Volvo has plans for smaller electric SUV than XC40

By RIZAL JOHAN | 5 October 2020


PETALING JAYA: Volvo has plans for a smaller SUV positioned below the XC40, according to a report by autoexpress.co.uk,

It might be called the XC20 and would be based on the new pure-electric platform called Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) developed by Geely.

Geely had unveiled the electric platform at the recent Beijing Auto Show.

Volvo's chief executive officer, Hakan Samuelsson, admitted that his engineers are also working on models based on SEA.

READ MORE: Geely debuts its first EV-focused architecture

Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd.'s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) open-source electric vehicle platform is displayed during a launch event in Beijing. Photographer: Yan Cong/Bloomberg
Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd.'s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) open-source electric vehicle platform is displayed during a launch event in Beijing. — Bloomberg


“We will also use SEA,” Samuelsson said. “We’ll use it for a smaller car, where I think it’s very practical and smart for us to share that, so we can have a cost structure for a smaller car that’s very competitive. "

As for the name of the new model, it's still up in the air so we'll call it the 'XC20 for now.

No timeframe has been given for the XC20, but Samuelsson confirmed that it is one of the cars with pure-electric variants to roll out by 2025.

At the other end of the scale, Volvo is hatching a plot to take on the Mercedes GLS and BMW X7 with a bigger and an even more luxurious SUV than the XC90. Likely to be called the XC100, the 4-seater SUV is expected to be based on the SPA2 platform, an evolution of the SPA architecture for the 60 and 90 series Volvos. The SPA2 platform is said to be able to handle bigger vehicles of up to 5.5m long.The XC100 is scheduled to head into showrooms in 2024.

 

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