In the 2000s, The P2 Ruled Volvo Showrooms

• 1999–2006 Volvo S80 (P23)
• 2001–2009 Volvo S60 (P24)
• 2001–2007 Volvo V70 (P26E)
• 2002–2007 Volvo XC70 (P26L)
• 2003–2014 Volvo XC90 SUV (P28)

list source: Wikipedia

The Volvo P2 Cars & SUV

The Volvo P2 platform is a car foundation on which Volvo built many of its 2000s models on. The first Volvo to be built upon this platform was the 1999 S80 luxury sedan.

The P2 platform was engineered to easily accept all-wheel-drive and extended chassis variants. It allowed Volvo enormous flexibility in what they could offer, while keeping manufacturing and engineering costs down by pooling resources.

The P2 run overlapped Ford’s ownership of Volvo, which spanned one decade.  Ford actually took the P2 design and made it their own, calling it D3, which they put to work as a replacement for the ancient Ford D186 platform (example: original 1986 Ford Taurus).

Ford profited handsomely from acquiring Volvo and its new P2 platform, basing many Fords from the design after stretching it 3 inches and swapping quality components for cheaper equivalents to save money, in traditional Ford style.

P2 Drawbacks

In our humble opinion, P2 cars’ turning radius was compromised too much. Both Matt’s dad’s ’99 S80 and Matt’s ’04 V70 R‘s turning radii are very large. But that’s a nitpick.

The P2 chassis has a habit of eating suspension parts, and bushings in general. See the P2 parts failure poll.

Overall however the P2 platform was a business and automotive success. Volvo was failing as a car company during this time for other reasons than the P2 chassis.