Volvo drops all estate & saloon models and now only sell SUVs

[MikeInWimbledon]

In that case you need four Mercedes-AMG ForFour Black Series Night Edition Premium Plus 125 Navi powered by Brabus. Depending upon the shape of your parking spaces, you may be able to squeeze in a fifth or even a sixth.

Every time I've looked for one, I haven't been able to find one.

Matron says she needs an Mx5.
MarkJay says I should try an EV.
I fancy something nimble and fast.
And logistics demands a Familienwagen.

 

[markjay]

Polestar is Chinese also, isn’t it?

Well, technically it's a Volvo.....

 

[markjay]

Yes, but the phrase predates the programme.

My point without getting into the curiosities of Stamford Hill, the broader point is that Volvo were the better choice than that other Swedish brand, and other European brands. Good design and marketing. (And nothing specific to the UK, I believe they were an equally popular choice in the States, where "other brands were available."

I think Saab were better built and probably even safer than Volvo at the time, however they just didn't make roomy cars.

 

[markjay]

Actually, curiously I vaguely remember a piece of info that I picked up back in the seventies saying that Saab had the lowest passenger mortality rate per mile driven (or some other calculation) than any other car at the time. I doubt I'll find the statical data now, but it does make sense to me.

 

[markjay]

View attachment 144305

Well, to be fair, in the pre-MPV era, there just weren't many alternatives if you needed a seven seater, and the Volvo estate fitted the bill, especially the massive 740.

Yes there was the German-made MB T-Wagon, or the French Peugeot 504 Familiale, but the Volvo was the biggest of them all.

The other option was obviously a van-based car, from the VW upwards. But you really needed to have lots of kids to justify buying a 9-seater....

 

[markjay]

MG are Chinese and have been on sale here for a while. The MG4 EV (starting at £27k) is Autocar's "electric car of the year 2023" so presumably not complete junk ... 7 year warranty, 200+ mile range:

All-New MG4 EV | Fully Electric Hatchback

MG4 EV is an affordable electric hatchback packed with innovation, style and up to an impressive 323 miles of driving range. Learn more now.

www.mg.co.uk

The 'estimated range' calculator on that page is quite interesting.

True, though I was thinking more of Chinese EVs made for the Chinese market:

BYD sets new monthly sales record as China’s EV market surges back to life

The world’s biggest electric-car maker sold more than a quarter of a million units in June, beating the record it set a month earlier in the latest sign that a recovery in mainland China’s EV industry is on a solid footing.

www.scmp.com

And:

BYD (Passenger Cars) - Worldwide | Statista Market Forecast

The BYD worldwide is projected to grow by 1.36% (2024-2029) resulting in a market volume of US$89bn in 2029.

www.statista.com

"From an international perspective it is shown that the most revenue will be generated in China (US$15,280.00m in 2023)."

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

True, though I was thinking more of Chinese EVs made for the Chinese market:

BYD sets new monthly sales record as China’s EV market surges back to life

The world’s biggest electric-car maker sold more than a quarter of a million units in June, beating the record it set a month earlier in the latest sign that a recovery in mainland China’s EV industry is on a solid footing.

www.scmp.com

And:

BYD (Passenger Cars) - Worldwide | Statista Market Forecast

The BYD worldwide is projected to grow by 1.36% (2024-2029) resulting in a market volume of US$89bn in 2029.

www.statista.com

"From an international perspective it is shown that the most revenue will be generated in China (US$15,280.00m in 2023)."

Not being churlish, the BYD "surge" has also been driven by its exports to Russia to replace European and American vehicles blocked by the Sanctions.

 

[Darrell]

The other option was obviously a van-based car, from the VW upwards. But you really needed to have lots of kids to justify buying a 9-seater....

The Orthodox Jews are well know for their large families……

 

[markjay]

The Orthodox Jews are well know for their large families……

Even so, it takes a few years before the 7-seater is no longer enough...... then you upgrade the car

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I think Saab were better built and probably even safer than Volvo at the time, however they just didn't make roomy cars.

I had half a dozen "back in the day."

Most of the appeal was the early turbo technology, driving style and that 5th door on a performance family saloon.

But definitely no space for a homburg.

If they made a modern equivalent, I'd be back in a SAAB Turbo at the drop of a .... hat

 

[Dippo]

I had half a dozen "back in the day."

Most of the appeal was the early turbo technology, driving style and that 5th door on a performance family saloon.

But definitely no space for a homburg.

If they made a modern equivalent, I'd be back in a SAAB Turbo at the drop of a .... hat

Some of the engineering talent is still around.

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[markjay]

I had half a dozen "back in the day."

Most of the appeal was the early turbo technology, driving style and that 5th door on a performance family saloon.

But definitely no space for a homburg.

If they made a modern equivalent, I'd be back in a SAAB Turbo at the drop of a .... hat

View attachment 144319

They were also the second mainstream automaker to put a DOHC engine as standard in their road cars (the first were Alfa Romeo).

 

[markjay]

A story I heard back in my Vauxhall days.... when SAAB was acquired by GM, the SAAB factory in Trollhättan was getting engines built in the UK (Ellesmere Port, I believe). They were complaining about "quality control" issues - one of these issues was the the yellow hue of the plastic oil filler cap was slightly different to that of the plastic loop at the top of the engine oil dipstick - which was unacceptable to the Swedes. Sadly they soon fell in line......

 

[SpikyMikey]

I had half a dozen "back in the day."

Most of the appeal was the early turbo technology, driving style and that 5th door on a performance family saloon.

But definitely no space for a homburg.

If they made a modern equivalent, I'd be back in a SAAB Turbo at the drop of a .... hat

View attachment 144319

I remember the 900 as being quite a narrow car cabin space wise. But incredibly comfy seats.

 

[Darrell]

I had half a dozen "back in the day."

Most of the appeal was the early turbo technology, driving style and that 5th door on a performance family saloon.

But definitely no space for a homburg.

If they made a modern equivalent, I'd be back in a SAAB Turbo at the drop of a .... hat

View attachment 144319

A car I’ve always fancied.

 

[Dippo]

A story I heard back in my Vauxhall days.... when SAAB was acquired by GM, the SAAB factory in Trollhättan was getting engines built in the UK (Ellesmere Port, I believe). They were complaining about "quality control" issues - one of these issues was the the yellow hue of the plastic oil filler cap was slightly different to that of the plastic loop at the top of the engine oil dipstick - which was unacceptable to the Swedes. Sadly they soon fell in line......

They kept telling us how we could benefit from GM's greater purchasing power. In nearly every single case we looked at in the UK, Saab were getting better prices from suppliers than GM - which caused a few problems for some of the suppliers!

 

[Spider10]

If my C70 was typical of the 5 cylinder diesel, (D3) you couldn’t be more wrong! Biggest money pit I have owned in nearly 60 years of driving. Almost all engine related problems, so unreliable, and low mileage, so not wear and tear.

D3 was the shitty 2.0L
2.4L D5 is the only 1 to have imo

 

[SpikyMikey]

A story I heard back in my Vauxhall days.... when SAAB was acquired by GM, the SAAB factory in Trollhättan was getting engines built in the UK (Ellesmere Port, I believe). They were complaining about "quality control" issues - one of these issues was the the yellow hue of the plastic oil filler cap was slightly different to that of the plastic loop at the top of the engine oil dipstick - which was unacceptable to the Swedes. Sadly they soon fell in line......

Just in case anyone thinks the Swedes took things a tad too seriously:

 

[SpikyMikey]

Just in case anyone thinks the Swedes took things a tad too seriously:
View attachment 144324

Official sticker applied by the factory in the 60's apparently.

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi , well Chinese car makers has substantial share holding in Mercedes.

I am sure I read that Mercedes have a major shareholding in Mazda.