Volvo provided a sneak peak at its XC Concept coming to the Detroit Auto Show.
Volvo continued its three-vehicle concept study today when it rolled out a few pictures of its Concept XC Coupé, which will debut in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show in January.
The XC concept borrows some cues from the Swedish maker’s Cross Country and XC models to produce a new look.
The first of the three concepts was the Volvo Concept Coupé. It was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and for those who were used to the bland, boxy designs from Volvo’s past, it was an impressive break from that “heritage.”
Volvo's XC Concept is the second of three concept vehicles from the Swedish maker.
However, with a remake of the company’s XC90 looming next year, it seems almost assured that some of the concept styling cues should find their way onto the new model.
In fact, new design chief Thomas Ingenlath said during an interview with TheDetroitBureau.com during the Frankfurt show, that it “will be the first interpretation of this language,” albeit in the more massive dimensions of a crossover-utility.
The S90 design will be next on the list of redesigns and it’s likely to look most like the Concept Coupé, which was influenced of the maker’s old P1800 sports car, produced between 1961 and 1973.
(Volvo’s chief designer says concept series is glimpse of future. For more, Click Here.)
“It’s the essence of what we’re doing,” Ingenlath said. “We’re taking the heritage of Volvo and remaking it as a convincing case for the future.”
The XC Concept borrows from Volvo's XC and Cross Country.
The image of the Volvo wagon still remains the most common perception of the brand, acknowledged Ingenlath, something “working against us,” he laments during a conversation alongside the new Coupe Concept.
(Click Here to see how Volvo is turning body panels into batteries.)
With a new product strategy falling into place based around two new vehicle architectures, Volvo recognized it was a good time to make some significant moves to change those perceptions. Soon after he joined the company, Ingenlath was set to work finding a way to pull a new design language together. Searching for that brand essence in past products he turned to the P1800, “and the pieces fell together.”