Marriages in the auto business are typically disastrous. But Sweden’s Volvo and China’s Geely are making it work
Hakan Samuelsson, the chief executive officer of Volvo Car Group, is sitting in the master bedroom in the home of a suburban Stockholm family he’s never met. His company has rented the modernist three-story house of blond wood and whitewashed walls for the media introduction of Volvo’s new station wagon, the V60.
Alternating groups of American, British, German, and Scandinavian journalists crowd in for short question-and answer sessions. It’s Samuels son’s first and probably last bedroom interview, but he plays along. “You can lie down and relax,” he tells reporters, gesturing to the queen-size bed as a grin creases his craggy face.
Outside, light February snow flutters past willows and pines onto a silver V60 bathed in camera lights in the driveway. It was designed, like so many Volvos, for suburban families seeking safe, reliable transportation. But the peculiar setting for this press event is meant to suggest that today’s Volvo is a far cry from the Volvo of a decade ago, when it was losing money, selling fewer cars by the year, and watching its talent for design and engineering get watered down by then owner Ford Motor Co. Even the staid wagon, the embodiment of classic Volvo, has taken on a new look in the sleek, low V60. A Gear Patrol review called it— remember, this is a station wagon—“positively lust-worthy.”
Bu hikaye Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East dergisinin 16 June, 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East dergisinin 16 June, 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Golfing With The Enemy
Did Donald Trump's executives violate the Cuban embargo?
Super-Rich Syrians Wait for War's End
Actor, author, playwright. Gill Pringle tries her hand at unravelling the mystery behind this enigmatic multi-hyphenate
Pam Codispoti
The mastermind behind the industry-shaping Chase Sapphire Reserve Card sets her sights on banking
This Time It's The Economy
President Rouhani’s budget sets offprotests from people angry about unemployment and inflation
Saudi Prince Counts On Support Of Citizens
State-worker salary increases appeal to the people, but policy may throw the budget off track
Stalin's Legacy Is Choking The Ukrainian Economy
The government has resisted pressure to lift a ban on land sales, despite pressure from the IMF and investors
Catastrophe Bonds Survive A Stormy Year
The turbulence of 2017 couldn’t destroy a market for betting against disasters
Riding The West Bank's Credit Boom
Increased consumer lending is creating a bubble in the West Bank
You'd Be Crazy To Buy Pizza With Bitcoin
Speculative fervour makes the cryptocurrency clumsy for commerce
What If The President Loses His Party?
Trump has to figure out a way to work with Republicans in Congress, or the global economy may be at stake