????傳統觀點認為，最近沃爾沃（Volvo）為復興這個汽車品牌所付出的努力成功的幾率很小。作為中國汽車制造商吉利汽車（Geely）的子公司，沃爾沃450,000輛的年銷量根本難以為繼。

????但如果沃爾沃在中國成都新建一家工廠，首先抓住中國消費者的愛好，繼而打動海外消費者，那么吉利當初收購這家瑞典血統的汽車制造商可能就會被證明是一個殺手锏。吉利希望截至2020年，沃爾沃在中國的年銷量達到200,000輛，在美國達到140,000輛，全球達到800,000輛。

????如果吉利在成都的工廠能夠取得成功，在中國制造的部分汽車便有可能出口到美國和世界其他市場。預計憑借成本優勢，沃爾沃將在價格方面與其他高檔車展開激烈競爭。與此同時，在美國出售的沃爾沃汽車仍將繼續從歐洲進口。

????沒有人知道沃爾沃是否保持了自己的特色，還是會成為市場首創。

????哈坎?薩繆爾森說：“我們將沃爾沃定位為高檔汽車品牌，但與德國品牌并不相同。”薩繆爾森原先是一名貨車運輸高管，最近才開始擔任沃爾沃CEO。他表示，沃爾沃采用帶有斯堪的納維亞風格的新穎設計，具有安全性、環保價值和“智能功能”，如易于使用的信息娛樂系統等。

????上周在底特律召開的記者見面會上，薩繆爾森表示，公司物色新廣告公司的工作已經接近尾聲，兩家公司將展開最終的角逐。但他并未透露這兩家公司的名字。

????寶馬（BMW）和其他德國汽車制造商通常會從動力、奢華、操控性、駕駛樂趣和歷史傳統等方面宣傳自己的品牌。很長時間以來，沃爾沃一直是德國品牌最佳的替代選擇，也是細心、理性的消費者們的最愛。

????沃爾沃在最近的一次活動中宣布，未來它將采用三缸和四缸發動機，而且正在與吉利共同研發混合動力車和變速箱。薩繆爾森承認，沃爾沃必須研發和提供所謂輔助和自動駕駛技術，以提高安全性。畢竟，沃爾沃在安全性方面的聲譽是它悠久的歷史中最顯著的特色。

????1999年，作為積累品牌戰略的一部分，福特汽車公司（Ford Motor Co.）收購了沃爾沃，當時的首席汽車集團（Premier Automotive Group，現已不復存在）旗下擁有捷豹（Jaguar）、阿斯頓馬丁（Aston Martin）、路虎（Land Rover）等眾多品牌。2010年，福特將沃爾沃出售給了吉利。當時的吉利汽車急于擁有一個汽車品牌，為公司帶來可信度、聲譽和客戶接受度。

????2004年，福特旗下的沃爾沃銷量達到139,000輛的最高紀錄，之后就開始緩慢下滑。至今年十月份，沃爾沃的美國銷量下跌了7%，也就是說它今年僅賣出了60,000輛汽車。這意味著，這家公司300多家經銷商必將遭受打擊，喪失信心。實際上，他們想到了另外一家瑞典汽車品牌薩博汽車（Saab）。這個品牌被通用汽車（General Motors）收購之后，經過一番掙扎最終還是走向了衰敗。

????事實上，沃爾沃在美國只是一個小眾品牌。但這個小眾品牌卻引發了強烈的反響，甚至有些車主和汽車愛好者對沃爾沃品牌抱著深厚的感情。隨著新消費人群的出現，以及吉利等新品牌的崛起，沃爾沃是否也會重蹈薩博、斯柯達（Skoda）、西雅特（Seat）和拉達（Lada）等品牌的覆轍？我們拭目以待。（財富中文網）

????譯者: 劉進龍/汪皓

????Conventional wisdom suggests that the latest attempt to revive Volvo as an automotive brand faces very long odds. Under the umbrella of its corporate parent Geely, the Chinese automaker, Volvo's 450,000 annual sales aren't self-sustaining.

????But Geely's ownership of the onetime Swedish automaker could prove to be a valuable wild card if Volvos built at a new plant in Chengdu, China capture the fancy of Chinese buyers first, and then, perhaps, buyers abroad. Geely hopes eventually to sell 200,000 Volvos annually in China, maybe 140,000 in the U.S., and 800,000 a year globally by 2020.

????If Geely's Chengdu plant is successful, some cars built in that country might be exported to the U.S. and elsewhere, presumably at a cost basis that could make them highly competitive in price with other cars in the premium category. In the meantime, Volvos sold in the U.S. continue to be imported from Europe.

????It's unclear if Volvo still has an identity or maybe has become the answer to a question nobody asked.

????"We see Volvo as a premium car, but in a different way than the German brands," said Hakan Samuelsson, a former trucking executive who recently took over as Volvo CEO. Volvo, he said, will connote attractive design with a Scandinavian flavor, safety, environmental values, and "clever functionality," such as easy-to-use infotainment.

????At a meeting with journalists last week in Detroit, Samuelsson said the company has narrowed its search for a new advertising agency to two finalists. He declined to identify them.

????BMW and other German carmakers usually describe their brands in terms of power, luxury, handling, driving pleasure, and heritage. For a long time, Volvo was a classy alternative to the German brands, a favorite of thoughtful, intellectual consumers.

????In its latest initiative, Volvo will confine its engines to three-cylinder and four-cylinder models, plus hybrids and transmissions under development with Geely. Samuelsson acknowledged that Volvo must develop and offer so-called assisted and autonomous driving technologies, which improve safety. A reputation for safety, after all, is Volvo's most memorable calling card from its past.

????Ford Motor Co. (F) bought Volvo in 1999 as part of a strategy to accumulate brands, including Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Land Rover in its now-defunct Premier Automotive Group. Ford in 2010 sold Volvo to Geely, which was determined to own an automotive name that brought with it credibility, prestige, and customer acceptance.

????Since Volvo sales reached a peak of 139,000 in 2004 during the Ford years, it has declined more or less steadily. Through October of this year, U.S. sales were down 7%, which suggests the brand will sell a paltry 60,000 vehicles this year. That number means that some of its 300 dealers, who no doubt are discouraged, will throw in the towel. Indeed, they watched Saab, another Swedish car brand, flounder and then fail under the ownership of General Motors (GM).

????In truth, Volvo was never more than a niche brand in the U.S. But it was a niche brand that elicited strong opinions and even affection from owners and automotive enthusiasts. As new consumers and players like Geely arise, it's unclear if Volvo will meet the fate of the Saabs, Skodas, Seats, and Ladas of the world.