XC 90 becomes the first ‘Made in India’ Volvo car

Words by Ganesh Murthy

Earlier this summer, Volvo had announced that it would start assembly operations for its cars in India in 2017. Keeping its promise, the luxury car maker has rolled out its first locally assembled car, the XC90, from its Bengaluru facility earlier this week.

The plant puts the focus on models based on Volvo’s SPA modular vehicle architecture.  Apart from the XC90, more models on the SPA platform are slated for local assembly with an announcement on the same, yet to happen at a later stage according to Volvo. Volvo Cars is also working together with Volvo Group India – the truck, bus and construction equipment manufacturer – for its assembly operations, while making use of Volvo Group India’s existing infrastructure and production licenses near Bengaluru.

“It’s a moment of great pride for all of us at Volvo Cars”, said Charles Frump, the newly appointed Managing Director for Volvo Auto India. “The roll-out of first locally assembled Volvo Car speaks volumes for the company’s commitment to grow further in India. The last three years have been good for us in India and we noticed a positive and encouraging growth in terms of increased segment share, world-class product and new dealer appointments. With global standards in quality, we are a formidable luxury car company in India and on-track to gain a bigger share of the segment.”

Rolling this mammoth SUV is a  2-litre 4 cyclinder twin turbocharged diesel engine churning out a peak power of 225bhp that is coupled to an 8-speed Geartronic transmission with an all-wheel drive mode. It comes with features like the park assist pilot, hill start assist, hill descent control, air suspension on all four wheels, a 12-inch driver display, a 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system and four drive modes.