Volvo have revealed what the interiors of the all-new XC90 will look like in 2015.
The new car will be a radically redesigned seven-seat offering, with a lot more luxury blended in for good measure. The interface will be touch-oriented for most part, with some good old hand controls and buttons making their way in as well.
The new interior features heavily reworked seats apart from all-new panels and elements never before seen in any Volvo. ‘Comfort seats’ as Volvo call them, have been created to be ergonomic as well as space saving, freeing up more room for occupants in the rows behind. They also feature adjustable side support, seat cushion extension, multi-directional lumbar support and vertical adjustment for the headrests. The second row of seats are 40:20:40 split and offer individual comfort levels. The third row offers class-leading comfort, and Volvo are clear about this, for occupants up to 1.7 metres tall. The inflatable curtains have also been tweaked for enhanced rollover protection.
The new centre console features a smart new gear lever and drive mode selector. The touch-interface is offered by means of a tablet-like display, allowing access to several, if not most vehicle functions. The information console also uses digital dials but with a familiar floating-needle display. A new four-zone climate control system will also make an appearance in the new XC90.
This is a modern Volvo, so expect nothing but the best safety technology and equipment. The new XC90 is the first car to be based on the new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) and thus, if you’re aware of the three concepts the company showcased earlier, you could picture it to be the Concept XC Coupé stretched out a bit, with two more doors and the seven-seat layout pictured here. Under the skin, for India at least, will be the new Driv-E D4 engine, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine making 181 PS and 400 Nm of torque mated to the new eight-speed automatic transmission, which may (or may not) drive all four wheels.
Either way, expect maximum flexibility in an extremely simple and sensible way, just like Volvo always do it. Furthermore, you can expect some rather incredible fuel efficiency figures as well. If India does get a hybrid driveline, that will bring even more power and efficiency with elevated levels of smoothness, accentuating the responsible luxury theme that is becoming evident with Volvo.
Volvo have the 2015 XC90 almost ready and it’s only a matter of time before the production model is finally revealed to the world. The price? It will surely be above that of the current model, the Rs 60-odd lakh XC90 D5 AWD, by a clear margin.
Story: Jim Gorde
Images: Volvo
