Volvo tackling wait times for new XC90 with subsidised XC60 rental

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Long delivery times for the new Volvo XC90 are being addressed by Volvo US with the offer of short-term subsidised rental of a new XC60 while they wait.

Sometimes, a car launch is so successful it creates long wait times for delivery, taking the gloss off the experience for buyers and frustrating all involved – customer, dealer and car maker. And that’s starting to happen with the new Volvo XC90.

With more buyers than they could probably have ever expected for the new XC90, Volvo is having to think clever (in the US, for now) to keep customers happy while they twiddle their thumbs waiting for their new car to arrive.

The problem is particularly difficult where Volvo has tempted a buyer out of a rival marque, and where the buyer has a lease returning by a specific date. So to tackle the problem Volvo has come up with the idea of offering short-term rentals of a new XC60, in conjunction with Enterprise.

Enterprise are buying a new XC60 from the waiting customer’s dealer, and will make the car available to the customer at a price subsidised by Volvo. The subsidy seems to be around a third of the rental, and some Volvo dealers are also chipping in the same, which means the XC90 waiters can drive around in a new XC60 costing as little as a third of the normal price whilst they’re waiting.

As soon as the customers’ XC90 arrives they can return the XC60 to Enterprise who will then  use it as a normal rental car before returning it to the supplying dealer after about six months at a pre-agreed price.

It may cost Volvo money to subsidise the XC60 rental, but with up to 60 new orders a day coming in from their current sales tour of Volvo dealers in the US, it’s clear something needed to be done to keep customers happy.

This should work.