Aussie Motoring

Yes, you did read that correctly … we are talking about selling Volvo the company and not just a Volvo.

For some time now Ford has owned Volvo as part of the Premier Automotive Group that also included Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover but all it has left now is Volvo and Ford needs the cash.

So who might buy Volvo? Renault and Ford have been talking for a while but can’t agree on a price and now Ford is also talking to Dongfeng … China’s third largest car manufacturer.

Jaguar made by Tata and now Volvo made in China … what is the world coming to?

Well at the moment they’re all owned by Ford … but Ford would like to sell them … if they can find a buyer.

On paper Volvo is probably the marque that’s got the most appeal to prospective purchasers but the reality is that Volvo isn’t doing quite so well as it appears to be on paper.

And who would want to buy Land Rover and Jaguar? There are the usual bunch of private equity groups trying to grab both companies but there are also two possible contenders that come as a bit of a surprise. Industry experts suggest that two Indian car manufacturer are very interested in buying both Land Rover and Jaguar.

The two companies are Tata motors and the Mahindra group. Both are major players in the booming Indian market and both have tried to break into the Australian market … without much success..

Mahindra is a major manufacturer of low-cost motor vehicles including a 2WD and 4WD utility similar to a Toyota Hilux. The ute was to be exhibited at the Orange National Field Days last year and Tynan Motors had been appointed as the importer and distributor.

The plan was for the first shipment of Mahindra utes to hit the showrooms around the middle of this year but that doesn’t seem to have happened and Mahindra is not listed on the Tynan Motors website.

Tata Motors is also a major player in the Indian automotive scene. They produce a wide range of vehicles for the private and commercial sectors. Tata Motors first tested the Australian market four years ago and could be back in the Australian market later this year but experts are not hopeful of Tata having any more success than they did four years ago.

You can read more about Tata, Mahindra and the Australian market here

But will either company be able to make turn around the fortunes of Land Rover and Jaguar? Overseas experts describe both Ford subsidiaries as ‘basket cases’ so it will be interesting to see what lies ahead.

My brother-in-law drives a Volvo and has done for many years. He is your very typical Volvo driver … well at least he doesn’t wear a hat … but I’m sure you get the picture.

However, I’m not sure you will ever see him in a Volvo like this one.

It’s the new Volvo C30 and it will be released at the Paris Motor Show in September.

The edgy design of the C30 features a unique frameless glass tailgate, a confident stance and the broad shoulders that have become a Volvo design hallmark. The C30 will represent a new segment entry for Volvo. “The new C30 is an ambitious new car for Volvo,” commented Fredrik Arp, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation. “It is a car that aims for a group of young singles, or couples, with intense urban lifestyles. These people prioritize excitement in design and driving characteristics, and this car should suit their varied tastes perfectly.”

Global sales of the new C30 are targeted at 65,000 cars annually. Fully 75 percent of those sales are expected to come from Europe, with the largest markets being Italy, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA), is currently evaluating the possibility of introducing the new C30 to the U.S. market.

he new Volvo C30 has room for four adults thanks to the two sport bucket rear seats with generous head and leg room. The rear seats are positioned slightly inboard to provide a feeling of space and exceptional outward visibility through the windshield. The space between the seats also makes the thin, visually floating center stack clearly visible through the glass tailgate. The folding rear seats really help meet the needs of the targeted customer’s active lifestyle.

The interior program has been designed to meet the C30 buyers taste for personal choices. Even the base program offers the sporty T-Tech upholstery. “The Volvo C30 is a very exciting car with emotional appeal. We anticipate that the C30’s youthfulness and dynamic design will catch the hearts and minds of people beyond Volvo’s traditional customers,” commented Anne Belec, President and CEO of VCNA.

Putting 218 horsepower to the front wheels, the new C30 is powered by a turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine that produces 236 pound-feet of torque.

When it comes to safety, the new C30 is a true Volvo. Among other things, it will be available with BLIS (Blind Spot Information System), which helps the driver to identify another vehicle in the blind spot at the rear sides of the car.

The front end incorporates the same patented multi-steel structure as the S40 and V50. Combined with airbags and safety belt pretensioners, the C30 offers first class safety. But the C30 wouldn’t be a Volvo if it didn’t also include such standard safety equipment as the Whiplash Protection System, WHIPS, and a Side Impact Protection System with side airbags and the Inflatable Curtain, IC.