QUOTE(yakuzaspeed @ Jan 11 2006, 11:41 PM)

i skimmed through the post, and i'll admit i did not see what everyone wrote in detail.
this is supposed to be the new xc30. a small suv available for customers who complain the xc90 is too big.
the real reason they are making this is to use the same platform across the ford line. they plan on building the land rover freelander on this platform. the freelander is the smallest truck in the land rover line up, but it is more than capable of doing many things the bigger ones can. problem is, the freelander has had the same design since 97 in europe, and since its launch here in the states in 01, it has not changed. they actually are not selling an 06 model in the north american market until this new xc30 comes out.
ford, if i'm not mistaken, is also planning on using this platform for the new escape and mazda tribute.
we'll see what happens in the future. again, this is a full volvo design that will be used by all the car lines under the ford umbrella.
That is no SUV, and does not resemble an SUV. Look at the front end and side profile. It's car all the way.
This vehicle is in the Mazda 3 hatch, Focus hatch, Toyota Matrix, Scion Xa catagory. An entry level. The V50 a "crossover SUV" is already in the Volvo lineup as a small SUV and is the XC90s "little brother".
The 30 designates it below the 40-series, which was already the entry level car. So to me the 30 series is a going to target the teenager or first car market aka Civic/Scion/Mazda 3. I don't think it's targeted as a small SUV replacement. It's for a fun loving teenybopper's first car because mommy and daddy want their kid to be "safe" and who wouldn't have their kid caught dead in a Hyundai.
Edited by Slater, 13 January 2006 - 02:46 AM.