Volvo Reports 11 Per Cent Rise In New Car Sales

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Thu, 15 Jan 2009

Sales of Volvo cars increased by almost 11 per cent in 2008, new figures have revealed.

According to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Volvo saw sales of new registrations rise 10.9 per cent on figures for 2007, despite the global economic downturn.

The car manufacturer sold a total of 33,358 cars during 2008 and was one of only nine manufacturers on the 52-strong SMMT list to have experienced positive sales growth.

As a result, its UK market share has risen by 25 per cent over the past twelve months to 1.56 per cent.

The strong performance from Volvo is in stark contrast to the new car market as a whole, which experienced an overall fall of 11.32 per cent in 2008 - equivalent to 272,212 fewer cars sold to UK motorists .

Commenting on the figures, Nick Connor, sales director at Volvo Car UK, said: "The introduction of the R-Design package on C30, S40 and V50 models has played a major role in attracting new buyers to the brand.

"Used car experts CAP say it's also had a positive effect on residual values, further increasing the cars' desirability at a time of economic uncertainty."

The SMMT figures also revealed that Volvo has managed to carry its impressive 2008-performance into the new year, with sales up 16 per cent compared with the same period last year.