Geely, Volvo Planning Global Subcompact Platform

TTAC Staff
by TTAC Staff

In an effort to sell their wares to Western markets, Geely and their subsidiary Volvo have teamed up to build a subcompact global car aimed at offerings from Ford, Honda et al.

According to Automotive News, the subcompact would be exclusive to Geely, and would go after competitors such as the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris and Volkswagen Polo. Arrival on Western shores would be a few years away according to Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson.

Geely and Volvo are developing the platform at their joint research and development center in Sweden, the second such project to be developed there. The main goal for this project is engineering a subcompact that would meet Western safety and quality standards, thus enabling Geely to gain traction in the market.

The Sino-Swedish automaker is also developing a compact platform for both of its brands to use, and is expected to hit the market in around four years. German supplier Brose Group will supply components for the compact, along with mechanical components for Geely’s own lineup, through an alliance made between Geely and Brose this month.

TTAC Staff
TTAC Staff

More by TTAC Staff

Comments
Join the conversation
9 of 16 comments
  • Fred Fred on Jan 28, 2014

    I've talked with a couple of Volvo salesmen lately and they want another C30.

    • WhiskerDaVinci WhiskerDaVinci on Jan 28, 2014

      I have too, and it's almost unanimous that they want another C30. Most Volvo fans I know, including myself were sad to see it go and want another. My local dealer has three new ones, that last they got, and I'm debating snatching one up. It's certainly a lot of fun.

  • 28-Cars-Later 28-Cars-Later on Jan 28, 2014

    S40 was a stones throw from a clown car and S60 is a hair from being compact as it is, but yeah tiny Volvo = win in the bizarro universe right?

    • Corey Lewis Corey Lewis on Jan 29, 2014

      They need MOAR SMALL CARS. The S80 is too large. The XC60 is too large. The V60 is too large! Ugh.

  • Daniel g. Daniel g. on Jan 28, 2014

    Hi, think just a minute: make the new generation of volvo in china, let´s the people in the right market talk about a good product you can make (europena maybe) next step is your own product, your name in the car, in the people´s mind is from the same manufacturer of volvo, is the only step to be a more bigger/proffitable company, the korean make something similar like that right? only with more risk and their name. sometimes the money is not the only answer, geely and donfeng move´s to be premium manufacturers. or at list try to convince all.

    • See 2 previous
    • CRConrad CRConrad on Feb 03, 2014

      @Stumpaster I think CoreyDL was perhaps remarking on typography more than English. In words like "people's" there should in fact be an apostrophe -- but there wasn't; what was there was an accent, which has nothing to do there. In that sense, Corey was quite correct: All the accents were wrong.

  • Corey Lewis Corey Lewis on Jan 29, 2014

    I like that we're getting back to rear pillar/window emblems a la the Enclave and this here. But that one above looks like a Mercury Cougar emblem.

Next