Volvo planning limited release for the high-riding S60 Cross Country sedan

Almost 20 years ago Volvo launched the “Cross Country” sub-brand with the the more off-road ready version of the V70 wagon – the V70 Cross Country. Now Volvo wants to expand the sub-brand beyond the current V60 Cross Country wagon with the introduction of the S60 Cross Country sedan, but do buyers actually want it?

Volvo_S60_Cross_Country

Almost 20 years ago Volvo launched the “Cross Country” sub-brand with the the more off-road ready version of the V70 wagon – the V70 Cross Country. Now Volvo wants to expand the sub-brand beyond the current V60 Cross Country wagon with the introduction of the S60 Cross Country sedan, but do buyers actually want it?
Volvo seems to think that at least a few buyers in the world would rather have the high-riding S60 Cross Country sedan rather than the wagon version. Speaking to Car and Driver, Lex Kerssemakers, the head of Volvo’s North American operations, stated that, “There are so many niches popping up these days. You see our competitors trying to fill all sorts of niches, and I’m not convinced that the consumer is really ready for all those niches. But in all fairness, you don’t know until you have tried. You can test and clinic whatever you want, but at the end it’s the real life in which you have to find it out. We’ll see how it works.”

Volvo_S60_Cross_Country

Related: Volvo S60 Cross Country is a High-Riding Sedan That People Want?

Volvo says that the response to the S60 Cross Country is strong in markets such as Russia or India, but Volvo doesn’t expect huge demand for it in the U.S. For its initial launch, Volvo is only planning on importing 500 units that will be offered in a single spec with limited color availability. The first units will arrive this summer. Will Volvo be able to duplicate the success of the original Cross Country with a sport-utility sedan? Stay tuned…

Source: Volvo via Car and Driver