When you think of Volvo, you likely think of station wagons, crisp Scandinavian style, and safety. In 2021, 75% of all Volvos sold were SUVs, with the XC60 being the company’s best-seller. That shift in car buying appetites doesn’t bode well for lovers of long-roof cars. 

Despite the overwhelming popularity of SUVs and Crossovers, Volvo is still committing to keeping the station wagon and sedan alive. Departing Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson thinks there is a future for the station wagon, just in a new form.

Volvo’s vision for a station wagon and sedan filled future

First off, Volvo recognizes that station wagons and sedans are now a very small part of their portfolio. It doesn’t make much sense for the company to invest huge amounts of money developing new models when they are being outsold 3-to-1 by their own SUVs. However, Volvo sees a place for a new generation of station wagons and sedans.

Speaking to Autocar, Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson had this to say about new S and V lines of cars, “Yes, the [S and V] lines will be replaced with something even more attractive to consumers. We need lower cars with a more conventional body size but maybe a little less square [than previously]. These low cars will be in addition to our high-positioned SUVs. Stay tuned.”

When asked if Volvo’s current designs would lead to more coupe-like sedans and station wagons, Samuelsson said, “Yes and no. Cars will be less boxy in future, when we need to have lower air resistance. You could call it coupé-ish. We talk a lot about range in electric cars, but I think we will start looking at energy efficiency, and of course air resistance will be very central to that.”

Volvo is heading toward a EV future

Volvo currently builds 15,000 EVs per year, globally, which isn’t a lot. To put that into context, Nissan sells that many EVs just in the US each year. Volvo aims to have 50% of all of its vehicle sales be EV by 2025. 

Those ambitions likely mean that the next generation of V-series station wagons and S-series sedans will be EV or at least hybrid. Volvo also has very long product cycles. That means any new version of the S60, S90, V60 and V90 would likely come around 2025. Perfect timing for Volvo’s EV sales goals. 

The future of the station wagon and sedan in a world of SUVs and CUVs

When it comes to sedans and station wagons as a whole, the future looks pretty good. Sure, there are far fewer options for long-roof cars in the US than there used to be, but they are not completely gone, in fact there are quite a few that you can still buy right now. 

As for Volvo, their plans for the future of cars will likely be EV and a low and sleek package. Envision Volvo moving away from boxy shapes and toward designs similar to that of the Mercedes-Benz EQXX.

That will likely be the direction that most future wagons and sedans head. That’s not a bad thing at all. If you’re a fan of station wagons or just happen to prefer the driving experience of a car over an SUV, then you have nothing to worry about. At least in the near term, Volvo will continue developing these cars and stick to their roots.

Related: 5 Times Volvo Proved it is King of the Station Wagon