Volvo SA’s one-of-one ‘The Beast 2.0’

SPORTY exhaust notes and an eyecatching black with yellow inlays are not something you would associate with Swedish carmaker Volvo as a rule.

Known more for its sensible approach to cars and excellent safety features, Volvo threw the proverbial cat among the pigeons with the launch of The Beast 2.0 at the Festival of Motoring at Kyalami recently.

At the last event before Covid19, the company debuted The Beast, which was the most extreme XC90, but now it has stuck to its “electrification” programme, customising the XC60 plug-in hybrid with a not-sosubtle exterior, some interior changes and a few powertrain upgrades.

Based on the Volvo XC60 T8 R-Design AWD, the T8 plug-in hybrid was the most powerful XC60, with outputs of 340kW and 709Nm. Now it has added the Polestar-engineered package, resulting in faster engine response, quicker gear shifts, improved cornering and better traction on pull-away.

The throaty engine growl comes courtesy of a sporty exhaust system, by Volvo specialists Heico Sportiv, that’s made from stainless steel with an active flap control and frees up more power. You get two sounds when driving – a lovely sporty one when you push the loud pedal and virtual silence when using the rear electric motor in

Pure mode.

The exterior draws inspiration from the R-Design specification with a high-gloss black wrap and slim yellow detailing and rides on 21-inch five-spoke diamond-cut alloy wheels. Behind the rims, yellow XC60 branded brake callipers wink at you. It even has an aerodynamically efficient roof box with yellow Volvo branding.

The interior gets special Polestar yellow seatbelts and is fully specced with items such as four-zone climate control, a Bowers & Wilkins sound system, a head-up display, a 360-degree camera system, a massage function up front, Volvo’s active chassis with air

suspension and four separate equipment packages (power seats, lighting, lounge and driver assist packs).

“The plug-in hybrid version of our XC60 is the perfect vehicle for South African buyers keen to sample an electric car while still having petrol as a back-up plan. With this particular example, we hope to alter some local perceptions around electrified vehicles and prove that being safe needn’t be boring. We think The Beast 2.0 does exactly that,” said Shannon Gahagan, of Volvo Car South Africa marketing.

The Beast 2.0 is a one-of-one design study intended to show what could be possible through customisation.

VOLVO SA unveiled its eye-catching The Beast 2.0 at the Festival of Motoring at Kyalami recently.