Volvo teases next XC90

VOLVO has teased its next-generation XC90 SUV, revealing a design that features similar elements to the sexy Concept Coupe that was revealed yesterday.

The Swedish car-maker revealed a series of sketches of an XC90 concept during a presentation by Volvo design chief Thomas Ingenlath unveiling of the striking Concept Coupe that highlights the company’s future design direction.

Released by Swedish publication Feber.se, the darkened images show an outline of the front end of the SUV, revealing styling cues from the Concept Coupe, including T-shaped headlights and similarly shaped angular bumper design.

The grille is also reminiscent of the sharp-looking coupe, although due to the size of the XC90, its grille is larger.

Images of the rear of the concept show a new tail-light design that maintains a similar shape to the current model, while also reflecting the new design philosophy.

While the LED tail-lights of the low-slung Concept Coupe are C-shaped and sit low on the rear, the design of the XC90 tail-lights take on a bull horn-like shape, trailing up along the D-pillar.

The images show the XC90 is likely to incorporate elements of the Concept Coupe’s cabin, including the use of a portrait touch-screen in the centre console housing the infotainment controls, while air conditioning controls sit under the screen.

There is no word on whether the handmade crystal gear shift lever from the Coupe will make it into the XC90 concept.

The second-generation XC90 will be the first vehicle built on Volvo’s scalable product architecture (SPA) that has been designed with the capability to produce vehicles of varying sizes.

Volvo has previously said the use of high-tensile steel and lightweight materials such as aluminium with the new architecture will mean a weight reduction of about 100 to 150kg over the existing models.

The XC90 is expected to be powered by Volvo’s ‘Drive-E’ range of four-cylinder engines which will also contribute to reduce fuel consumption.

While there is no confirmation of when an XC90 concept might appear, its late 2014/early 2015 European on-sale date suggests a public debut might not happen until sometime next year.