“However, all the way up to global board level there’s a very clear strategic vision summarised by the ‘designed around you’ customer statement so as you saw last year in marketing campaigns there’s a very clear focus on its Scandinavian design, luxury designed around you.”

The UK he called a tactical market requiring a quarterly consideration on how to react to market conditions, requiring Volvo to be “nimble”.

Dealer numbers are fairly static.

There are 110 franchised outlets, 50 of these are in the AM100, nine in the
top 10.

Wakefield said: “The number may be static, but there has been churn.

If you consider the last five years we had a big part of Pendragon’s portfolio which we have come out of (the dealer group rationalised its Stratstone Volvo sites in 2007, closing four and turning three to authorised repairers and used car centres) and a number of other ownership changes, but it’s getting towards where we want to be.”

Wakefield is happy with the mix of regional groups, owner drivers, and plcs, although admits the share of the latter is “too small”.

“I like what owner drivers bring to us, I’m very keen on a lot of the emerging regional groups.

But plcs deliver some great opportunity in terms of the style of business and the enthusiasm and professionalism,” he said.