent coming back. Time to adapt and move on.
Huge vehicles with little space inside. The big Teslas are very popular and wrong for everything in the UK.
I don't disagree with anything on the thread, estates are way better than SUV's but you're wrong about Teslas. There's loads of space in them. They're one of the few EV's that are a true skateboard drivetrain with a shell on top. The model 3 & Y boots are massive, there's zero intrusion in the cabin from any drivetrain, it's all space & storage and don't forget there's another boot at the front.
I know people don't like Tesla's for lots of reasons, but not having interior space is way off the mark.
...if only Jim Ratcliffe would come along and rescue a car model no one wants anymore!! 🙂
I suspect that when we are all on EVs and buyers realise they can get a good chunk of extra range for free, saloons will start to come back.
Vw are bringing out an iD7 which is basically an electric Passat with a bit more iD4 styling (more's the pity), and there will apparently be an estate version.
On Radio 4 recently they were saying that the date of 2030 for stop of sale of diesel cars may well be put back to 2035.
Was that yesterday? I think it was actually the interviewer suggesting they should push back 2030 because Uxbridge apparently means the public love hydrocarbons again. The point made in rsponse was that 1. ICE cars sold up to 2030 will still be on the road and saleable on the used market and 2030 is only a ban on ICE vehicles, not Hybrids, you'll still be able to buy a V8 but it will have to have a little leccy motor on the end of the driveshaft...
2030 isn't a cliff edge, don't get tricked into culture war Eco-hysteria by desperate Tories...
Most electric cars are getting bigger and heavier !
Yeah I just want a Zoe/Leaf which would easily cover 85-90% of what my family needs, the handful of 200mile+ mile journeys with luggage we do each year doesn't necessarily require some huge range thing with a monster battery (that will degrade with age)...
For anyone wondering if the human race will step up to the plate and make the necessary sacrifices to defeat global warming this announcement tells you everything you need to know.😬
Yes people should stop buying SUVs, particularly the ones that sells in high volumes, your typical 1.3t 1.0t amd 1.5t small/medium SUVs. Instead they should buy estates but only the 2t RS6 with its huge emissions.
Why can't they just buy the
typical 1.3t 1.0t amd 1.5t small/medium
estates instead?
Ah, not fashionable enough, or rufty tufty enough to go "off road", and of course, SUVs are *much* safer /s
The model 3 & Y boots are massive
Maybe. But by “big Teslas” I meant the X that people I know keep buying. Huge super heavy things, with doors so thick they could be the walls of a house, a low ceiling, middle seat that doesn’t fold, etc. It’s like having a van with the space of a car. Plenty of electric and hybrid estates that impress more for using in day to day UK life for most folks… but that just look normal rather than a “statement”.
Agreed but Tesla stopped selling that model over two years ago.
You just take a LHD one.
Anyway… the fashion is for very big very heavy electric cars in the UK… for now… let’s hope that changes.
The latest Volvo saloon is lovely too.
Do they make a small diesel van? No? Don't care then.
Why can’t they just buy the
typical 1.3t 1.0t amd 1.5t small/medium
estates instead?
Ah, not fashionable enough, or rufty tufty enough to go “off road”, and of course, SUVs are *much* safer /s
Why can't they just buy the SUV version if they prefer it?
Different people like different things.
Or maybe they should buy estates because a geezer on tinternet doesn't agree, even if they don't care about fashion. As for safety, strawman much?
Yes people should stop buying SUVs, particularly the ones that sells in high volumes, your typical 1.3t 1.0t amd 1.5t small/medium SUVs. Instead they should buy estates but only the 2t RS6 with its huge emissions.
The D4 V90 I had did 55mpg+ on a long motorway runs. I expect you’d struggle to hit 40mpg in the heavier less aero XC90. It’s been discussed to death but for a like for like interior space you’ll be burning more fuel / co2 in a SUV than a similar sized saloon/estate. I also saw a statistic that pedestrians are 8 times more likely to be killed if you are hit by and suv vs a normal car.
@Scotroutes #noVolvoforsale? As in Hector Brocklebank of HB Fash fame :o)
I also saw a statistic that pedestrians are 8 times more likely to be killed if you are hit by and suv vs a normal car.
That was from the USA for SUV/pickups so not sure how well it translates to the UK. Since their idea of suvs pretty much start with range rovers are a bit petite.
It’s a sad state of affairs when options are being more and more limited to SUVs. It is all down to supply and profit margins….and SUVs have a much higher profit margin.
Folk are buying fewer cars at the moment due to inflation/cost of living. Parts have been harder to get hold of, so manufacturers prioritise the higher profit models. So if they’re going to sell anything, they’ll prioritise SUVs and try to convince folk that’s what they need. For some unknown reason, folk have fallen for the sales-pitch. If a car is perceived to be higher status the bigger it is, it allows for lazy engineering, if compact size and low weight are no longer critical requirements…
I followed a new Merc SUV the other day and couldn’t believe how big it was…like something in the US! The Audi Q-whatever is like a battle cruiser and way too big for our roads.
Manufacturers should be encouraged to produce lightweight, compact models, whether that’s EV or ICE. I can’t see how that doesn’t make sense on all levels.
I am so sad the Fiesta has gone. That’s all the car 90% of us need, really. It’s SUV counterpart is, frankly, horrific.
A current shape S or V90 is a rare sight but I see no end of current XC90s. Same for the *60s. I don’t think the Geely era saloons and estates appeal much to traditional Volvo buyers and those shapes of car are in steep decline anyway.
I suspect that when we are all on EVs and buyers realise they can get a good chunk of extra range for free, saloons will start to come back.
The range on a model 3 vs model x is within 5% of each other. The additional frontal area is counteracted by the more slippery shape
5lab
Full Member
I suspect that when we are all on EVs and buyers realise they can get a good chunk of extra range for free, saloons will start to come back.The range on a model 3 vs model x is within 5% of each other. The additional frontal area is counteracted by the more slippery shape
Unless I'm missing something, it looks like the 74kwh model 3 range is 322 miles
The 75kwh model x range was 237 miles
Put another way the model 3 achieves 16.8kwh/100km, the model x achieves 20.8kwh/100km.
I really struggle to understand the appeal of SUVs beyond the zero sum game of buying a higher up car so you can see over the person in the big car in front of you.
It's mostly a status thing.
I know people don’t like Tesla’s for lots of reasons, but not having interior space is way off the mark
It’s the only thing. Their build quality is poor, they’ve lied about the range… There’s no way I’d buy a Tesla, or any EV as the technology stands right now. Or the prices, for that matter. It’s been pointed out over the last couple of days that not only is the charging infrastructure inadequate, the power supplies are also inadequate, half the chargers don’t have sufficient capacity to cope with current demand.
When there’s a good supply of solid-state batteries which can provide a reliable range of 6-700 miles on a charge, which doesn’t drop to bugger-all in cold weather, please get back to me, ‘cos I might be interested.
I really struggle to understand the appeal of SUVs beyond the zero sum game of buying a higher up car so you can see over the person in the big car in front of you.
It’s mostly a status thing.
What, a Ford Kuga, or a Qashqai, or a Honda CR-X? Seriously? Bollocks. Perhaps with big Range Rovers, Audi Q7’s, etc, but the status thing applies to their cars too. Our population is getting older, older people like cars they can easily get in and out of, and see around them. There’s maybe an eight or nine inch height difference, but the higher seating position makes a huge difference! I’ve driven hundreds, I’ve also driven hundreds of sports and saloon/estate cars, and when I decided it was time to replace my elderly Octavia, I bought an EcoSport, with a 1.0 petrol instead of a 1.9 diesel. It’s a far easier car to get in and out of, and it’s great fun to drive. I honestly can’t think of another car I’d replace it with, except perhaps a Puma ST, which is only marginally bigger. And a bit quicker.
My partner, for a number of reasons, would only sit in the back of my Octavia, and even then she’d have panic attacks; in the EcoSport, because of the higher seats, she was perfectly relaxed and comfortable, it’s comfort for the greater majority of car buyers, status only matters to those who feel they have some sort of superiority complex they need to have everyone else acknowledge.
Quite sad... Give me a v90 t8 with the upgraded Bower and Wilkins sound system any day of the week over a Chelsea tractor.
design defects in the EcoBoost engine.
I've always thought that a tiny capacity turbo charged engine + Ford was a bad idea, it'll be on high boost all the time to make the thing move at a semi-reasonable pace. That can't be good for longevity.
That can’t be good for longevity.
Why not? Pretty sure my engine is on boost all the time.
Why not? Pretty sure my engine is on boost all the time.
Our V70 Volvo with the 2.4l 5cylinder non turbo engine has done 201k miles. Its unstressed at 140hp. Only ever had timing belts and I had to clean it's cam timing advance solenoid a few months ago.
I also have a Volvo D5 engine in a XC90 with 215k miles. That's getting new lifter's & rockers but is otherwise like new.
No way are these 1l highly stressed engines going to see 200k+ miles.
Unless I’m missing something, it looks like the 74kwh model 3 range is 322 miles
The 75kwh model x range was 237 milesPut another way the model 3 achieves 16.8kwh/100km, the model x achieves 20.8kwh/100km.
My bad I meant the 3 and the y (which are equivalent to each other in other ways)
I meant the X that people I know keep buying. Huge super heavy things, with doors so thick they could be the walls of a house, a low ceiling, middle seat that doesn’t fold, etc. It’s like having a van with the space of a car
TBH I doubt they will now as Tesla has cancelled the RHD version of this and a lhd in U.K. is meh.
I’ve always thought that a tiny capacity turbo charged engine + Ford was a bad idea, it’ll be on high boost all the time to make the thing move at a semi-reasonable pace. That can’t be good for longevity.
I suppose it depends on the quality of the engineering and materials but it’s just an engine with a turbo.
I doubt if ford care if it’s actually working 5-10 years down the line.
I really struggle to understand the appeal of SUVs beyond the zero sum game of buying a higher up car so you can see over the person in the big car in front of you.
It’s mostly a status thing.
No it is not at all. As I have said they have a much more practical load space. They are also easier to get in and out of. The higher driving position allows you to see over more hedges etc. Our SUV with a 2.0 petrol engine was more economical and way faster than our 3 cylinder 990cc eco Ford Fiesta.
I also saw a statistic that pedestrians are 8 times more likely to be killed if you are hit by and suv vs a normal car.
And you didn't question the statement - FFS do some critical thinking.
So a vehicle the same width & weight as another but slightly taller yet it's 8 times more likely to kill a pedestrian - yeah, that works...
When there’s a good supply of solid-state batteries which can provide a reliable range of 6-700 miles on a charge, which doesn’t drop to bugger-all in cold weather, please get back to me, ‘cos I might be interested.
How many folk on here actually drive more than 200 miles on any given day in a week, bet it's a small minority.
mattyfez
I’ve always thought that a tiny capacity turbo charged engine + Ford was a bad idea, it’ll be on high boost all the time to make the thing move at a semi-reasonable pace. That can’t be good for longevity.
Intuitively it seems like that would be the case. In reality the vast majority of issues are related to the wet belt (cam belt that runs in oil).
There are two main issues
1, it's extremely expensive to replace and requires special tools that back street garages don't have so you are stuck taking it to a main dealer
2, if you either miss an oil change, the oil gets polluted, or the wrong grade of oil is used, the wet belt can begin to fray. The loose threads end up blocking the oil channels resulting in damage to the turbo, bearings etc.
Note - the current version of the EcoBoost engine has done away with the wet belt