Volvo S60L (Volvo)
Volvos imported from China? If that sounds like a stretch, it is.
Literally.
Reuters reports that the Swedish car company, which is owned by Chinese automaker Geely, will begin exporting long-wheelbase versions of its S60 sedan from China to the United States next year.
Volvo began producing the cars in the city of Chengdu last year to supply the local market, but had previously announced plans to eventually build cars for export.
An anonymous executive not authorized to speak to the media told Reuters the cars would start shipping to the U.S. next year, along with XC90 crossovers earmarked for Russia.
Volvo would not officially confirm when exports would begin.
If it happens next year, the S60L will likely be the first high-volume made in China car old in the United States.
The S60 was recently updated with Volvo’s new line of supercharged and turbocharged engines, which are designed to deliver a combination of power and fuel efficiency. Although a strong seller for the brand, the model has one of the smallest interiors in the compact sedan class and the stretched version features a much larger back seat.