Volvo

Volvo dates back to 1927, and was an independent company until becoming part of Ford's Premier Automotive Group in 1999. When PAG was disbanded, Geely stepped in with cash but left most of Volvo's operations intact in Gothenburg, Sweden. Since then, Volvo has had a bit of a renaissance, producing some very attractive and well-regarded vehicles such as the S90/V90 large passenger car and the XC90 crossover, which couldn't be more different in appearance from the blocky 140- and 240-series cars that earned the company its safe and solid reputation in America. What hasn't changed is a distinctly Scandinavian flavor, despite the company's ownership by a Chinese automaker. The range also includes the V40, XC40 and XC60.