Volvo offers a sneak peek of the all-new upcoming XC90 fullsize CUV, a vehicle top executives hope will boost the automaker’s flagging sales.
The Swedish automaker has set a medium-term goal of selling 100,000 units annually in the U.S., and the XC90 will play a significant role in reaching that objective, CEO Hakan Samuelsson told WardsAuto in an interview earlier this year.
“We need a stronger CUV and the XC90 is a very important step for us,” he said. “We need product rollouts.”
Volvo has a long way to go to meet its sales objective. Last year, U.S. deliveries totaled 61,233, according to WardsAuto data. The last time the automaker eclipsed the 100,000-unit mark was 2007, when it sold 106,213.
Like current Volvo vehicles, the XC90 interior reflects the automaker’s Swedish heritage, with clean lines and plenty of real wood and leather.
Other interior highlights include a gearshift lever made of crystal glass from Swedish glass maker Orrefors, and diamond-cut controls for the start/stop button and volume control.
“These details are designed to become the jewels of the interior,” Robin Page, interior design director, says in a statement. “They add a bit of exclusive playfulness rather than pure functionality.”
Another key feature to debut on the XC90 is Volvo’s new infotainment system, which is centered on a tablet-like touchscreen that controls most functions. The automaker says further details of the system will be released closer to the vehicle’s fourth-quarter launch.
Next-generation seats designed to free up interior space and build on Volvo’s reputation for providing comfortable seating also will be offered on the XC90.
“Just like Scandinavian chairs, our new seats prove that seats don’t need a lot of thick padding to be comfortable,” Page says. “The full seat core has an ergonomic shape that resembles the human spine. A multitude of adjustment possibilities makes it possible for the individual user to create an ideal seating position.”
Standard “Comfort” seats will come available with adjustable side bolsters, seat-cushion extension, multi-directional lumbar support and vertical adjustment to the headrests. Optional “Contour” seats are designed to offer superior side support from the shoulders to the thighs.
Volvo says it will debut the XC90 from the inside out, first revealing interior images before disclosing the full exterior in August.
