Fancy a Volvo S60, V60, S90 or V90? Then be quick before Volvo CULL saloons and estates

Volvo is on a mission to go electric, and in the process will deliver even more SUVs at the expense of both saloon and estate cars.

Twenty years ago Volvo was renowned for producing very safe, rather staid (with some notable exceptions) cars, and especially hugely commodious estates much loved by the chattering classes for moving children, stuff and more.

But then Volvo decided what they really needed was an SUV and along came the original XC90 in 2002, not to universal praise initially, it has to be said, but so good was the original XC90 that it grew in appeal throughout it’s almost 15 year life to become the default middle-class SUV of choice.

Volvo followed up the XC90 with the smaller XC60 in 2008, and that too managed to gather more buyers through its life to end up the top-selling SUV in its sector in Europe.

The current range of Volvo SUVs was completed with the arrival of the XC40 in 2017, delivering yet another Volvo SUV that managed to stand out from the usual ‘Premium’ crowd of SUVs, and which has now spawned an electric XC40 Recharge and its ‘Coupe’ sibling C40.

Throughout the rise and rise of the Volvo SUV, Volvo has managed to retain very appealing saloons and estates too, with the V90 and V60 estates – also available as Cross Country models – and the S90 and S60 saloons. But, it seems, not for much longer. Or at least not for much longer with so much choice.

Speaking to Autocar, Volvo boss Håkan Samuelsson said that what Volvo really needs is even more SUVs – despite the fact they already account for around 75 per cent of all Volvo sales – and fewer saloon and estate car variants.

Perhaps that will mean the end of the very good high-riding V60 and V90 Cross Country – although almost half of V90 sales are Cross Country models – and a restricted range of other models. 

Or could it mean the end of estates and saloons at Volvo altogether as an even smaller XC20 arrives at the bottom and a high-end XC100 arrives at the top of the SUV range?

Whatever the degree of culling Volvo inflicts on their saloon and estate ranges then now is the time to buy, especially of you’re happy with a pre-reg or slightly used model.