Volvo is to halve the number of cars it supplies to Motability this year, while at the same time intending to grow its market share in 2009.

Last year the manufacturer supplied 6,000 cars to the Motability scheme for disabled drivers (out of a total of 33,000 UK registrations in 2008), but this year that number will be just 3,000.

The reason behind the reduction in supply is the weakness of sterling against the Swedish krona (the currency Volvo UK buys its cars from the factory with) and the tight profit margins Motability business brings.

Peter Rask, the new managing director of Volvo Car UK, said: “We are struggling with Motability and can’t get to the same level of competitiveness that we had last year – the currency situation doesn’t allow it.

“We will supply vehicles, but it will be a significant reduction this year.”

Instead of Motability, Rask is targeting fleet for growth and is using the current second quarter period of the year to inform fleets of new low emission models which are scheduled to arrive in August.

Rask, who joined the UK division on January 1 from his role as president of Volvo Cars Switzerland, has made protecting and growing Volvo’s market share (currently 1.6%) as his main priority this year.

He added: “We have got to defend all lines of our business, and job number one is to protect market share.

"I intend to improve on that figure this year, but a 1.6% share is the minimum requirement.

“There is a chance we can get to a 2% share, based on what we have on offer currently and products in the pipeline.”

The most notable new product in Volvo’s pipeline is the new S60 saloon, which is due to make its world debut early next year.

Rask estimates the UK new car market will be 1.65 million units this year, rising to 1.8m in 2010 and hitting a ceiling of two million units by 2011.

He added: “The industry has been in the emergency room and we’ve all been scrambling to save the patient, but now we can breathe again after getting volumes fit for purpose.”

Volvo will launch a host of low emission models this summer, including a version of the C30 hatchback with CO2 emissions of just 104g/km and claimed average fuel economy of 72.4mpg.

The impressive figures are the result of a stop/start system being introduced on the already low emission DRIVe models.

A similar system in the S40/V50 models will result in 107g/km of CO2 and 70.6mpg economy.

Elsewhere, front-wheel drive versions of the XC60 SUV and XC70 crossover will undercut the 160g/km threshold for writing down allowances by delivering 159g/km and 47.1mpg, while 1.6-litre diesel engines in the V70 estate and S80 executive saloon will emit just 129g/km and return 57.6mpg.