|
In line with Volvo’s change enhancement project Revolvolution, whose keywords are ‘quicker’, ‘better’, ‘smarter,’ Volvo has two premieres at the Frankfurt International Motor Show.
At the last few motor shows, Volvo showed three concept cars: the Performance Concept Car (PCC), the Safety Concept Car (SCC) and the Adventure Concept Car (ACC). The SCC and the ACC will be at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, but the PCC (Performance Concept Car) will be replaced by the latest concept model from Volvo Cars, the PCC II.
In addition to the PCC II, the SCC and ACC, the new Volvo S60 AWD will be given its first public showing at the Frankfurt International Motor Show.
Design and technology go hand in hand in the Volvo Cars concept vehicles
Peter Horbury, director of design at Volvo Car states: “Concept cars are an excellent means of providing a glimpse of the future without binding ourselves to an exact design. They help us make wise decisions in our ongoing development work.”
The Volvo Concept Cars represent a new way of looking at the balance between designers and engineers.
Horbury explains: “By tradition, Volvo is a company run and powered by engineers. Concept cars used to be regarded primarily as a means of showcasing new technology. However, since the automotive world and the media that monitor its every move have more of a bias towards visual impact, a concept car must also embody innovative lines in order to rivet world attention.”
Future high performance wagon with a Volvo badge
The Performance Concept Car II is the fourth, and latest concept model from Volvo Cars. Just like the first Performance Concept Car, a highly modified version of the S60, the PCC II, which is based on the V70, is equipped with one of the world’s most advanced continuously adjustable chassis, a 224kW engine and electronically controlled four wheel drive.
Horbury enthuses: “We have made and sold high-performance variants since the very first yellow 850 R model was launched in Geneva in 1994. All these cars had one thing in common: their sporting pedigree was relatively discreet. When designing the PCC models, we decided to give a somewhat freer rein to our wilder impulses. The newer concept cars are far closer to a race circuit special with a more extroverted design language. One glance is sufficient to see that these are cars with extraordinary muscle.”
Safety can be both attractive and compact
The Volvo Safety Concept Car, which was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in January, is a perfect example of the new balance between design and engineering at Volvo Cars.
The SCC is built for the eye. Not merely in terms of aesthetic appearances, but also because the car has been designed around the driver to ensure better vision and maximum visibility.
The SCC gives clues about Volvo’s future safety features.
Horbury states: “We shocked more than a few experts who took it for granted that a safety car from Volvo would naturally be a large family model. With the Volvo SCC, we are showing that we can also package safety in an attractive – I’m almost tempted to say sexy – exciting and compact format.
“For me personally, it was very exciting to hear the resounding ‘yes’ when people were asked whether they recalled the inspiration for the highly distinctive rear section, which draws on the lines of the 1800 ES model of the early 1970s.”
An appetiser
With the Adventure Concept Car, Volvo Car Corporation is preparing itself to leap into the demanding and expansive SUV segment.
It should be stressed that the Volvo Adventure Concept Car is not the car customers will see in dealers showrooms, but should rather be seen as a “thermometer”, a tool for assessing the expectations and demands the market has when it comes to a SUV from Volvo. The ACC is the first indicator of what is waiting around the corner.
Horbury says about the car: “The Volvo ACC is an extremely comfortable Cross Country model where the prime intention is not to plough off-road and head across the terrain in search of the horizon. Instead, this is a car that is ideal for long trips coast to coast. It’s so comfortable and well-equipped that perhaps the best way of describing it is that it’s like flying first-class – just one metre above the road surface.”
The Volvo ACC is based on five assumptions about the properties the market expects in an SUV from Volvo:
- Driving characteristics on a par with those in a well-balanced car, when it comes to both road feedback and driving safety.
- First-class protection for all the occupants in an accident – without being unnecessarily aggressive to the other car in a collision.
- Powerful, responsive engines combined with competitive fuel consumption and operational economy.
- Emissions on the same level as those of a normal car. The target is that this larger, heavier model will also comply with the US requirements for ULEV and ULEV II.
- Generous interior space without taking up too much room on the road. In a number of customer surveys, SUV customers mention ‘exactly the right size’. Volvo Cars is aiming to find the format that attracts customers
The Adventure Concept Car will be seen for the first time in Australia at this year’s Sydney International Motor Show, then again at a special exhibition at the Volvo Ocean Race Stopover Village in December.
Rapid renewal of the Volvo Cars model programme
Year 2000 was the most model-intensive year in Volvo Cars’ history. For Australia the Volvo V70 was introduced February, the phase two of the S40 and V40 in August and the Cross Country in October. In addition, the S60 had its Australian premiere in January 2001.
Frankfurt premiere for S60 AWD
At its world premiere in the summer of 2000, the Volvo S60 was described as the Volvo Car Corporation’s sportiest and most dynamic saloon model ever. The next stage in the company’s commitment to enhanced driving pleasure is now being taken with the introduction of the Volvo S60 AWD – the first Volvo car with electronically-controlled all-wheel drive.
Just like previous AWD models from Volvo, the all-wheel drive system is completely independent of the driver. In other words, the power is distributed automatically between the front and rear wheels to guarantee the best possible grip on every road surface.
The main news is that the Volvo S60 AWD is equipped with electronically-controlled AWD. The system has been developed in collaboration with one of the pioneers in this field – the Swedish company Haldex.
Concept Lab Volvo
Concept Lab Volvo had its premiere showing at the Geneva car show in Febuary 2001, and it will also have a firm presence at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Via the www.conceptlabvolvo.com site, customers throughout the world have direct contact with the heart and brains behind Volvo Cars.
The site also includes detailed information about the thoughts behind the four concept cars – the Volvo Safety Concept Car, Volvo Adventure Concept Car and Volvo Performance Concept Cars I and II. About 3100 people have all ready registered as members and to date, about 200,000 people from roughly 60 countries have visited the site.
The President and CEO of Volvo Cars, Hans-Olov Olsson explains: “A truly smart car manufacturer will not be satisfied with simply exposing and selling its products on the Internet. With this project, we are giving customers the opportunity to play an active role in our product development process.
|
