A certain section of the automotive world seemed to go a little overboard a few weeks ago when Volvo’s decision to stop offering its estate and saloon models in the UK was made public. The recent unveilings of Volvo’s EX90 and EX30 battery electric SUVs gave a clear indication of which direction the Swedish OEM is going in – and wagons were not in the equation.

It wasn’t long before the ripples of displeasure on social media reached the national press and one prominent motoring journalist claimed the car company had “ruined my life”. Some of the reporting did seem to be a bit wide of the mark – no, Volvo wasn't culling estate models everywhere and yes, there were still some available – but that’s come to be expected in today’s ‘upload first, correct later’ world of publishing. In fact, at one point, I thought we were one moment away from the Daily Express claiming “Volvo goes WOKE!”.

So what’s the real story? Well, answers to a few questions from Volvo UK confirmed to me that that saloons and estates account for just 10% of Volvo UK’s annual sales, with most drivers opting for – you guessed it – an SUV. Expanding more on that trend, I was told that the last five years have seen a huge shift to SUV and saloon sales have “plummeted” since 2013. V40 drivers have, for example, more often than not chosen an XC40 as their replacement vehicle, not the ‘traditional’ model that they had. It was a different story back in the 2000s, but SUVs were few and far between then. It reminds me of the old “Well, we didn’t have computers or mobile phones back when we were kids” line. No, but if you did, you'd have been all over them!

Bearing in mind that growing shift towards SUVs – and electrified models – surely it makes sense to realign the product portfolio and concentrate on the most profitable cars? Yes, the rose-tinted, misty-eyed fans (as opposed to drivers) might kick up a fuss, but it’s not like they are putting money down on V90s in droves. Any company offering a struggling product would be of the same opinion – well, the ones that were in the business of making a profit.

Personally, I too am a big fan of Volvo wagons and, unless you missed it, you’ll know that I had a great deal of time for the V90 Cross Country that was recently on the Fleet World long-term fleet. Acres of space, high comfort levels and an ideal companion on long journeys are just three of its many attributes that make it a fantastic fleet vehicle. However, I’m also a fan of progress, doing what’s right for a business and staying ahead of the curve. If Volvo UK was to keep a (dwindling) proportion of its customer base happy with models that aren’t performing, it would run the risk of alienating other conquest customers.

In short, I won’t mourn the demise of the Volvo estate. Instead, like Woolworths (especially the Pick ’n’ Mix), I’ll celebrate what it achieved – and the joy it provided – in the many years it was around.

John Challen Editor