China-made Volvo S80L sedan going to market

Shanghai, March 10 (Gasgoo.com) The mass-produced Volvo S80L, a longer Volvo S80 with an extended wheelbase, has recently rolled off the production line of Changan Ford in Chongqing. The China-made Volvo S80L sedan will come to the market on March 12, with the 2.5L and 3.0L models, to be priced between 428,000 yuan ($62,660) and 688,000 yuan, xinhuanet.com said today.

The Volve S80L, measuring 4,991mm x 1,861mm x 1,490mm, has an extended 2,976mm-long chassis, even 30mm longer than the Chinese-made Audi A6L. It has 140mm extra space for the rear seats and its configurations are upgraded. Joint venture Changan Ford is expected to produce 20,000 units of the Volvo S80L annually.

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 to suit the tastes of Chinese consumers and to meet the increasing demand for premium cars in China.

Extra-long cars are all the rage in Chinese executive transportation. Following the success of the A6L, Audi launched the A4L for the Chinese market on November 18, 2008. The next day Volvo jumped on the "long-wheelbase" bandwagon and unveiled the Chinese-market-specific S80L as well at the Guangzhou auto show.

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.