As I sat in the dimly lit conference room, sipping on a lukewarm cup of coffee, Michael Fleiss, Volvo's chief strategy and product officer, spoke to me about the state of the automotive market. It was a topic he'd touched upon before, but one that still sent a shiver down my spine: the revival of the humble station wagon. Once the epitome of Swedish design, Volvo wagons were everywhere in the 1990s and early 2000s. But as the years went by, their popularity waned, and they became the laughing stock of the automotive world. The brown manual diesel wagon, in particular, was the punchline of every joke. However, it seems that times have changed. Volvo, the same company that once churned out some of the most beautiful station wagons in the world, has had a change of heart. Fleiss revealed to The Drive that the wagon segment was "hot sh*t" ...
As I sat in the dimly lit conference room, sipping on a lukewarm cup of coffee, Michael Fleiss, Volvo’s chief strategy and product officer, spoke to me about the state of the automotive market. It was a topic he’d touched upon before, but one that still sent a shiver down my spine: the revival of the humble station wagon.
Once the epitome of Swedish design, Volvo wagons were everywhere in the 1990s and early 2000s. But as the years went by, their popularity waned, and they became the laughing stock of the automotive world. The brown manual diesel wagon, in particular, was the punchline of every joke.
However, it seems that times have changed. Volvo, the same company that once churned out some of the most beautiful station wagons in the world, has had a change of heart. Fleiss revealed to The Drive that the wagon segment was “hot sh*t” and that the market is in a very different place than it was 10 years ago.
According to Fleiss, the automotive industry has undergone a significant shift. The rise of electric vehicles and the increasing focus on sustainability have created a new landscape. And in this new world, wagons may finally have the chance to make their long-awaited return.
But what does this mean for Volvo? Fleiss was characteristically tight-lipped about specific plans, but he did hint that the company is exploring new ways to bring wagons back to the forefront. The V60 and V90, which were discontinued a few years ago, are no longer off the table.
As I left the conference room, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement. The prospect of a revived wagon market is a tantalizing one, and I, for one, am eager to see what the future holds. Will Volvo’s wagons make a triumphant return? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the automotive world will be watching.
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