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Volvo will no longer make estates for the UK: is that such a terrible thing?
We look back at some of Volvo's classics as Volvo's announced that they will no longer make estates and saloons for the UK, including its S60, V60 and V90.
Words by: Auto Trader
Published on 9 August 2023 | 0 min read
Volvo has confirmed that it will no longer make estates and saloons for the UK, having removed the last of them – the S60, V60 and V90 – from its online configurator.
Shocker, right? It’s like Adele saying she’s not going to do wistful heartbreak ballads anymore. Or Ford saying it’s no longer going to make the Fiesta…oh. Yes, truly the times are changing. But, really, is it so mad for Volvo to go the way of the market? The answer is in the question. Taking the UK alone, there isn’t a single saloon or estate in the top ten best-selling cars so far this year (2023). By contrast, there are seven SUVs or crossovers, which is exactly where Volvo is going to focus its attention from now on - in the UK, at least. Volvo will continue saloon and estate production elsewhere, but it would be no surprise if this decision sets a blueprint globally. “Currently less than 10% of our UK sales are represented by saloon/estate models,” Volvo told us. “The vast majority of our customers opt for an SUV. The XC40, XC60 and XC90 all sit in the top three positions in their respective segments when it comes to UK sales.”
Shocker, right? It’s like Adele saying she’s not going to do wistful heartbreak ballads anymore. Or Ford saying it’s no longer going to make the Fiesta…oh. Yes, truly the times are changing. But, really, is it so mad for Volvo to go the way of the market? The answer is in the question. Taking the UK alone, there isn’t a single saloon or estate in the top ten best-selling cars so far this year (2023). By contrast, there are seven SUVs or crossovers, which is exactly where Volvo is going to focus its attention from now on - in the UK, at least. Volvo will continue saloon and estate production elsewhere, but it would be no surprise if this decision sets a blueprint globally. “Currently less than 10% of our UK sales are represented by saloon/estate models,” Volvo told us. “The vast majority of our customers opt for an SUV. The XC40, XC60 and XC90 all sit in the top three positions in their respective segments when it comes to UK sales.”
It is a bit sad, though, that Volvo won’t make this stuff in right-hand drive anymore, especially estates; the big estate is the archetypal Volvo. Iconic. Unashamedly plain, safe… boring, even. But that prosaic functionality is exactly what’s always made a Volvo cool. Kurt Cobain - the figurehead of a type of music cool for its wonderful simplicity - had a Volvo, a 1986 Volvo 244 saloon. He bought it specifically because he thought it was ‘the safest car in the world’. He wasn’t wrong. In 1982 the Volvo 240 (same car, essentially) became the safest car ever crash tested in America, setting the benchmark for the next decade. Smells like serene spirit.
The thing is, the safest cars in the world today are SUVs. Or so everybody seems to feel. The high-riding, commandeering vibe of an SUV (or crossover) is one of the main reasons people love them. And SUVs are inherently much more practical than saloons, in particular – the separation of boot and cabin has always made saloons very inflexible as family cars.
But even estates can’t, by nature, match the spaciousness and flexibility of an SUV. It’s a body style that lends itself to making the most of even the smallest footprint. See the popularity of compact crossover SUVs like the Nissan Juke, and even the Toyota Aygo X, for details. Let’s compare the XC90 to the V90 estate to make the point. The XC90 is only a few millimetres longer than the V90 – so no more difficult to park - yet the cabin is vastly more accommodating, and the boot is almost 40% bigger, big enough to get an extra couple of vaguely adult-friendly seats in. The last seven-seat Volvo estate was 2000’s V70, and the two rearmost seats were less-than-ideal, forcing those diminutive enough to use them stare out of the back window. Where every tailgater appeared terrifyingly close. “Having fun back there, kids?”
But even estates can’t, by nature, match the spaciousness and flexibility of an SUV. It’s a body style that lends itself to making the most of even the smallest footprint. See the popularity of compact crossover SUVs like the Nissan Juke, and even the Toyota Aygo X, for details. Let’s compare the XC90 to the V90 estate to make the point. The XC90 is only a few millimetres longer than the V90 – so no more difficult to park - yet the cabin is vastly more accommodating, and the boot is almost 40% bigger, big enough to get an extra couple of vaguely adult-friendly seats in. The last seven-seat Volvo estate was 2000’s V70, and the two rearmost seats were less-than-ideal, forcing those diminutive enough to use them stare out of the back window. Where every tailgater appeared terrifyingly close. “Having fun back there, kids?”
Still, since Volvo produced its first estate in 1953, the Duett, it’s made a string of absolute classics, contributing to more than six million estates sold worldwide – the latest being among the finest. The V90 Cross Country – now forever the last estate Volvo sold in the UK, as it turns out – picked up the ‘Best Car For Towing’ prize at the 2023 Auto Trader Awards.
So, while it might not be such a bad thing that you can no longer buy a Volvo estate or saloon in the UK, it’ll be a long time before we stop thinking of Volvo as “the company that makes estates.” It’s okay to get all wistful and nostalgic about it. To go full Adele, if you like. So, here are three classics to get you started…
Volvo Duett
The estate that started it all for Volvo. The Duett, named to evoke its dual use as a practical commercial vehicle and a comfy day-to-day, was built between 1953 and 1969. It was replaced by the 145, whose low-and-long ‘two box’ shape set the blueprint for all future Volvo estates.
Volvo 200 Series
The 200 Series cemented the iconic status of Volvo estates, produced for almost two decades from 1974, starting with the 240. Available as a two-door coupe, a four-door saloon and an estate, it quickly became known as the world’s safest car and cemented Volvo’s reputation in that regard.
Volvo 850
Originally introduced as a saloon in 1991, the estate came in 1993. It didn’t actually last very long by Volvo standards, only running until 1996 when it was replaced by the S70 and V70. Still, it was long enough to become a bona fide classic. And an iconic police car, of course.
