I get a strange amount of vitriol from anti-EV folks where I live, I could imagine somebody putting a metaphorical potato in the metaphorical tailpipe. Although that type of person is more likely to use a screwdriver than a replay attack.
Makes sense that they'd ditch this as unnecessary complication.
And I know what you're hinting at but I don't actually care. Just like a Land Rover is a British car even though it's owned by an Indian corporation.
Then because Ford had absolutely no interest in the brand, they basically invested zero money, the cars stagnated, and yes, by the end of the Ford's ownership, they were absolutely crap and I would not recommend anyone buying one.
Then Ford finally got bored with it, and sold it to Geely, a chinese corporation - but they basically said "we'll leave you alone, here's an unlimited purse of money to design a car that people will want" - and so Volvo designed the new SPA platform, which they used for the XC60 then XC90 then all their other cars, and those were and still are regarded as hugely successful and well designed cars, with good engines. Under the chinese ownership Volvo was allowed to pioneer the plug-in hybrid drivetrains for instance, and they were one of the first ones to offer them.
Nowadays the domination they had in that area is weaning a bit, but Volvo is innovating with immediate launch of SPA2 platform, and hardcore push towards full electrification of all models.
>>I heard they are now Chinese owned, although it seems buyers think they are still Swedish
As far as I can tell, all Geely does is provides budget - the cars are still designed by Swedes. That makes it a Swedish car in my book.
Doesn't mean that it is a bad design.