Volvo to have India-assembled hybrid SUV by 2019-end

Swedish luxury car maker Volvo Cars India will roll out its first locally-assembled plug-in hybrid XC90 by the end of 2019. This will be an SUV (sports utility vehicle) and will compete with the BMW X6 35i M Sport and the Mercedes-AMG GLE 43 4Matic.

Charles Frump, managing director, Volvo Car India, said on Wednesday the plug-in hybrid car will cost around 8% more than the diesel inscription car.

“If our diesel car is priced at Rs 89 lakh (ex-showroom), the plug-in hybrid will cost Rs 96 lakh,” Frump said.

The hybrid car will be locally assembled and the company will provide charging stations at no additional cost. “We will be providing charging stations at the customer’s house and workplace which will be included in the cost of the car. That will make it convenient for the customer,” the MD said.

Frump said that FY18 had been a tough year for the luxury automotive market. “But we launched new cars XC60, XC40, and it’s important to launch products and have effective dealerships,” he said.

The company opened a second showroom in Mumbai on Wednesday under the ownership of KIFS motors. In all, Volvo cars has 25 showrooms across India including those in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Delhi and Lucknow.

Volvo India