1- My P2 has a top windshield trim that covers the edge of the roofline. Its simple and protects the at-wind line which usually gets sandblasted. My 2006 has never had to get repainted on the roof, while my P3 S80, SPA S90 and P1 C30 all had to get it redone, and added PPF afterward. All three had rock chips on the leading edge… Sure, the P2 car trim is a bit mangled and sunburned, but it still does the job of protecting the paintwork.
2- My P2 wheel liners actually have a “notch” that goes on top of the fender line. It doesn’t 100% stick to the whole fender line, and some people may criticize it for now being fully flush to the fender, but guess what… it definitely offer protection beyond what the P3 and SPA cars offer. Both P3 and SPA cars have the wheel liner INSIDE the fender arch, and as such does not 100% protect it against rock/salt
3- All newer cars come with ginormous tires which of course don’t fit as well INSIDE the arch. So they tend to be flush to the fender line so it LOOKS better (and universally drives WORSE on crap roads)…. But it also does SAND better the paint. Only compounded by people not using mudflaps (like the OP car). For comparison, my 1800, or my old 242 all had super tiny wheels (165 and 185 width) which are absolutely inside the arch, and definitely do not have the occasion to throw stuff at the paint all day… The 255 width tires on the S90 are 10 CM larger than what the 1800 is! This meat has to fit somewhere, and it simply cannot all be INSIDE the car wheel well…
4- All cars with plastic fender flares seem to live better in our climate too (XC Wagons, SUVs and Cars). For example, my 3 siblings V50s were showing rust signs on the fenders at some point, yet my C30 still has none. I’m assuming it is because of the protection warranted by the plastic flares/trims. Sure they are fully sandblasted on the wheel facing side, but its protecting the metal very well.
In recent times, and that goes to all areas of design for the last 15-20 years (Apple years maybe?). Esthetics, design and the marketing of looks totally trumps the durability angles in consumer minds. We see that everywhere. People are now totally ok to dump their goods after a few years and don’t ever bother to get things fixed that their sire would have been horrified to not be able to get repaired.
So Volvo giving in to esthetics at the detriment of durability is a choice they seem to have made, based on consumer preference.