Wheels: Volvo XC60 Is Nice Car, but It Lacks Competitors’ Value
Money matters. A cursory glance at recent developments in the global automobile industry indicates as much. Mercedes-Benz, long among the world’s leading purveyors of luxury metal, saw its first-quarter profit double. GM and Ford, although doing much better than their performance of barely a decade ago, continued to struggle. Germany’s Audi and BMW are on a roll, largely thanks to a bevy of attractive, financially accessible models...
Nuts and Bolts: 2015.5 Volvo XC60
Bottom line: Note to Volvo and other high-end automobile manufacturers: You are going to have to start offering a lot more than “prestige” and “intangible quality.” Rapid technological progress is superseding those old notions of luxury. Head-turning quotient: It remains attractive. But it is aging in comparison with quick, attractive, innovative turnover in body styles by companies such as Hyundai and Kia. Ride, acceleration and...
