Volvo S60 production comes to an end in the US

The Volvo S60, a capable but ultimately under-appreciated competitor to the German luxury sport sedans, is being discontinued in the US after a 24-year run. The Swedish automaker confirmed production at its South Carolina plant will cease at the end of June 2024, marking the end of the line for the S60 in the US and other markets. Volvo has also delisted its smallest sedan from its U.S. website, confirming the decision.

"This decision reflects our ongoing shift towards electrification," a Volvo spokesperson told Motor1. The freed-up production capacity will be dedicated to the company's highly anticipated EX90, a three-row electric SUV launched earlier this month.

Debuting for the 2019 model year, the third generation of the S60 held the distinction of being the first Volvo sedan ever produced in the United States. It offered a range of powertrains, from the base T5 with 252 horsepower to the high-performance Polestar Engineered variant. Despite its offerings, the S60 struggled to find a strong foothold in the competitive luxury sedan segment.

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Sales figures paint a clear picture. Compared to its German rivals, the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the S60 consistently lagged behind. At its peak, Volvo only managed to sell around 20,000 units in a single year, while its German counterparts routinely moved over 30,000 units annually.

The past three years saw S60 sales hover around a modest 10,000 to 12,000 units per year, marking its position as a niche player in the market. This ultimately led Volvo to prioritise its electric future, embodied by the recently launched EX90. Volvo recently kickstarted the production of the three-row EX90 in the US, after a delay of close to 2 years from its global debut back in 2022. The free up production capacity from the S60 will help Volvo to shift its focus to its new range of electric models, beginning from the EX90.

The EX90 is a significant departure from the XC90. It's a full-size, three-row electric SUV boasting a substantial 111.0-kilowatt-hour battery pack and offering an estimated 300 miles of range on a single charge. With a starting price of USD 77,990, the EX90 positions itself as a premium offering in the burgeoning electric SUV segment.

While the Volvo S60's time in the US market has come to an end, it leaves behind a legacy of safety and comfort. The EX90, however, represents a new chapter for Volvo, one focused on electrification and SUVs – a strategy the company hopes will resonate more strongly with American consumers.