A brand that appears surprisingly under pressure across the board: 7th for sales volume (151,830), 7th for business momentum, and 8th in the Koto brand ranking. A brand that has historically traded on clarity and trust now showing softness in commercial performance and brand strength alike.
If we were Volvo, our focus would be reconnection. Volvo's "Safety" positioning remains one of the most identifiable ideas in the entire category – the kind of single-word equity most brands would kill for – but how compelling is it? Our ranking suggests it may not currently be landing with the same force it once did; a concept beloved by some but perhaps not being expressed distinctly enough in an EV context where every brand claims some version of safety credentials. With ICE and EV models looking and feeling the same, is Volvo doing enough to signal the breadth and benefits of its new products?
Volvo’s "for life" ethos, and the broader safety heritage that underpins it, gives it permission to talk about something more human than most competitors – longevity, protection, care, the environment – but that permission needs to be felt in the EV range specifically, not just inherited from the brand's ICE-era reputation.
