Volvo competing with Audi using Subaru product planning?!

["Sean Ford" <sean@nwh.org>]

Audi guy ramblings follow...

Ok, we all know that Volvo has a pseudo-awd system in place now (this particular
system appears to raise the ride height of the vehicle). Volvo is also running
I-5 engines. Audi wannabe? Probably, who could blame them? Over the weekend I
came across a Volvo V70 "Cross Country" wagon. For all intents and purposes, the
Cross County appears to be a slightly classier Subaru Outback with the requisite
SUV styling (or lack thereof) cues including raising the ride height even higher
than is necessary. Is this a US only model? Have we here in the States gone so
SUV-wacko that we want all of our vehicles to display some retarded ancestry to
trucks? I just can't see this Volvo playing in the worldwide markets.

I was so dumbfounded by this particular bit of product planning that I simply do
not see how Volvo seriously hopes to compete head-to-head with Audi. If there
was ever a notion that a Swedish Audi was in the works, well, you can forget it.
The Swedes appear to be setting their sites on Fuji Industries.... fine by me,
leave us alone.

Ramblings end here. All "wasted bandwidth" hate mail now being accepted.

Sean Ford
sean@nwh.org                       '92 Audi 100CS 5spd 30K mi
Newton-Wellesley Hospital      '89 Suzuki Katana 600 14K mi
Newton, MA  02162 (USA)      http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/5528