The current image of Volvo, even if it’s now Chinese-owned, is intrinsically linked to its original philosophy. The goal, back in the 1920s when it all started, was to make cars as safe as possible, and that’s still the company’s top priority in 2015.
The Swedish automaker recently released a short but inspirational promo video detailing the (dramatized/romanticized version of) brand’s history.
The need to create safe and durable cars was born out of necessity in Sweden, as it was deemed that imports simply couldn’t handle the treacherous conditions of the northern European nation’s road network and harsh weather combination.
This helped shape the brand into what it is today, according to the video, made in an effort to convince people that Volvo is still Volvo even under the control of Geely.
Interestingly, they don’t mention any of their new cars but the XC90, and that sounds like they’re not that proud of the models they’ve been churning out for the last decade or so. Now, they want to be defined by the XC90 and future models along its lines.