Changan Auto continues partnership with Volvo

Shanghai, May 5 (Gasgoo.com) Changan Automobile (Group) Ltd recently said that its production partnership with Volvo will continue, even if its U.S. partner Ford Motor may sell this European brand, sina.com said today.

Changan Auto has expressed its plans to widen the range of Volvo cars it makes in China with Ford Motor, but refused to comment media reports that it might acquire Volvo from Ford. A top executive noted that Changan Ford will continue to fulfill its deal with Volvo, whether or not Ford will seek buyers of this Swedish brand.

"In any case, Ford Motor will set a premium on Volvo's sustainable development and growth in the Chinese market," said Shen Yingquan, president of Chang'an Ford Mazada, last week. "Volvo has built up good partnership with us and will bring more of its new models to China for local production and sales. Volvo will make its right choice."

The mass-produced Volvo S80L, a longer Volvo S80 with an extended wheelbase, rolled off the production line of Changan Ford in early March. The China-made Volvo S80L sedan came to the Chinese market on March 12, with the 2.5L and 3.0L models, priced 428,000 yuan ($62,660) to 688,000 yuan. Changan Ford will produce 20,000 units of the Volvo S80L annually.

Volvo entered China in 2006 with its locally built S40. Now the Swedish carmaker has started to produce this market-specific version of the brand's flagship sedan in China, and will speed up introduction of more Volvo models to the Chinese market.

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