The new Volvo XC60 midsize SUV has been named World Car of the Year 2018, adding another accolade to Volvo's growing list, with the Volvo XC40 compact SUV named European Car of the Year, earlier this month.
The voting on the World Car of the Year is done by an international jury panel of eighty-two (82) top level automotive journalists from twenty-four (24) countries around the world. The Volvo XC60 was chosen from an initial entry list of 34 vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of ten, reduced to three finalists announced in Geneva earlier this month.
The World Car of the Year award for the Volvo XC60 validates the local awards of 2018 Wheels Car of the Year and the 2017 Drive Luxury SUV under $80,000 in addition to the 2017 Drive Safety Innovation Award.
"Our company's product investments are paying off. The world automotive industry is very competitive and Australia is no different. So this award for our XC60 shows that we have the right combination of exterior and interior design. Our thought and craftsmanship is what inspires and, this combined with connectivity and safety appeals all around the world", said Nick Connor Managing Director of Volvo Car Australia.
In the new XC60, Euro NCAP's best overall performer in 2017, Volvo's City Safety Autonomous Emergency Braking system has been enhanced with steering support for when automatic braking alone may not help avoid a potential collision. In addition Oncoming Lane Mitigation with Steer Assist which helps mitigate head-on collisions and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Steer Assist functionality has been added to reduce the risk of lane-changing collisions.
Locally the Volvo XC60 passed the ANCAP assessment achieving 5 stars, and taking out the highest scores to date in the areas of Adult Occupant Protection and Safety Assist.
Volvo Car Group in 2016
For the 2016 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 11,014 MSEK (6,620 MSEK in 2015). Revenue over the period amounted to 180,672 MSEK (164,043 MSEK). For the full year 2016, global sales reached record 534,332 cars, an increase of 6.2 per cent versus 2015. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan.
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 534,332 cars in 2016 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.
As of December 2016, Volvo Cars had over 31,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company's main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), Chengdu and Daqing (China), while engines are manufactured in Skived (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Lofstrom (Sweden).