Volvo Car UK chief executive Kristian Elvefors has informed the Swedish carmaker’s dealers of a three-month postponement to its planned roll-out of agency model new car retail.

Retailers had been told that the new direct-to-consumer distribution model could be implemented as early as April, but Volvo has followed Stellantis in stalling its plans to transition away from a franchised car retail model and now expects to roll-out the new system from June 1.

AM reported back in November that Stellantis retailers were “over the moon” at news that its agency model roll-out had been put back from July this year to January 2024.

The UK is set to be Volvo’s lead market for the implementation of the new agency model, which will see retailers receive a fixed handling fee for completing new car sales.

Giving his update on its planned implementation in a letter received by retailers on Friday (January 27), Elvefors said the brand was “making great progress with our new car agency strategy”, with all partner agreements signed and returned at the end of last year.