The head of Volvo Cars in Europe has revealed the Swedish automaker will axe the V40 when its lifecycle comes to an end, although adds the hatchback will ultimately be replaced by something “more creative”.
Lex Kerssemakers, who heads up Volvo’s operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, hinted to Autocar the V40 would be succeeded by some sort of high-riding vehicle.
“We probably need another body style in the next two to three years in the 40 series. We need to do something more creative, which is why we decided not to replace the V40 [directly],” he told the British publication.
Autocar speculated the new vehicle – which Kerssemakers said would likely be revealed within the next two years – would take the form of a coupé-style SUV so as not to tread on the toes of the XC40.
“We can’t wait too long to introduce the new car. We don’t want to lose our space in the segment. We are still confident that we can cover certain parts of the market, although not the die-hard hatchback fans,” he said.
Kerssemakers added the automaker wouldn’t “launch a car that isn’t equipped to be fully electrified”.
