Volvo’s NZ sales surge 67%

Volvo Cars New Zealand is celebrating a 67 per cent increase in sales for the first quarter of 2026, when compared with the same period last year.

The company credits some of the lift to new products and pricing across its electrified line-up, with EV sales up 66 per cent year-on-year. It adds the result signals “a clear return to momentum for the brand”.

Volvo Cars NZ says the recent launch of the fully electric Volvo EX90 and pricing parity across the seven-seat battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models is central to the brand’s market growth, noting the strategy removes one of the barriers to EV adoption.

Daile Stephens, Volvo brand manager, adds that customer demand has accelerated rapidly after the March electrification surge.

“With the uplift in customer demand for electrified vehicles in March, we’re well-positioned to support it,” she says. 

“With stock arriving across both PHEV and fully electric models, we’re ensuring customers have choice, availability and confidence when selecting the right electrified SUV for their needs.”

The fully electric EX90 was launched here in March and is priced from $149,990. Following that, Volvo Cars NZ cut the sticker price on its seven-seater XC90 Plug-in Hybrid T8 from $161,990 to $149,990 to remove what it calls consumer hesitation around electrification choice.

A new mid-size SUV variant, the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid T8 Black Edition, priced from $119,990, has also been introduced to its electric portfolio.

Dane Fisher, group general manager of NordEast, the distributor of Volvo Cars NZ, says the carmaker’s electrified strategy combines product relevance with premium European value.

“Volvo has the right electrified products at the right time, supported by some of the strongest value positioning in the European premium segment,” he explains. “That combination is building momentum and confidence right across the retail network.”