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The new Volvo S90 and V90 executive models are "the next step of the brand transformation" and demonstrate to the industry that the brand is able to fulfil its promises, according to Volvo's UK head of business sales Selwyn Cooper.
The build-up to launch has been going on for most of the year, with the Swedish brand "able to pre-position the car with clients with the highest propensity to purchase".
"All the field team now have cars to take to clients, some that are not even Volvo clients, and we've had a fantastic response," Cooper told BusinessCar. "We've got a level of trust behind the brand, but people want to drive the cars."
The new cars, which replace the V70 and S80, were launched last month, and the company is to broaden the range late this year with a new sporty-styled R-design trim level and a jacked-up off-road V90 Cross Country model (pictured), while plug-in versions of both have been confirmed and are expected to account for at 10-20% of sales when they launch next summer. That, though, could rise, as the plug-in version of the XC90 SUV is running at just over 20% of that model's volume in fleet and just under 20% overall - a number that has surprised the manufacturer.
Coming with a 28-mile range and 44g/km for the saloon S90 and 47g/km for the V90 estate, the plug-in petrol-electric model will travel 0-62mph in just 5.2 seconds thanks to its combined 407hp powertrain.
Every new Volvo will have a plug-in version, with the entire line-up being refreshed by 2020, when the XC90 launched last year will be the oldest model. There will also be a pure-electric car launching by 2019.
Cooper said that Volvo is looking to grow all channels equally, with true fleet mix of the company's volume - that left once the likes of rental, Motability and captive volume has been removed - staying at around 40% as volume grows over the next few years towards 60,000 cars per year in the UK in 2020.
"We've got great products with more to come, we've got the right people and we've got business momentum," concluded Cooper.
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