The Volvo S60 Concept: An Insight into the Future

"The all-new S60 will be one of the strongest players in a segment where the competition is razor-sharp," says Volvo Cars President and CEO Stephen Odell.

The coupe-inspired lines that gave the original S60 its characteristic stance are even more pronounced in the next generation.

"The sporty design gives visual promise of an enthusiastic drive and I can assure you here and now that the all-new S60 will live up to that promise. The driving properties are better than in any previous Volvo. The car's technology will help you to be a better and safer driver," says Stephen Odell.

The Volvo Cars design team has clearly upped the ante in the evolution of Volvo's design DNA.

"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 in the slightly longer perspective," says Volvo Cars' design director Steve Mattin.

The front of the S60 Concept naturally sports the enlarged iron mark in the trapezoidal grille. The grille itself has a somewhat new appearance with structured horizontal vanes adding refinement to its form.

The concept car's headlamps unite classic Scandinavian influences with modern high-tech.

In each of the headlamps, the lights form a sculpture creating the image of two miniature Viking longboats sailing side by side, one for main beam and one for dipped beam. When driving in the dark, the light is reflected from the concealed, upward-facing High Performance LED bulbs, projected ahead by the ships' filled sails.

The semi-transparent housing incorporates a layered ring-like formation that is part of the position lights. You can see the confident face of the concept car illuminating in a ring-like formation.

Viewed from the side, the concept car's slim coupe roofline and window graphics are accompanied by an entirely new lateral shoulder line, forming a gentle double wave. Stretching from the headlamps all the way to the tail, it adds emotional excitement and plays with the surface and its highlights.

The unique rear doors offer a spectacular show whenever they are opened and shut. Door movement starts off in the traditional way via the push of a button. In the next phase, the forward section swings out away from the car's body and the door glides parallel with the side of the car until it reaches its end position by the rear wheel.

The tail lamps, which follow the curve of the rear shoulders, are as advanced as the headlamps up front. When switched off, the lamp panels show no trace of the traditional red or yellow associated with rear lights. But when activated, the position marker lights, brake lights and turn indicators come on in their correct colours with the help of LED bulbs.

The lighting system's solid glass panel is sectioned into horizontal "slices" that create the visual impression of a three-dimensional architect drawing when the lights come on.

With the interior of the Volvo S60 Concept, Volvo Cars' design director Steve Mattin and his team are displaying a variety of spectacular ideas for future models.

"You could say that we are showing the road we would like to take in the future. This interior is without doubt the most exclusive we have ever created," says Steve Mattin.

The interior expresses a typically Scandinavian feel: fresh, light and airy. In the middle of the four-seater car glitters the jewel in the crown - a floating centre stack crafted from handmade, solid Orrefors crystal. It floats like a gentle, calm wave from the instrument panel all the way to the rear seat backrest.

"It resembles a waterfall that flows down from the instrument panel and then courses along the middle of the car's interior," says Steve Mattin.

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Credits: Jarvis