Volvo experienced its fifth consecutive year of record vehicle sales globally in 2018 which breaks with over 642,000 sales milestones (sales rose 12.4% grow from 2017 to 642,253 cars in 2018). This dovetails with Volvo (Thailand) receiving extremely positive feedback from Thai customers, selling volume of 1,292 cars sold or 13% growth from 2017 to 2018 with a premium segment share of 4.2%. Volvo also increased business sales by 50% and successfully introduced the all new XC40, the best ever launch for Volvo Thailand. The three top-selling models were the XC60, XC90 and S90.
Chris Wailes, Volvo Car Thailand’s Managing Director, who expects the success to continue in 2019, says, “To affirm Volvo’s initiatives to make people’s lives better and less complicated, our human-centric focus is what makes us different from all other car companies. This is at the heart of everything we create. Our vision is to be the world’s most progressive and desired premium car brand. We will do this by using technology as a tool to help make people live a better and more fulfilling life. Technology should serve, support and entertain us.”
Connected Car & App Services
Volvo’s “connected service” keeps driver in full control, thanks to touch screen interface, logical operation and ease of use. The latest voice control and smartphone interoperability, via CarPlay and Android Auto, ensure that the driver remains in control at all times. It allows you to connect with the digital world around you as naturally as you communicate with your Volvo. Intelligent driver interfaces interact intuitively to give you full control of all functions without taking your attention from the road. Your Volvo can even book service for you when it’s time.
Driver Assist Innovations
Volvo take society’s challenges and turn them into opportunities and by putting people first. We never stop innovating, in line with the company’s vision that no one should be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo car by 2020. Safety is one of the core values of the company; we have been a leader in the field and That will never change. What will change is the breadth of technologies we employ to improve your driving experience and safety. “City Safety” is the best sample which will help you drive confidently through those busy city streets. This technology is the perfect companion to help drivers avoid low-speed accidents while moving in slow, stop-and-go traffic. Key safety functions like
“Lane Departure Assist” help reduce the risk of accidents by alerting you when your vehicle
crosses lanes at speeds between 40 and 125mph. When your vehicle drifts out of your lane and you didn’t use your turn signal, Lane Keeping Aid can help steer your Volvo back in your lane. Additionally, “Pedestrian Detection”, hi-tech solutions actively help drivers avoid accidents by identifying pedestrians and providing additional braking functions if the driver fails to respond in time.
Volvo Leads Safety. We always Have and We always Will
Volvo is proud to have been a leader of safety innovation. Our innovation on the three-point safety belt, upon debuting in 1959, is estimated to have saved over one million lives worldwide. Among them are not only drivers of Volvo cars, but also cars of other brands, because the company shared this invention with all to improve road safety. Volvo Cars continues to put social progress above financial gain and draw attention to issues of equity in technology development and automotive safety.
Because Volvo cares about its customers, it wants to minimize the time that they spend while getting maintenance service, and make their time waiting worthwhile.
Volvo Retail Experience Thailand (VRE)
Volvo is redefining what a customer experience in an auto showroom should be, with a new concept highlighted by a warm, Swedish welcome. The “Volvo Retail Experience” (VRE) features client-focused interactions in open Scandinavian-style spaces that are “cool on the outside, warm on the inside”.
This concept was officially launched just last month at Wearnes Automotive Bangkok. Customers can also experience the new VRE concept showcasing at Merck Auto Bangkok, Scandinavian Auto Bangkok, GT Auto Bangkok, Stockholm Auto Phuket and Sweden Auto Chiang Mai. VRE showrooms will expand also to MW One Auto Bangkok and Horizon Auto Hat Yai in May 2019. And by year’s end the VRE will also come to Wearnes Auto Lardprao, Scandinavian Auto Bangna and Khon Kaen.
This way of retailing, is designed to make customers feel relaxed in an environment where their time is respected. Most regular maintenance can be performed within 30 minutes, using our Volvo Personal Service. The showroom has been transformed into a living room, where customers can relax on Scandinavian furniture, enjoying free Wi-Fi and coffee, while the front area is dedicated to a contrasting ‘street’ area displaying Volvo’s new car range. The emphasis on customer comfort reflects Volvo’s desire for aftersales customers to wait in comfort while their car is efficiently serviced.
Social Responsibility Environment
Volvo works to contribute to a better society and protect people and our planet by creating partnerships for sustainable development and promoting traffic safety in the car industry together with local and international organisations. We arranged a “Beach Clean Up” activity in Bangsean, with over 200 people attending in 2017. One ton of plastic was removed in just two hours. Also all single-use plastics have been banned from the Volvo Car Thailand Office. We also aim to have at least 25% recycled plastics in Volvo cars by 2025. Since 2017 Volvo Car Thailand has also looked at how Volvo can move more Thai customers into “Plug-in hybrid vehicles” (PHEV) as diesel and bensin (petrol) was approximately at 50:50. Thus in 2018, for XC90, S90, XC60 80% of cars sold were PHEV, helping us reduce our impact to the environment too.
Road Safety
Volvo is building on the best reputation for safety within the entire global car industry by looking at constructive ways towards local activities that can bring real benefit to society. Under the easy-to-understand mantra of “See and be Seen”, we hope that together we can make Thailand’s roads safer in terms of protecting the people who use the roads, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this; we will lead the charge and do everything we can to raise
standards wherever possible. Our first step in a sustained and committed road safety campaign is the donation of 10,000 high-visibility jackets with students who are being assisted by the Mechai Viravaidya Foundation. Children at schools were also shown how to plant lemon trees so that they could learn to grow sell lemons and learn basic business skills. It is part of its School-BIRD program to improve the road safety of young students and their families in local communities. Volvo will continue to work with this leading foundation on upcoming CSR projects.
2019 and Beyond
Volvo forecasts to build on its growth. We have started well for Q1 this year and are on track to achieve 50% higher growth for 2019 compared to last year. On 8th May we will launch The Volvo Way: Freedom to Experience campaign plus in Q3 – Q4 introduce another new model in the Volvo family. We will continue work with relative agencies to improve road safety and roll out our “Selekt” used car program to reach more retailers and customers. But is not enough for us to just grow. We must grow responsibly. Sustainability forms an integral part of everything we do.
