VOLVO is aiming to build on its growing reputation in the police fleet market with a foray into the ambulance sector. The Swedish manufacturer is offering a police specification version of its S/V70 as a rapid response paramedic vehicle and is also making a demonstrator ambulance version of the larger 960 estate available.

The exercise paves the way for a more serious assault in a couple of years, when the manufacturer will have an all-new ambulance based on its new large saloon car - which arrives in the UK next year. Volvo has in recent years taken a significant slice of the police fleet market with the 850 and now the S/V70 finding favour as motorway patrol vehicles. There are 703 T5 patrol vehicles in service in the UK, with some forces having 30 or even 40 vehicles.