Volvo unveils long-wheelbase S80L for China market

Shanghai, November 19 (Gasgoo.com) Just like the long-wheelbase Audi A4L that debuted at the Guangzhou auto show yesterday, Volvo has also rolled out a longer S80 with an extended wheelbase at the auto event, said sina.com today. The long-wheelbase S80L, being showcased in Guangzhou along with Volvo's all 2009 series, is designed to suit Chinese buyers' growing tastes for premium cars.

Volvo entered the Chinese market with its locally built S40 in 2006. Now the Swedish carmaker has decided to produce this market-specific version of the brand's flagship sedan in China as well. "Volvo made a decision to produce its flagship sedan, the S80, in China, with upgrades to suit the tastes of Chinese consumers and to meet the increasing demand for premium cars in China," said Dr. Alexander Klose, CEO of Volvo Car China.

Volvo long-wheelbase S80L

Apparently, extra-long cars are all the rage in Chinese executive transportation these days. Following up on the success of the A6L, Audi unveiled the A4L for the Chinese market yesterday. Today, Volvo has jumped on the "long-wheelbase" bandwagon, taking the wraps of the Chinese-market-specific S80L as well at the Guangzhou auto show in southern China.

For the discerning Chinese buyer, Volvo has stretched the car 14cm, or about 5.5 inches, and all that extra space has gone to the rear seats. The S80L's design is otherwise unchanged from that of the S80 and boasts the same level of passenger safety that Volvo is known for, as well as top level trim and amenities.

The S80L will be produced using locally-sourced parts at Volvo's CFMA Chongqing plant in southwestern China. It remains to be seen whether the longer S80L version will eventually make their way into other markets.

At the ongoing Guangzhou auto show, Volvo is also displaying its latest sport editions of S40, C30, XC90 R-design models along with the general Volvo C30, S40, C70, S80 and XC90 models. The new XC90 Sport R-design will sell for 798,000 yuan ($117,000).