Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, SUVs, Volvo
Detroit Preview: Volvo XC60 concept
Volvo's giving us a little treat in releasing these pictures of the XC60 concept SUV, which they'll be showing in a few weeks at the Detroit show. While strictly dubbed a concept show car, the kid brother to the XC90 is expected to go into production in 2009. How closely it mirrors this shapely showcar is the question.
The exterior styling clearly takes on Ford Europe's latest "kinetic" design language, following along the lines (so to speak) of the Ford Iosis concepts, among others. And those lines mark a radical departure from the comparatively conservative styling production Volvos employ, and what was previously expected to continue with the XC60 as well. To compete with the increasingly crowded premium compact SUV segment, that could be just what Volvo needs to cut ahead of the pack. The interior, meanwhile, is very i, Robot ...tres slick, but don't expect much to carry over to production aside from the modern trademark Volvo floating console-dash panel.
Not much is known about the mechanicals on this concept, but we do know it's based on the platform of the Land Rover LR2 (a.k.a. Freelander 2, as opposed to the LR3/Discovery).
Follow the jump for more images.
[Source: Volvo via Carscoop]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
buddy71 3:39PM (12/13/2006)
America would/will eat this up but how will this design be recieved in Europe sitting next to a Ford Contour station wagon (estate) at a traffic light?
P.S. - designers, please start spending as much time on the interiors as the exteriors. The interior on this concept make little sense. Unless that top panel is supposed to be a touch-sensitive lcd panel, it makes little sense - and the gauge package is a joke right?
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Shawn704 3:52PM (12/13/2006)
So this is a C1 based platform, because it looks similar to the Mazda CX-7 and Mazda CX-7 Adrenaline. They share similar lines and contours, just look at the angle of that windshield.
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MJL 4:04PM (12/13/2006)
Boy, they're running out of things to do with those vertical taillights
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Blooooooooooooood 4:11PM (12/13/2006)
looks GREAT, but again LATE.
Mazda, Honda, Lexus, BMW, Benz all have these feminine, smooth, small SUVs.
Plus i read BMW will comeout with a smaller SUV, plus VW and Audi will.
This is exactly what is wrong with Ford...........GREAT CAR, but it is way way way too late.
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eed 4:21PM (12/13/2006)
Dear Ford,
Please stop ruining Volvo.
Please don't make the new V70 a rebadged Ford something.
Please stop making crappy SUVs, just to "compete".
Please find the notes from the engineers who designed the 240, 700s and 850s, and make modern versions of those.
Please make thinking peoples automobiles again.
Thanks.
Your followers.
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toddster_lbc 4:40PM (12/13/2006)
With apologies to Conan O'Brien...
This looks like the answer to the question, "If a Buick Enclave and a Motorola RAZR phone mated..."
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Milos 5:09PM (12/13/2006)
why this is called SUV or even CUV? without inch or two of land clearance it would be typical European B segment car, something like A3 sportback. I mean, it's fine car but it lacks the "outdoor look". Even Tiguan looks more stporty
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Milos 5:16PM (12/13/2006)
I meant C segment...like focus
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Talis 5:58PM (12/13/2006)
I like this concept. buddy71, you're an idiot, the interior makes perfect sense; instead of useing a joystick like the BMW iDrive or the Audi whatever it's called, they use some sort of touch screen (like going to an ATM). The exterior is a bold statement of both classic and contemporary Volvo design philosophy.
MJL, the vertical tail lamps are designed that way for a reason--mainly fog. If you ever drive in the fog you know it is very hard to see traffic even with your lights on, and the only reason for having your lights on is so others can see you, not so you can see others.
For everybody who said this is too late, what are you talking about? Ford is already saturating the market with crossovers like the freestyle, Edge, MKX, Cx-7, Cx-9... the list just goes on. As far as Volvo as a brand is concerned, there are small crossover wagons like the v50, the v70, xc70 and xc90 as well as the new c30.
For everybody who is trying to place this concept into a small car segment, why don’t you read the article? It says very clearly that Volvo wishes to compete with the BMW x3, and it building this concept on the Freelander 2 platform, which is about twice the size of the focus (American or European).
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buddy71 6:37PM (12/13/2006)
Talis,
No reason to call me an idiot. I hope your brother designed the interior or something - otherwise the sore spot I hit on you with my disdain for the interior needs to be checked out with a medical professional. Just because we're on the internet and are anonymous doesn't excuse us from manners
Further, as long as you're telling everyone to read the article, I invite you to re-read my comment especially the part about 'Unless the top panel is a touch sensitive lcd panel...'.
Even so, I have a hard time seeing this type of interior seeing mass production any time in the next 5-7 years. As such, on a 'concept' so obviously close to production, it is completely useless and too pie in the sky in such a vehicle.
Don't worry, I'm sure your brother will be fine...
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jon 6:48PM (12/13/2006)
it is stunning, but uses 100% of the Ford of Europe design language. Are Volvo's to become rebadged Fords? Sharing mechanicals is fine.
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jon 6:48PM (12/13/2006)
wouldn't this make an awesome 2010 Ford Escape?
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ak47 7:00PM (12/13/2006)
Blooooooooooooood,
There is no such thing as late. Volvo was late to enter into the mid-sized SUV market too, and look now, XC90 is the best or possibly second best selling vehicle in the class. As long as XC60 is competitive, they should be able to meet their sales targets.
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Typesbad 7:57PM (12/13/2006)
I tend to think of these vehicles as simply wagons, and I've tended to look unkindly on SUVs when the brand has a perfectly good wagon in the line up such as MBW or Mazda. My thinking being: Why have the high center of gravity if your not going off-road, and if you are going off-road, why have a crossover?
But I talked to a couple who lived in the mountains who told me that they were looking for something to replace their Volvo wagon because they needed more ground clearance when the snow gets thick on the road. With that point taken, I can look a little more kindly to this.
I'm hoping the front end is just badly drawn. I think the graphics of the center stack is just concept frippery, but there is some production potential in the shape and trim ideas.
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Blooooooooooooood 8:01PM (12/13/2006)
AK47-------Yes you are right and as someone pointed out to me recently Lexus is just entering ultra powerfull luxury sedan segment with F series (i believe it is called)
However Volvo is not Lexus and Ford is not Toyota. And as i pointed out Volvo is entering into a fight not with GM Acadia or Honda CR-V......but with BMW, Lexus,Infinity,Benz.....can they still make money in it, YES. But it shows that Ford is way way behind others as far as making cars that consumers are shifting too. This Volvo already should have been on the market making money for Ford.
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Seto 10:36PM (12/13/2006)
HOLY CRAP. I thought it's gonna look like all those photoshopped pics that have been floating around but this one is definitely a lot better. frankly i am tired of the s40/v50/c70 look.
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Steve S 7:35AM (12/14/2006)
INteriors of today's cars look like crap, I want a futuristic design. The closest so far is the Honda civic. I say bring on the LCD touchscreens and cameras for mirrors!
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Eric B 8:40AM (12/14/2006)
It's a wonder my keyboard hasn't shorted out from all the drool...
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polthereal 11:25AM (12/14/2006)
I'm not sure where the enthusiasm comes from for this design. It looks a little repulsive to me; the front grille is losing the pleasing (if staid) proportionality typical to Volvos (becoming more like an upside-down triangle), the headlights are squinty and unhuman, and the rear--well, it looks distorted, like a giant pair of calipers pulled it out of whatever alien womb conceived it.
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Justin 1:40PM (12/14/2006)
I guess I'm the only one here who likes this. I completely realize it wouldn't work in this form as a production car (that console would never fly) but I like the idea.
A completely digital console could be an extremely interesting concept, given the amount of customization and variation it could offer. Obviously would require some tweaking and durability testing to see how it flies in the real world.
As for how this thing looks on the outside, I'm sensing Ford Mondeo accents. Personally I don't care how much the Volvo "look" is altered so long as the car is reliable and safe. I've never been a fan of the old boxy Volvo look.
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