Volvo executives hint at massive Escalade rival and a return to station wagons

Volvo has been in cleanup mode for a while, trimming its lineup and pushing hard into EVs.

That made things seem pretty settled.

But now, Volvo executives are talking like the whiteboard just got wiped.

And the manufacturer’s future plans suddenly feel a lot less conservative than ever before.

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Volvo is thinking big with a full-size SUV for the US

At a recent media briefing, Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson made it clear the brand was paying close attention to where buyers were spending their money. 

In the US and China, that money keeps flowing toward big, three-row SUVs, especially the premium kind.

In simple terms, people still love size. 

Big SUVs feel safe, comfortable, and expensive, which is exactly why models like the Cadillac Escalade keep selling in huge numbers. 

Volvo wants a slice of that pie.

Samuelsson said the segment was ‘very attractive’ for American buyers, though he stopped short of confirming anything was locked in. 

Other executives were a little more cautious, pointing out that an SUV built for US tastes still has to work in the rest of the world.

This isn’t a brand-new idea either. 

Volvo showed retailers a stretched XC90 concept back in 2020, internally known as the XC100. 

It was longer, wider, and clearly aimed at buyers who wanted maximum space. 

It never made it to production, but it now sounds like the brand never really stopped thinking about it.

If it happens, this would be the biggest SUV Volvo has ever built.

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The brand is also warming back up to station wagons

Meanwhile, in an interview with The Drive, Volvo’s product boss Michael Fleiss hinted the brand may not be finished with station wagons after all.

Instead, he said to ‘watch this space,’ which is executive-speak for ‘we’re not done here’.

And the reason is surprisingly practical. 

In the EV world, buyers care less about engines and more about range. 

And range loves good aerodynamics. 

Wagons, being lower and sleeker than SUVs, slip through the air more easily and waste less energy.

That makes them smarter EVs on paper.

This is a big shift from Volvo’s recent tone. 

The V60 and V90 are being phased out, and many assumed that was the end of the wagon story in the US. 

Fleiss now says that might not be true, especially with Volvo’s next-generation SPA3 EV platform, which opens new possibilities.

He even pointed out that wagons are gaining traction again in markets like China, which helps the case that this isn’t just wishful thinking from loyal fans.

Nothing here is confirmed, and there’s no timeline. 

But the message is clear. 

Volvo isn’t choosing between big SUVs and station wagons anymore. 

It’s seriously considering both, and that makes the brand’s next chapter a lot more interesting than anyone expected.

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