Volvo details CMA platform, promises 2017 launch

ACCORDING TO VOLVO, CMA is a smaller version of the brand’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) which sits under the XC90 and will be used for larger Volvo cars. The process started with the launch of the XC90 SUV and will continue shortly with the arrival of the new S90 premium sedan.

And while the CMA and SPA platforms will differ slightly, most powertrains will be common (including Volvo’s incoming plug-in hybrid powertrains), as will infotainment hardware and electronic architectures.

Volvo says the Compact Modular Architecture will also change the way it builds products by allowing a wide range of cars, powertrains, electrical systems and various technologies to be fitted on the same architecture, thereby generating significant economies of scale and a more streamlined manufacturing process.

Volvo plans to transition all of its models to either the CMA or SPA platforms within the next four years, meaning we can expect to see a new V40, V40 Cross Country, S60, V60, V70, XC60 and XC70 all debut before 2019. Like the SPA, the CMA was conceived with electrification in mind, so we should expect at least one hybrid model based on it; we think the XC40 is a likely candidate there.

Volvo has not outlined specifically which vehicles will ride on the compact architecture, but it’s likely eager to step into the new and hotly contested arena of B-segment SUVs, or mini-SUVs.

Volvo is known for impressive cars that come in big packages. For the full year 2014, global sales reached a record 465,866 cars, an increase of 8.9 per cent versus 2013.

Specific details surrounding Volvo’s future auto plans are still being withheld, but we already know that the next-generation V40 and the XC40 crossover will be a part of this transformation.

Volvo has been in operation since 1927.

Down the road, I wouldn’t be surprised if Volvo gets in on the sports auto segment too. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company’s main vehicle production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium) and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).