Former Volvo Vehicles CEO Hakan Samuelsson stated in 2021 that the automaker’s substitute for the
XC90 would have a reputation that deviated from its longtime use of letter and quantity combos.

“This automotive may have a reputation, extra like a [newborn] little one,” Samuelsson stated throughout a presentation of the corporate’s EV-centric future on June 30.

Final October, Samuelsson hinted that the brand new crossover’s title would “begin with a vowel.”

That very same month Volvo filed for trademark safety in October for the title Embla, in line with Australian information web site Drive. In Norse mythology, Embla is the title of the primary lady.

Nevertheless, Samuelsson’s successor, Jim Rowan, who took cost in March, determined towards such a dynamic change to the XC90’s title.

He selected one thing nearer to the unique — EX90 – for the primary mannequin below his management.

When requested for extra insights into the title alternative, Rowan offered the next remark by the corporate’s communications workforce.

“Totally different choices are frequently reviewed relating to the introduction of recent fashions and lots of concerns should be taken under consideration, notably model familiarity,” he stated. “We now have reviewed all of the related components and in the end the EX90 marks a brand new iteration on our present nomenclature and is reflective of our transition towards a full-electric lineup by 2030.”

Volvo desires half of its world gross sales — an estimated 600,000 — to be full-electric automobiles by 2025 and to be an electric-only model by 2030.

‘Extra comprehensible’

Volvo vendor Garth Blumenthal stated sticking with alphanumeric mannequin names is “extra comprehensible” for customers.

“Individuals are used to seeing XC90, XC60, and so forth,” Blumenthal, CEO of Unstoppable Automotive Group, informed Automotive Information Europe sister publication Automotive Information. “I really feel that continuity is extra necessary than making an attempt to reinvent the wheel.”

A vendor in northwest Germany stated he is not involved about automotive names.

“The principle factor is that the vehicles look good and work effectively,” the vendor, who ask to not be recognized, informed Automotive New Europe.

It’s too early to say whether or not the replacements for the XC60 and XC40 — the corporate’s No. 1- and No. 2-sellers globally — might be referred to as the EX60 and EX40, an organization spokesman stated.

Volvo additionally may run in authorized bother if it utilized the “E” naming system to the S60 and S90 sedans, turning them into the ES60 and ES90, respectively. Lexus has a sedan mannequin household that makes use of ES in its title.
 
Urvaksh Karkaria contributed to this report