Volvo set to keep it simple

So whats he saying

Are the recently launched and very stylish S,XC & V60's a mistake? IMO they need to be different but not to the point of becoming boring again, Ikea design is OK for furniture but would like buy a car designed by Ikea. I drive an S80 so I like Volvo, I love the V60, but I also hate apple, all style and overpriced and actually not as good as they really could, hence they get replaced/upgraded every other day. The IPHONE 4 sucks. The IPAD is flawed and fills a market that doesn't exist

By Shaun34 on 13 December, 2010, 7:06pm

Shaun34..... The IPAD is flawed and fills a market that doesn't exist ...... isn't that the same as creating a new market?
p.s. hate the S60, V60 et al: they're overstyled. used to have a current generation V70 but got rid of it as fast as i could - it left me cold.....

By dllywelyn on 14 December, 2010, 7:03am

Spot On!

I think Jacoby is so right. A swoopy, overstyled but impractical Volvo is no use to anyone. If you want sporty but not so practical you buy a Jag or a BMW.
BMW, Audi, VW - they ooze german-ness. Volvo should be comfortable, practical, rugged, with the cool, simple scandinavian style. The current range have strayed too far from Volvo's USP. This doesn't mean that they have to be quite as dull to drive as some older models were - it is possible to hit both bases.

By pajbse on 14 December, 2010, 5:15pm

filz123

Yes I am a die hard Volvo fan, but like many have been turned away by Fords influence upon the brand whilst under their control, talk about changing things for the sake of changing them, its all happened, and Volvos are not sylish cars, they are drastically overstyled cars, no longer the svelte simple stylish cars of old, under the excellent influence of Mr. Peter Horbury. One thing has always been certian of Volvo, it gets you there, in comfort and safety. I have both a S40 at 99k (early Ford Focus version!) and S60 D5 which has nearly done 137k and is still like new, that stands for something to me, as most cars have long gone to the scrap yard before reaching anywhere near that mileage. I certainly wouldnt want to change them for the radically over styled current S40 and the grim looking new S60....what is the V60 all about for goodness sake....style style style, thats all Fordvolvo winged on about - I think they dont understand the ethos of their owners and are trying desperately to sell them to people you could not prise from their German vehicles even if you gave the cars away free........ Please think about what we care for, and build something that will appeal to us in context. and...whilst I am ranting on about it, many years ago there was a garage in South Wales which was open from 0700 till 9pm most evenings, it sold British Leylands or whatever they were called at the time, probably Morris's and Austins etc.... Rover came along with ludicrously grandois ideas and wanted one of those massive fancy sales palaces they now call a dealer.....and so the little garage closed as Rover didnt want them.....all of a sudden their sales fell 45% in that year.....we all know the answer as so many people walked from the dealership to purchase something simular at another small dealership nearby.....why dont the likes of Volvo realise that you dont need Audi/BMW/Mercedes dealerships to sell cars, you want a friendly garage that is cost effective and wont charge the earth to do the job you want done at a reasonable price and feel you havent been cheated or are paying for something you dont like anyway (i.e. a massive dealership that cant pay its expensive way)..... build lots of small outlets which are all price sensitive and your sales will increase dramatically...... increase sales, and the second hand market increases when they are sold on...then people with secondhand cars want new Volvos....simple!!!!......

By filz123 on 14 December, 2010, 7:39pm

So Volvo is still not planning the idea for a luxaury car market. Because Volvo fans I know think they stick to what they good at. Geely thought of the idea but Volvo didn't copy from other brand. Look at in Autocar.

By deviras on 15 December, 2010, 7:31am

'To keep it simple' seems to me as just another way of saying 'to make it boring'. Volvo's pre-S60 and C30 designs were almost criminally bland and straightforward. Sleek, elegant and handsome, but about as exciting and desirable as a punch in the nose. Designs like the S60 may be a little busy, but they attract buyers - look at the flowing curves from the nose to the sill, the raked roofline, those Maserati-esque hockey-stick headlights. To me, any decision to make Volvo's current design 'simpler' and more 'intuitive' will repel more potential buyers than attarct them.

By Varun on 16 December, 2010, 8:08am

Jacoby

The thing is, what actually confirms "cool Scandinavian style" ? If judged by the swoopy aerodynamic and tight fit panels of SAAB cars, Volvo doesn't need another theme to work closely to.

Jacoby's sweeping statement of what Volvo design should do doesn't bode well with Volvo's history - from the boxy designs - to the curvy ones from the PV and Amazon era - were all designed to meet the needs of other countries' styles.

Volvo's current design isn't retro - it is up to date yet reflects some previous designs as the basis for simple architecture. Jacoby needs to be sure what he is talking about and needs to make a visual picture of the kinds of "scandinavian style" as a reference.

After all, when it comes to Scandinavian coolness - one could easily tie in many of the fittings from IKEA - but those themselves are often boxy and simple. Is Jacoby therefore suggesting that the next generation of Volvo looks like a box?

By volvofan on 16 December, 2010, 12:55pm

Volvo cant win

Volvo made square cars with big boots, everyone hated them except antique dealers. Boring Volvo box, whilst the opposition was all curvy. Volvo had its fans but didnt sell many cars. Volvo started adding curves, everyone said that looks better but no one bought them, even though more people alleged to. Customers went away from a test drive saying the boot isnt big enough, Volvo should stick to what they do best and build big estate cars, but if they did no one would buy them.

Its the same at SAAB, everyone loves SAAB's but no one buys them.

Jaguar spent millions on consumer groups showcasing new designs and brought out the S Class, the X type and the previous XJ. The consumers said that what they wanted, but they didnt buy them. Jaguar ditched the X type and everyone says what a shame, it was a decent car, they produce the stunningly good XF but some dont like it because its "not a Jaguar". I could go on for hours but you get the point Volvo can not do right for doing wrong, they could build the best car on the planet but mugs will still buy Geman, the current Mondeo is one of the best cars for sale in any price bracket, but not as popular as the dull 3 series or A4

By Shaun34 on 17 December, 2010, 11:58pm

iPad is not flawed!

Skoda, VW and other brands in their latest 2011 concept cars all have removable iPads. You can clearly see where this is going - replacement of heater controls that flip up optionally as a standard "app" which frees up space to where the conventional systems used to be slotted in. iPad certainly isn't flawed. So many applications could be used on it to replace certain systems in the car's interior - not just restricted to heater controls but also replacing the TomTom idea - sat nav when you need it instead of those systems that automatically pop up. Its a good idea using the iPad in the car. Certainly not flawed!

By volvofan on 8 March, 2011, 4:43pm