Volvo 9700 is currently sold in most of Europe and North America (including Canada, United States and Mexico).

For the Nordic markets they were fitted on both B12B (rear-engine) and B12M (mid-engine) chassis, with both configurations proving to be nearly equally popular.

In 2007, the 9700 NG was awarded the title Coach of the Year 2008 by European bus journalists.

The B12B was still the chassis of choice from the Wrocław plant, until late 2009 when Euro V emission requirements were enforced, and all but the 340 hp engines were gone.

For the rest of the European markets, the new generation was postponed to the introduction of the Euro VI compliant chassis models in the autumn.

On the inside Volvo have developed all new seats, giving better side support than the previous ones.

While the Nordic markets got these while still on Euro V/EEV level, they got them also on B9R and B13R chassis, the rest of Europe got them only on B8R and B11R, which are the current offerings.

A double decker version of the fourth generation 9700, the 9700DD, was launched in February 2020[2] and uses Volvo B11RLE chassis, a variant of B11R.

[3] Double decker variants are bodied at the Carrus Delta plant in Lieto, Finland.

[4] The 9700 is also available as a bruck, with a large integrated cargo compartment at the rear end of the bus, sold only in Norway, Sweden and northern parts of Finland.

In the old days this type of bus was offered by many coachbuilders in the Nordic countries, built on front- or mid-engined chassis, but for the last decade or so Volvo has had very little competition, except for a few double-deckers on Scania chassis, bodied by either Helmark Carosseri or Van Hool.

A rear-engine chassis makes worsened weight distribution and raised floor height at the rear, which results in less cargo capacity.

The Wrocław-built Volvo 9500 was introduced as a low-price alternative at IAA Hannover in 2010, and is essentially a stripped down 9700H NG.

At launch it was only available in a single 12.3-metre configuration and without the possibility for a wheelchair lift, which meant that it could not be used in route traffic in all of the EU and EEA countries.

This was both to keep the price down, and to avoid it competing with the more costly 9700 models, but after a few years Volvo changed their mind and released a version with wheelchair lift too.

To differentiate the 9500 from the other models, it has simpler-looking headlights, much like those on the Indian Volvo 9400, but in the same colour as the rest of the bus.

Volvo Buses de México, S.A. in Tultitlán offered a range of 9700 models.

Another difference is the removed door that separated the passenger cabin from the driver's area.

Most Volvo coaches in Mexico add a door in the bus to keep the passengers within the designated area.

[9] An "Extreme Efficiency" package for Volvo I-Shift transmission also became available in 2015, and reduces horse power of the engine to 425 hp.

Volvo Buses India Pvt Ltd started production of B7R bi-axle coaches in Hosakote, near the city of Bengaluru, in 2000.