Pour one out for the long-roof loyalists: Volvo has confirmed production of the V90 estate will wrap up in September. Yes, the big Swedish wagon that made middle-class practicality look like a designer lifestyle choice is about to disappear, and this time it might actually be forever.

Volvo insists the move is “in accordance” with its “global cycle plan” — which, translated from carmaker PR, roughly means SUVs make more money, and you lot keep buying them. The axe already fell on the related S90 saloon last year, clearing the runway for the upcoming all-electric ES90 liftback. That car lands in the UK early next year, and while it’s got the raised ride height and hatchback boot to sort of cover estate duties, it’s not quite the same thing as a proper longroof.

Ex-CEO Jim Rowan made the shift pretty clear when asked if Volvo was done with estates entirely: “Yeah, because I think it’s changed, right? SUVs have changed with ride height.” Translation: stop asking about wagons, people — the world’s moved on.

Rowan went further, suggesting the V90’s replacement is already hiding in plain sight. The XC60 SUV could be nudged into filling the void, with Volvo experimenting with “Black Edition” and “Cross Country” trims to appeal to the wagon diehards. Think of it as repackaging the same IKEA flat-pack practicality into a taller box.

Still, not all is lost. The smaller V60 will keep soldiering on, and Volvo UK says it’ll remain available to order. And if you’re desperate for a V90, your best bet is to start sweet-talking your local dealer and raid whatever stock is left.

It’s a bittersweet moment, really. Volvo wagons have always been more than just cars: they’re cultural icons, family haulers that carried everything from golden retrievers to flat-pack furniture without ever breaking a sweat. The V90 was peak wagon — elegant, huge, effortlessly cool in a low-key Swedish way.

Now, with the SUV tide showing no sign of retreating, we might have just seen the last true Volvo estate disappear into history.

Boxy may not be sexy anymore. But for some of us, it’ll always be brilliant.

Source: Autocar

In 1953, Volvo started its story with station wagons, and the first model with this body type was the Duett. Over the course of seven decades, it was one of the few manufacturers to remain faithful to this type of vehicle. However, the Swedish manufacturer decided to discontinue this type of vehicle.

In an interview with Autoexpress, Volvo CEO Jim Rowan said that the market had changed and that the future of the brand without a station wagon was realistic. “We have to make a choice. Instead of launching a new V90, for example, is it better to position that car in a slightly different way? So, we have Black Editions, we have Cross Country editions – now we have different editions of the same basic car. It is much, much cheaper and more profitable for us to generate more sales using the same platform through different forms,” ​​Rowan said.

In 2016, Volvo hired Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović, who was saying goodbye to the national team at the time, to be part of an advertisement in which the manufacturer announced the arrival of the new V90 model. Unfortunately, it was also their last station wagon, which will now be replaced by SUVs.

Source: Volvo