Here’s an odd twist to a story we originally thought was over; when Volvo presented the new V40 last year, North American officials told Carscoops that the company had no plans to sell it on this side of the Atlantic because, “sales data and our continued market analysis confirm that demand for a five-door hatchback like the V40 would not be strong enough to warrant bringing it to the United States“.
A year and a half later, another Volvo executive, Tassos Panas, head of marketing and product development at Volvo Cars of North America, told Autonews that he will join the brand’s U.S. dealers and press executives in Sweden to reverse that decision!
“The V40 is a great small vehicle, and we would love to have it here,” Panas told the news site. “It is not currently in our plan but that does not stop me. I am constantly talking about making that a reality.”
Panas added that one of the main problems in importing the V40 compact hatch is that it is not homologated for the United States: “That is one of the significant hurdles,” he said.
We don’t know how the V40 story will pan out, but it’s worth mentioning that Volvo’s U.S. division recently managed to change minds in Sweden and convince the company’s executives to bring the larger V60 station wagon to the States, with sales due to begin next year.
In Europe, the V40 is positioned against an array of premium compact hatchbacks, including the BMW 1-Series, Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class, while Volvo also offers a crossover version of the car named the V40 Cross Country.
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