Volvo previews future direction with Concept Universe
Volvo’s contribution to the Shanghai Auto Show is a significant one. Its star display, the Concept Universe, gives us a first time look at what Volvo’s new Chinese owners have in store for us, and there’s no place more apt to showcase this than in Shanghai itself.
“The Concept Universe offers the world a sneak preview of what people can expect from our next top-of-the-line sedan,” says Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation.
The Concept Universe’s styling marks a departure from the widely-acclaimed design language that we currently see in models such as the C30, XC60, and S60. In fact, Volvo states that the Concept Universe borrows design cues from its own classic models. Looking at its boxy shape, we have an idea which few, and we are guessing that the Chinese had a say in this.
The interior is what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in concept cars – minimalist dashboards, curvy seats, and the lot. It is clearly a four-seater, with a centre tunnel that stretches all the way to the rear. The traditional centre stack is replaced by an iPad-like touchscreen, which is duplicated along the centre tunnel for the rear passengers. The headrests, however, are rather reminiscent of what the old Volvo 240 used to have.
No technical details of this car has been mentioned, but Volvo also announced that they are in the midst of developing an all-new platform for their next generation of vehicles, which would also most likely include styling cues from the Concept Universe here.
The new platform, dubbed Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA), will support all of Volvo’s mid to large sized vehicles, and should come nicely in a few years’ time to take over from the raft of Ford platforms that underpin all of its current line-up.
KON
Pictures: Official Volvo release.
