--- title: "Volvo US Sales Plunge 32% as Stock Piles Up: The Downshift" date: "2026-04-13" modified: "2026-04-13" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/volvo-us-sales-plunge-32-as-stock-piles-up-the-downshift" categories: - "News" - "The Downshift" tags: - "Volvo" --- # Volvo US Sales Plunge 32% as Stock Piles Up: The Downshift ![Volvo SUV at a dealership]() *\Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images\* Good morning and welcome to *[The Downshift]()*, or *TDS* for short. *TDS* is all about getting you the automotive industry headlines you need to know every morning. Bulletins are summarized in a sentence or two with links to dive deeper if you wish. It's Monday and fully allergy season for my fellow sufferers. It's alright, we'll get through it together. Let's go. ⬇️ Volvo's U.S. sales are down 32% in the first quarter and dealers seem positively frustrated, per *[Automotive News]()*. "They don't care about building value in the brand or raising transaction prices—it's just 'take more cars,'" one anonymous dealer told the publication, frustrated that the brand is reportedly sitting on over 90 days of inventory. ⛽ With all the recent panic surrounding gas prices, Ford is now offering gas cards with the purchase of certain new models, in specific markets, per *[CarsDirect]()*. The promotion offers buyers the opportunity to save as much as $3,500 on fuel, but reportedly can't be stacked on top of other incentives. 📉 Volkswagen's global first-quarter figures are in, and they're down 4% compared to last year due to—surprise—lagging demand in the U.S. and China, *[Reuters]()* reports. 🛻 Speaking of VW, the automaker's American branch is aware that its competitors are getting into the pickup game and has considered doing the same, according to *[Autoblog]()*, but currently has no firm plans. 🤖 Jeep is going '90s with its new Wrangler and Gladiator Rewind [special editions](), based on an Easter Jeep concept with synthwave-style decals that also look appropriate for Solo cups of the era. 🚙 Bentley says the next-generation Bentayga, due in 2028, will be a plug-in hybrid and not an EV, as it abandons its prior plans to introduce five fully electric models by the end of the decade, per *[Autocar]()*. The new Bentayga will share a platform with the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q9. 🔧 Stellantis has chosen to lay off 40 percent of Opel's engineering workforce in Germany, according to *[Auto News]()*. 🏁 Weekend Race Results: - NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol — Ty Gibbs won for Joe Gibbs Racing - NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series at Bristol — Connor Zilisch won for JR Motorsports - NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Bristol — Christopher Bell won for Halmar Friesen Racing - WRC Rally Croatia 2026 — Takamoto Katsuta won for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT - Formula Drift at Long Beach — Conor Shanahan won for Jerry Yang Racing ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()