Volvo commits to small car future

Volvo is promising a wider range of smaller products when its S40 and V40 range is replaced in 2003. Bosses believe the platform for the replacement will be more versatile and a larger range of vehicles will help the company reach its increasing sales targets.

The car will share the platform used for the Ford Mondeo and will be built at Ghent, in Belgium, where the S60 and V70 are built. The Swedish manufacturer hopes its worldwide sales will reach 600,000 by 2005/6 - nearly one third more than its current output.

Next year a sport utility vehicle will join four other product lines currently using its large car platform and a similar variety of vehicles are expected. Diesel engines are likely to be sourced through the Ford-PSA partnership, which is currently developing engines for the Ford group and Peugeot and Citroen