Volvo Car UK takes trading challenges in its stride to register significant sales increase during first quarter of 2021

April 7, 2021 by Volvo

•Volvo's UK new car sales rose by 15% in Q1 compared with the same period last year, totalling 13,964 units

•Strong performance is in contrast with the overall market, which declined 12% year-on-year

•Sales total gave Volvo a 3.28% share of the UK market, up from 2.50% in Q1 2020, despite showrooms having been closed

•Volvo Car UK's highest Q1 market share for 30 years

•Successful deployment of digital services has been key in retailers maintaining car sales during national lockdown

•Results position Volvo as the UK's fastest-growing premium car brand

•XC40, XC60 and XC90 were the top three best-selling Volvo models – the compact XC40 is also the sixth-highest seller overall in the UK so far this year

•Volvo's electrification programme continues to prosper, with sales of plug-in hybrid models standing at 25%

Volvo Car UK has met the continued challenges of trading during lockdown to post a significant increase in its new car sales during the first quarter of 2021. Its sales volume rose by 15% compared with the first three months of 2020, with 13,964 cars sold. This growth stands in contrast to the market as a whole, which witnessed a 12% year-on-year decline during the same period.

With car showrooms closed to the public due to lockdown restrictions, Volvo retailers successfully deployed digital tools and services to help customers discover and purchase new cars in ways that were safe, secure and convenient. The response was extremely positive, helping Volvo secure a 3.28% market share in the first three months of the year – up from 2.50% in the same period last year and the company's highest first-quarter market share for 30 years. This performance makes Volvo Car UK the country's fastest-growing premium brand once again.

In line with current consumer trends, Volvo's multi-award-winning SUV models were its best sellers, led by the compact XC40 with 8,084 sales, the mid-size XC60 at 2,877 and the seven-seat XC90 with 1,556. Notably, the XC40 was also the UK's sixth most popular new car overall during the first quarter of the year.

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Volvo's progressive approach to introducing electrified variants across its entire model range is resonating strongly with customers keen to adopt cleaner and more efficient powertrain technologies. This is reflected in sales of Volvo's Recharge plug-in hybrid models continuing to rise: between January and March this year, its PHEV sales totalled 3,536 units, or 25.3% of all Volvos sold in the UK.

Kristian Elvefors, Volvo Car UK Managing Director, said: 'The trading restrictions we faced during the pandemic brought about a sudden and exceptional change to the way our retailers could operate. With conventional, physical showroom sales no longer a possibility, our retailers have responded magnificently in working with us to adopt new methods for maintaining a great service to customers. It's the combination of their efforts, the effectiveness of our digital services and the continued success of the Care by Volvo car subscription that have enabled us to trade truly online and outperform our quarter-one 2020 result.

'As restrictions begin to ease across the country, we can be confident of building on this excellent platform to achieve further success as the year progresses.'

For more information on the Volvo range, and to use the online configurator, please go to www.volvocars.co.uk