Although home to two of the most famous and largest trucks globally (Volvo AB and Scania AB), the Swedish car industry is focused on passenger transport. It is characterized by unsurpassed quality and exceptional safety – both in cars and buses. Simultaneously, the Swedish automotive industry is heavily dependent on supplies abroad, as 95% of heavy vehicles and 85% of passenger cars are sold elsewhere globally. There are exclusive brands among them. For example, Forbes magazine named the Koenigsegg CCXR supercar the most beautiful in the world. And the Volvo concern received the status of the manufacturer of the safest cars.
What is Swedish Car Brands?
There are few car brands in Sweden, but they are quite well known: Koenigsegg, Volvo, NEVS, Scania AB, Uniti Sweden AB, Polestar, Caresto. Previously, this list also included Saab, Jösse Car, and Scania-Vabis.
Major Swedish Car Companies
There are few of them, but they are excellent! This is what you can exclaim when looking at Swedish cars of any class. The fact is that manufacturers pay great attention to them because the overwhelming majority of products are exported. And there are really few brands associated with the engineering industry in Sweden. The most famous among them are Volvo (premium cars), Koenigsegg (luxury supercars), Saab (universal models), Scania (heavy vehicles), and some others.
Koenigsegg
The Koenigsegg Group car company was founded by Christian von Koenigsegg in 1994 and is engaged in world-class supercars. Its headquarters are in Ängelholm Scania County. She will soon take over the management of yet another Swedish brand, Saab Automobile, which is listed for sale by General Motors. The written confirmation has already been received, and the transaction is being negotiated.
This manufacturer has many technical merits that give the right to call him the best in his country. He pioneered the creation of the CC8S model. This is a sports car adapted for use on ordinary roads, launched in 2002. Another Koenigsegg car has received public attention. This is representative of the CCXR series. Forbes marked it as the most attractive car in the world.
Volvo
It is one of the country’s oldest enterprises, grown from a ball-bearing plant to the largest automotive site. The enterprise manufactures universal cars, SUVs, sedans of several types, hatchbacks, luxury cars. The company’s founders are industrialists Gustav Larson and Assar Gabrielsson, who established it in 1927 in Gothenburg.
The Swedish brand is currently owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the Geely Automobile brand’s parent company. The transition took place on the condition that Volvo will manage the resources as before. However, in 2020, negotiations began on a complete business merger.
NEVS
The founding year of this automaker is 2012th. It arose out of the assets and industrial enterprises of the bankrupt Saab. The company is owned by the Evergrande Group and has several locations: the head office is located in Trollhättan (Sweden), production sites are in Guangzhou (China) and Toronto (Ontario, Canada). The name of the company is an abbreviation and comes from the phrase National Electric Vehicle Sweden. Her basic specialization is electric vehicles.
Scania AB
This company appeared at the end of the 19th century – in 1891. It was founded by Gustaf Erikson and was formerly called AB Scania-Vabis. At this time, its parent organization is the Volkswagen Group, and it is located in the city of Södertälje. The company is engaged in heavy vehicles, buses, and diesel engines for trucks and maritime transport.
Uniti Sweden AB
In the winter of 2016, Lewis Horne launched Uniti, a company dedicated to green technologies and environmental friendliness in the automotive industry. At first, it was a project that started within Lund University’s framework, and then it turned into a business startup promoting the concept of high-tech urban transport. Funds for a two-seater electric car were raised by crowdfunding. In 2019, the technical properties of the first low-cost, mass-produced electric car with a 12 kW or 24 kW battery were presented.
Polestar
Founded in 1996, the brand is now owned by Volvo Cars and Geely, its parent company. The location of the company is the city of Gothenburg (Sweden). Electric vehicles and super-powerful engines are manufactured under this brand. It is also a laboratory and design bureau that implements experimental technologies. Cars are mainly produced in China.
Caresto
This car brand appeared on the initiative of Leif Tufvesson and was officially registered in 2004. The company is located in the south of Sweden, in the town of Ängelholm. It presents four models of the Hot Rod sports car, developed by the owner of the company. Tufvesson spent six years at the Volvo Concept Center designing for Koenigsegg. In 2004, he was honored with the Hot Rod of the Year and the prestigious US Most Innovative Car award.
Defunct Car Brands
Saab
The full name of this Swedish company is Saab Automobile AB. It was founded in 1937. Its head office is located in the city of Trollhättan. Signature cars from this manufacturer were known for turbocharging, safety, and green technology. The brand is currently on hold and is on sale. But since no one wanted to buy it in its entirety, all property, including intellectual property, is sold as separate assets.
Jösse Car
The creators of the Swedish company Jösse Car originally wanted to assemble cars from Saab and Volvo parts. The first model hit the market in 1996. It was a high-speed supercar, which in appearance was a mixture of Corvette and MGB. The manufacturer planned to produce 500 copies a year, but due to lack of money, it went bankrupt in 1999. Now the Jösse Car brand belongs to Braun Holding AB. Its emblem is a rectangular blue shield with the image of a white horse and the black lettering “JC.”
Scania-Vabis
The Scania-Vabis car brand was created in 1911 by two Swedish companies that wanted to strengthen their position in a competitive market. Their first joint project was a bus. Then cars and trucks appeared in the assortment. Over time, the enterprise was completely reoriented to creating heavy-duty equipment, but the Second World War prevented the ambitious plans. In 1969 Scania-Vabis ceased to exist as it merged with Saab Automobile AB, becoming a subsidiary. During the years of independence, she used a blue emblem in the form of a stylized wheel with the head of a red griffin and a gold inscription “SCANIA VABIS.”
What brand of cars are made in Sweden?
Trucks Scania AB and AB Volvo, Volvo Cars passenger cars, Koenigsegg luxury cars are produced in Sweden. But the universal models of Saab Automobile AB are no longer produced because this company went bankrupt.
What luxury cars are made in Sweden?
Volvo and Koenigsegg occupy the niche of luxury car brands in Sweden. The first brand is represented by passenger cars and the second – by hypercars.
What car is popular in Sweden?
In 2021, the following Volvo models topped the list of popular cars in Sweden: S / V60, XC60, and XC40. The five are closed by the cars of the South Korean company Kia: Cee’d and Niro.
What are Swedish cars called?
The most famous names of the Swedish car industry: Koenigsegg, Scania, Volvo, Saab, Polestar. Other brands include Caresto, Uniti Sweden AB, NEVS, Scania-Vabis, Jösse Car.
