Volvo S90 sedan production moving to China

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Volvo Car Group will move production of its S90 flagship model to China from Sweden and export the sedan to global markets including Europe and the U.S. from its factory in Daqing, the automaker announced here today.
The move is a key part of Volvo's effort to lead the way among premium automakers in establishing a global manufacturing and export hub in China.
Volvo was the first Western automaker to export a China-made premium car to the U.S. with the long-wheelbase S60 Inscription in 2015.
Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson told Automotive News Europe on the sidelines of the event here today that S90 output at the automaker's plant in Torslanda, near Gothenburg, would be progressively reduced this year. Just a limited number of S90s will be made in Sweden in the future, he added.
Along with the European versions of the S90, which are also referred to as the regular-wheelbase variants of the car, the Daqing plant will build the long-wheelbase S90 for China and export to the U.S. starting this year and produce the S90 Excellence top-of-the-line variant for global export starting next year, the automaker said.
The China-made cars will have their public debut at the Guangzhou auto show on Nov. 18.
Volvo also announced today that current and new-generation 60-series midsize models will be built at its plant in Chengdu, western China, while its new-generation 40 series of compact vehicles will be made at a plant that is currently being built in Luqiao, which is 350km (218 miles) south of Shanghai. The automaker declined to say whether it will export it China-made 60-series and 40-series cars.
The massive increase in Volvo’s presence in China – six years ago it had no production in the world’s largest auto market -- is part of the automaker’s $11 billion revival under China owner Zhejiang Geely Holding, which bought the company from Ford Motor in 2010.
“With three plants – and the designation of one car line for each plant – Volvo creates an efficient production structure ensuring future capacity for growth,” Samuelsson said when introducing the cars today.