The first glimpse of the Volvo S60 Concept car which will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in early January gives an indication of what the new Volvo S60 will look like when it is launched in 2010.
"We can, and dare to, deliver more exciting and more dynamic designs while maintaining our lead position in safety,” says Stephen Odell, president and CEO at Volvo Cars. “The concept car shows part of our future - it is a hint that the new S60 will be one of the strongest contenders in the CD premium segment.”
The first picture reveals the coupe-inspired silhouette that gave the original S60 its unique stance. It has now been further accentuated. "The concept car's design gives a visual promise of enthusiastic driving characteristics and I can assure you that the new S60 will deliver a sporty drive like no Volvo before," says Odell.
The sleek coupe-like roof line is accompanied by entirely new shoulder contours, a gentle double wave from the headlamps at the front of the car to the tail lamps at the rear.
"The inspiration comes from the Swedish coastline's cliffs and seas," explains Volvo Cars' design director, Steve Mattin. "The concept car's exterior gives a clear indication of what customers can expect of the all-new S60. On the inside we've been even more daring – there the focus has been on creating a vision of the future."
Among the interior features is a floating centre stack made of hand-crafted Orrefors crystal. It is shaped in a graceful, transparent wave from the instrument panel all the way to the rear seat backrest. The crystal panel appears to float above the centre stack's ergonomically designed functionality and it rests gently on rubber pads.
"In a concept car the aim is to give your imagination a free rein and our iconic super-slim centre stack was the perfect object. Using pure crystal is a thrilling experiment. We may well see interior features in crystal-like materials in the future," says Mattin.
