Volvo - fun to drive?

[Wizzo]

Volvo is ditching the ‘R’ moniker from its range, calling time on a line that started with the much-loved 850 T5R back in the mid nineties.

The Swedish firm aimed to sell 3,800 units of the current 296bhp S60R and V70 R models in the United States – the cars' biggest markets – but fell well short last year with 1,098 and 538 units respectively.

Volvo chief Fredrik Arp said Volvo is not walking away from performance but simply deleting the moniker. He chose the current C30 hatchback and the V8 version of the S80 luxury saloon as rather unconvincing evidence that Volvo is still interested in fun-to-drive cars.

"We are not giving up the title feature in our products," said Arp, and "we are working on the next phase, but it will not be immediate."