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Volvo to add 1,300 jobs, ramp up production in Sweden

The expansion of the factory is part of an $11-billion investment Volvo's Chinese owners, Geely, are making.
Volvo Cars is adding 1,300 new jobs and ramping up production at its factory in Gothenburg, Sweden, in response to increased consumer demand for its vehicles.

Volvo confirms return of the wagon with V60 headed to US

Turns out that promised new production Volvo model for the United States is indeed the V60 wagon, as we had previously predicted. And it's not terribly surprising, as Volvo has a long and storied history of wagon sales in the US, from the old, loveable 240 to the more recent high-performance V70R. And yet the automaker hasn't had a proper non-XC, non-crossover-style wagon in the US since it pulled the V70 away at the end of the 2010 model year.
"The new Volvo V60 is for people who want the handling of a dynamic sports sedan but need the versatility of a wagon," says Volvo, highlighting the reason many of us on the Autoblog team harbor such fondness for wagons in general.
Volvo is currently showing off the R-Design package for its entire model line, including the V60, at the New York Auto Show. We don't know for sure if the V60 will launch with the R-Design package or if it will come at a later date, and we also see no mention of a Polestar edition, though we're hopeful.

Volvo returns to profitability

Ford sold Volvo to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Limited in 2010. Just two years later, Geely announced an $11-billion investment in the Swedish carmaker, its charismatic fugleman Li Shifu saying, "We want to revive Volvo and give the brand its strength back." Two years later, after having introduced the Concept XC Coupe at the Detroit Auto Show this week, Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson (above, second from right) declared the company profitable again after a solid 2013 and predicted a positive 2014.
Intending to break even on operating profit in 2013, Volvo exceeded expectations and landed on the plus side due to a mix of factors. US sales declined 10.1 percent for the year to 61,233, that number still making us Volvo's largest market, but Chinese sales were up nearly 46 percent to 61,146 units, and even its home market saw a bump of 0.8 percent; total sales for the year were 427,840, a margin of 1.4-percent over the previous year. Volvo was able to do more with the tiny gain and reverse its half-year operating loss because of a global cost restructuring and thorough revamp of its Chinese distribution network. An announcement of 2013's financial results will come in March.
Bullishness on 2014 comes from the company's intention to focus on its two biggest markets with new models, new technology and more spending. The first product of an independent Volvo, the new XC90, will be revealed later this year on the new SPA architecture. On top of the Sensus Connect infotainment system, Volvo will add driver-aid systems like adaptive cruise control with steer assist and night-time pedestrian detection. It also has a new North American CEO and will spend more on marketing and communications here. In China it will begin to feel more effect from the two Chinese factories opened last year - it has three in the country - and, if need be, can take advantage of more advantageous exchange rates by exporting from China instead of the US. Said Samuelsson of what he expects in the US in 2014, "we will outperform the market."