Volvo's global sales rose 2.1% in June from a year earlier, and the United States returned to positive growth.

SMM: according to Volvo's official sales figures, Volvo sold a total of 61483 cars worldwide in June, down 2.1% from a year earlier, mainly due to renewed sales growth in the United States, improved sales in Europe and continued growth in China. Volvo sold 269962 cars worldwide in the first half of this year, still down 20.8 per cent from the same period last year.

Volvo's swift action during the outbreak halted production at its Torslanda plant in Sweden for only 15 days, well below the average industry shutdown, which now puts Volvo in a better position to cater to a rapid recovery in demand. In addition, online initiatives such as Volvo's Stay Home Store have also contributed to a rebound in sales.

Regionally, in the US, Volvo sold 10385 vehicles in June, up 4.5 per cent from the same period last year, as the epidemic blockade was relaxed. Volvo's cumulative sales in the US reached 43255 in the first half of this year, down 13.7 per cent from a year earlier.

In the Chinese market, Volvo car sales continued to grow in June, rising 14.1 per cent to 15105 vehicles from a year earlier, although Volvo's cumulative sales in China fell slightly by 3 per cent in the first half of this year compared with the same period a year earlier.

In Europe, Volvo sold 28277 vehicles in June, down 6.5 per cent from a year earlier, showing clear signs of recovery from a 49.6 per cent decline in May, thanks in part to the easing of epidemic blockades in more European countries. In the first half of this year, Volvo's sales in Europe fell 29.5% from a year earlier to 123035 vehicles.

In terms of models, the XC60 medium-sized SUV was Volvo's best-selling model in June, followed by the XC40 compact SUV and the XC90 large SUV, with the SUV accounting for 71.2 per cent of Volvo's total sales, compared with 60 per cent in the same period last year.

In the first half of this year, Volvo's best-selling model was still the XC60, with 78761 sold, followed by the XC40 (68359) and the XC90 (37918). Volvo's Recharge series, which includes pure electric and plug-in hybrids, has roughly doubled its share of sales compared with the same period last year.

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