The Volvo customer experience

Love them or hate them but Volvo's are hard to ignore (www.volvocars.com/UK ) and have evolved from the boxy estate monoliths that dominated the 80's motorways to mainstream unisex appeal. A classic example of the changing face of Volvo was the product placement in the recent Twilight series of movies that captured media attention and delivered some serious value to shifting perceptions about the customer base for the cars ( http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/06/twilight-fans-root-for-team-volvo/ ). But owning a Volvo is still rooted in the traditional values of safety and reliability. Yes they have sprinkled innovation in the mix and design flare too helping soften the 4x4 haters on some levels but at their heart the cars are dependable and cocoon you in safety. It struggles to feel like a premium brand such as a BMW or Audi but it certainly feels a tier above the mainstream brands. They have enjoyed extremely long product life cycles with cars such as the XC90 lasting over a decade which in modern terms is phenomenal meaning the payback on research and development has been long since achieved making these big buses the classic cash cow for the company. The experience of these cars is one of being cosseted and safe while not setting the world on fire. But when I'm driving down the motorway with the snow falling that is no bad feeling to have.