According to figures released earlier today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Volvo Car UK is on course to become the first premium motor manufacturer to sell more cars in 2009 than it did in 2008. Volvo sales up to the end of November 2009 stand at 31,393 compared to 2008's year-to-date figure of 31,655 and the full year result of 33,358 units.
Volvo Car UK is also on target to hit its goal of over 10,000 sales in the fourth quarter of the year - the first time this figure has been achieved in the final quarter in nineteenyears. This achievement underlines the appeal of the Volvo brand, particularly the new, environmentally-conscious DRIVe range, in these challenging economic times.
Volvo Car UK welcomed the Government Scrappage Scheme which was introduced in May 2009 and has clearly contributed to Volvo's sales increase. However, Volvo's success in the UK is multi-faceted and has included sales across the range with Volvo even seeing unprecedented sales growth of the XC90 seven-seat SUV, as well as cementing its position as the number one seller of large estate cars. Forward orders of the new Volvo C30 SportsCoupe are also very strong.
Volvo's DRIVe range is now available across the majority of Volvo models and up to the end of November 2009 accounted for 52 percent of C30 SportsCoupe sales, 50 percent of XC60 crossover sales, 52 percent of S40 saloon and 67 percent of V50 Sportswagon sales. DRIVe offers lower CO2 emissions and more miles per gallon without compromising on style and comfort.
The obvious customer confidence in the Volvo brand is also shared by the Volvo franchised dealer network in the UK. In the recent National Franchised Dealer Association survey, the Volvo dealer network's perception of the brand had risen to all-time high in recent years, with the brand ranking as fourth out of 33 competitors when questioned about the future profitability of the marque.
Peter Rask, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said; "2009 has been a challenging year for the whole automotive industry but I'm very pleased that Volvo has emerged from this difficult period in such a strong position. Customers are recognising Volvo's unique blend of premium, quality products at exceptionally competitive prices and are voting with their wallets. Our environmentally conscious DRIVe range has also hit the mark particularly with the C30 DRIVe delivering better fuel consumption than any hybrid car on the road today. Equally pleasing is that we are attracting new customers across all model lines. It's also very welcome to see that Volvo dealers are sharing in the success, and we are all looking forward to a number of exciting new models, including the new C30, new C70 and the forthcoming all-new S60."
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