Volvo surprised a few of us when it originally decided against bringing the V40 stateside, but it seems that the Swedish company is changing its mind about the hatchback.
According to InsideLine Volvo is bringing the V40 hatchback to the US, but they still aren’t sure about a sedan or wagon variation. This news comes out following an announcement of plans to also produce a new subcompact crossover, likely smaller than the upcoming XC40, named the XC30. The XC40 should debut at the Paris auto show this fall.
The issue is that there is no platform for Volvo to use for this smaller crossover. The V40’s platform is actually from a Ford compact base, and it seems the Swedish company is trying to phase out Ford hardware.
As such, Volvo is apparently looking to ink a deal with a partner to share platform development. The company’s experience with safety technology and alternate fuel will likely be a valuable bargaining chip that will entice other car makers to sign-on.
Update: InsideLine has since updated the original article stating now that “Volvo also reconfirmed that it will not sell the new V40 hatchback in the U.S.”
[Source: InsideLine]