The Volvo S90 is scheduled to debut at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show, and the new luxury sedan has its sights locked squarely on the Germans.
In an interview with Automotive News, Volvo’s North American VP of marketing Bodil Eriksson says the Chinese-Swedish company’s new flagship is looking to steal sales away from Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5-Series buyers. Conquest sales, they’re called, and Eriksson hopes to make 5,000 to 7,000 of them in 2016 in the US.
However, she hopes that number will grow to 15,000 to 20,000 by 2017. Keep in mind that the E-Class and 5-Series sells about 40,000 annually in the US. Can Volvo sell half that number in just its first full year of sales after being off the luxury radar for so long?
Eriksson is banking on Volvo’s Scandinavian design and easy-to-use technology. For example, semi-autonomous driving will be standard on all S90s. Eriksson also noted that Volvo hopes to attract the same kind of customer as Subaru, the “outdoorsy, active lifestyle buyer who is more interested in safety and other features than status.” However, she also acknowledged that they would be “looking for a more luxurious vehicle than a Subaru.”
The S90, to be offered in turbo-four and plug-in hybrid drivetrains, has been leaked in toy form and shown by Volvo already (the wagon too was just exposed) but will make its official debut at the North American International Auto Show, which begins January 11.
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