According to a report by Autocar, Volvo is considering a large, three-row SUV that will sit above the XC90 and EX90 to meet rising demand for “F-segment models” in markets like the United States and China.
“Especially in China and the US, the real three-row SUV is a growing segment and an interesting segment, but so far we have the [EX and XC]90 which covers the three-row [SUV market],” said Håkan Samuelsson, CEO and president of Volvo.
At 4,953 mm long, the XC90 is already a rather large SUV, with the EX90 being longer still at 5,037 mm. Nonetheless, both are still “small” compared to SUVs like the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS, with other models like the Cadillac Escalade being even larger.
While Samuelsson didn’t provide any further details, he did reveal that customers in certain key markets would be more interested in a hybrid compared to an electric vehicle (EV), at least for the next few years. However, he did hint that any new hybrid SUV flagship would be built at Volvo’s Charleston plant in South Carolina. “If we start building a car there, it will be a very attractive car for the US market and US customers,” said Samuelsson. Both the XC90 and EX90 are built at the American plant and are based on the SPA2 platform.
There is also a possibility of developing new models with Geely, as is the case with the EM90 that shares plenty with the Zeekr 009. The 9X, at 5,239 mm long and based on the SEA-R platform, is a worthy candidate for a “larger than XC90/EX90” SUV, with support baked in for a hybrid powertrain.
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