brand feature
AFTER the lauded XC40 claimed the 2018 European Car of the Year award, Volvo set its sights on world domination. A few months later, the Swedish automaker did just that when the latest XC60 seized the 2018 World Car of the Year title. Committed to electrifying all of its vehicles by 2019 and a future where autonomous driving makes our roads safer and more enjoyable, there’s no doubt the Gothenburg brand will keep raking in the awards. This is how Volvo plans to maintain its winning streak.
Simplicity in design
Staying true to the brand’s Scandinavian design heritage while expressing the creative, innovative soul of modern Sweden, chief design officer at Volvo and CEO of Polestar, Thomas Ingenlath, has created a design language unique to the Swedish automaker.
Alongside Volvo’s iconic Iron Mark logo surrounded by a floating grille, signature Thor’s Hammer daytimerunning lights distinguish newgeneration Volvos. The rear lights of each model across the range also boast a unique shape, giving each a distinct character.
Volvo has reimagined the interiors of its latest line-up of models. The Swedish automaker has replaced most of the physical buttons with a portrait-oriented Sensus Connect touchscreen mounted high within easy reach on the stylish facia. This system is supplemented with digital instrumentation that’s easily configurable and crystal-clear, day or night.
At Volvo, clever engineering goes hand in hand with beautiful design. Thanks to the flexibility of its Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) and Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platforms, the company’s engineers and designers have the freedom to sculpt beautiful cars that are also spacious, fun to drive and refined. The new XC40 is a great example: compact on the outside for easy manoeuvrability in urban environments, it also happens to offer interior room that’s more than sufficient for families.
Autonomous tech: human Approach
Volvo is a person-centred company and, as such, the technology in its current semi-autonomous vehicles is engineered to be an extension of the driver.
The latest generation of Volvos is fitted with semi-autonomous technology such as Pilot Assist, City Safety and Park Assist Pilot. They conspire to make any journey not only safer, but also less stressful and more fun.
In a Volvo, future autonomous driving will not be a nerve-wracking affair. The Swedish brand puts the driver at the centre of its vehicles, inviting them to choose how they want to spend their time. The vehicle, meanwhile, unobtrusively detects lane markings, approaching cars, spots pedestrians and keeps the driver informed about the traffic via its cloud service.
the future is near
Determined to be the first premium car manufacturer to electrify all of its vehicles by 2019, Volvo is taking a bold step forward in the automotive industry: all next-generation Volvos will feature a Twin Engine plug-in hybrid option (currently available), a mild hybrid or a pure electric drivetrain.
Apart from being committed to introducing five pure electric models between 2019 and ‘21, Volvo aims to bring a million Twin Engine or fully electric vehicles to global roads by 2025.
After the Polestar 1 Electric Performance Hybrid is made available, Volvo’s “technological spearhead” division will produce electric-only performance cars. Polestar is currently preparing for the market launch of the Polestar 2 in 2020, with the Polestar 3 following suit in 2022.
Meanwhile, Volvo has announced the newly unveiled 60 series’t8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid derivatives have been developed with a new “Polestar Engineered” electrified performance package.
Safety is key
As an integral part of Volvo’s DNA, safety is the guiding principle behind everything the Swedish automaker produces.
Volvos are put through one-of-akind, rigorous collision tests based on real-life scenarios. The data collected from these tests is then used to develop class-leading safety technology such as Volvo’s Intellisafe suite with Pilot Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Aid and intersection braking tech as part of City Safety, a world first.
Volvos are designed to not only protect you, but everyone else, too. It’s therefore no wonder the top three best-ever performing vehicles in the EURONCAP crash-test programme are Volvos, and they’ve been lauded for their pedestrian protection.
Keeping with its considerate and caring approach called omtanke, Volvo has established Vision 2020 that aims towards not one person being seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo by the year 2020.
It’s clear safety will remain at the heart of Volvo and, in the near future, the brand will take the next natural step in automotive safety: fully autonomous driving. May the awards keep streaming in!