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Hard to believe in this day and age of refreshing products every five minutes, but Volvo's XC90 has been with us in its original form - notwithstanding some minor tweaks during its lifetime - for 12 years. Therefore, the Swedes have decided we need an all-new model and the launch of this car is going to be spread out over a period of months, starting from the inside out.
Volvo claims the XC90's cabin is the most luxurious to have been designed for one of its cars, with a strong air of Swedish design within. There's a tablet-like touchscreen control console, which oversees an all-new in-car control system that is 'virtually button-free', apparently. It will also, of course, have full connectivity to internet products and services, and the pictures clearly show it's another seven-seater, perhaps crucial to sales success in this sector.
As for the physical side of things, soft leather and wood with handcrafted details promise opulence unparalleled in the segment. The gear lever is made of crystal glass from Orrefors, a Swedish glassmaker, while there are diamond-cut controls for the engine start-stop button and volume controls. "These details are designed to become the jewels of the interior. They add a bit of exclusive playfulness, rather than pure functionality," said Robin Page, Volvo's Interior Design Director.
As with MQB at Volkswagen, Volvo is going for modularity range-wide on its offerings, meaning the XC90 is the first product to use the company's Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). Volvo says this allows it to vary design across models more easily, while at the same time improving driveability, increasing interior space and including the latest safety features and connected in-car technologies for all cars.
And finally...
The drip-feeding of information on the XC90 continues with the latest on safety and interior air quality improvements due to be released in late July/early August, while the reveal of the technology highlights, including chassis and powertrains, will start in mid-July and continue until the full exterior reveal at the end of August. If you're a Volvo XC90 fan, it's going to be a long wait.
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