Volvo C70, S40, and C30 wins in the AutoPacific's 2008 Ideal Vehicle Awards

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Ford Motors subsidiary, Volvo was declared winner in three categories in the annual Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA), conducted by the automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific. In search of the ideal vehicle, AutoPacific asked owners to rate their model year 2008 cars and trucks using a measurement of 15 key vehicle attributes.

According to AutoPacific results, the Volvo S40 was the clear winner in the luxury mid-size car category. With high rating for exterior size, visibility, ride, handling and safety the S40 was an unanimous choice foran ideal vehicle. Luxury Mid-Size car owners' ratings also prove that Volvo understands their buyers very well and the firm's engineers and designers definitely hit their target. Top marks were also given for seat firmness, interior lighting, wheels and tires, and exterior styling."

In the Image Compact Car category the Volvo C30 was the winner as it seemed to appeal to Image Compact Car owners on both an emotional and rational level. Owners' preferences for the C30's exterior styling, ride, and safety blended well with the interior lighting, seat firmness, and level of technology.

AutoPacific cited, "Image Compact Cars are products where style typically trumps absolute function."

The Volvo C70 shared the top spot in the Aspirational Luxury Car category. AutoPacific summarised that, "Even though the Volvo 70 is only available in one trim level (T5) it seems as though the Swedes have packaged the vehicle just right.

With the most modern convenience features, owners in the Aspirational Luxury Car segment found the C70 well-equipped, giving the C70 top honors as a 2008 ideal vehicle. Of course it comes standard with numerous safety features (it's a Volvo), sharp wheels and tires, excellent interior lighting and appreciate seat firmness."

AutoPacific's IVAs are quantitative gauges measuring how closely a vehicle matches an owner's expectations. The buyers who are least likely to want to change their vehicle: they are driving their "ideal" vehicle.

The AutoPacific report concludes, "The automakers that best understand their customers and create the vehicle their buyers demand come closest to the ideal."

The results of the IVA were based on data collected from thousands of new car and truck buyers who rated 15 specific vehicle attributes: exterior styling, exterior size, passenger roominess, cargo space, driver's seat comfort, drivers seat visibility, interior technology, interior lighting, power and acceleration, ease of getting in and out, interior storage compartments, ride, handling, safety features and tires and wheels.

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