Volvo Discontinuing Slow-Selling R Models After 2007 Model Year

NEW YORK — Volvo's R-badged performance lineup, which was introduced in the mid-1990s, was designed to give BMW and other competitors a run for their money. But because buyers didn't embrace hotted-up versions of vehicles known largely for their safety attributes, Volvo will drop its R models after the 2007 model year, the company told Inside Line.

But they may not be gone for good. "It's not something we'll put on the shelf and forget," said Volvo spokesman Dan Johnston. But he did not disclose a timetable for any new performance Volvos and added that the three vehicles set for launch in the next several months — the 2008 C30 hatchback, the 2008 XC70 crossover and the 2008 V70 wagon — will not have the R designation. The C30 and XC70 hit showrooms in October, and the V70 will arrive in January. Johnston said there hasn't been a performance development yet on the company's new inline six-cylinder engine.

R-model sales have been disappointing for the Swedish automaker. Volvo had set a target sales volume of 3,800 units of its S60 and V70 performance versions in the U.S. last year, but only sold 1,636 units of the two models. The Rs were a model variant intended to inject new interest in the vehicles after the initial launch. Johnston said the R badging didn't "stand for race or rally, it just meant a high-performance Volvo."

The S60R and V70R were equipped with 300-horsepower turbocharged engines and all-wheel drive.