VOLVO fleet sales have soared by 23% this year, following a focus on business centres among Volvo dealerships and clearer links with Ford, the manufacturer has revealed.

Volvo dealer fleet sales for the year to September reached 13,902 units this year, compared to 11,267 for the same period last year.

The firm said the launch of business centres and the new premium upper-medium contender, the S60, had all played a part in the sales boom.

Ian Rendle, corporate sales manager for Volvo, said: 'We have improved our service to corporate customers with a new support team based at Volvo Business Centre in Byfleet, while the Volvo S60 now accounts for 20% of our dealer fleet sales. Our link with Ford Motor Company has also been beneficial for us.'