Fresh off a record year for sales and dealer profitability, Volvo Car Canada used media day at the Canadian International AutoShow to double down on its safety DNA while signalling more product is on the way for retailers. With crash-tested vehicles flown in from Sweden, a global safety executive on stage and new electrified models in the pipeline, Matt Girgis, Managing Director, Volvo Car Canada outlined how safety, alignment and expanded choice are positioning dealers for continued growth.
In an interview with Canadian auto dealer at the Volvo booth in the South Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Girgis said 2025 marked a milestone year for the brand and its retailers.
Girgis then invited Åsa Haglund, global vice-president, Volvo Cars Safety Centre, to the stage to present to the assembled media. “Safety is and always has been at the heart of our cars,” she said. “Up until today we believe we’ve saved more than a million lives.”
Haglund detailed Volvo’s decades-long accident research, including a database of more than 50,000 real-world crashes involving more than 80,000 people, which informs what the company calls its Volvo Safety Standard.
“Real world traffic is way more complicated than standardized testing required by regulations and ratings,” she said, explaining that Volvo engineers vehicles to account for complex, real-world scenarios beyond regulatory minimums.
For dealers, the safety narrative is only part of the story. Product cadence remains critical, particularly as electrification strategies continue to evolve across markets.
“We know we’re on a journey with electrification and it’s important to have a powertrain for everybody regardless of where they are on that journey,” Girgis said. “Whether it’s a gas car, a plug-in hybrid, or a fully electric car.”
Girgis pointed to the upcoming EX60, a fully electric SUV entering a key Canadian segment, as an important addition.
“With the introduction of the EX60, we’re filling that gap we have today of a fully-electric car in the DSUV segment,” he said. “With that, I feel very confident that we’ll be able to meet Canadians where they are, regardless of which powertrain they’re after.”
Volvo also used the Toronto show to highlight the Ontario debut of the EX30 Cross Country, alongside the EX40, XC40, XC60 and XC90. The EX30, EX40 and XC90 were available for test drives, giving consumers direct exposure to the evolving lineup.
For Girgis, continued dealer alignment remains a priority.
“We want to continue to grow with them. We want to continue to get them very close to our plans and make sure we’re aligned together,” he said. “We want to continue to talk about our safety message and heritage, how important that is for us, not just the heritage, but also the innovation that’s coming as well.”
