Volvo introduced its SUV, the XC90 to the world in 2002 and the vehicle has been termed as a very capable and safe SUV. Volvo kept selling the same XC90 until now and even though it got its set of updates and refreshes at regular intervals, the overall vehicle still remained the same. Now Volvo has started unveiling the next generation XC90. This will be an all-new version and it is set to feature many significant styling as well as mechanical changes. While exteriors of the new SUV are yet to be showcased officially, Volvo displayed the interiors of the new XC90 a couple of days back and we have only good things to say.
Volvo’s motto while designing these interiors was – safety first and then comfort. First up, the design and feel of the new interiors is very, very different than the outgoing one. The dashboard gets an upmarket design and ergonomics are properly designed by Volvo engineers. Each and everything is brand new and not even a single bit from the previous generation XC90 (last picture in this post) can be seen here. The dashboard features a simple design and there are no funky bits but this design reeks of a premium feel. The centre console houses a big touchscreen display that can be used to control different functions in the car. This system also lends controls for the audio system and Volvo has managed to incorporate a button-less design.
The interiors of the 2015 Volvo XC90 SUV come with various premium materials like Nappa leather and dark flame birch wood. The gear lever consists of crystals from Orrefors, which is a renowned Swedish glass maker. The engine start-stop as well as volume control buttons feature beautiful diamond cut controls. The XC90 is a 7-seater SUV and Volvo engineers have designed the positioning of the seats in such a way that it resembles a human spine. The seats offer power adjustments for side bolsters, seat cushion extension, lumbar support and adjustments for headrests. The memory has capacity to store three different seating positions and ventilation and massage functions are optional. Another option is the Contour seat which is designed to provide exceptional support right from the shoulders to the thighs.
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The second row comes with three individual seats that can be recline-adjusted. These seats also feature a sliding function if you ever wish to generate more legspace for passengers seated in the third row. The centre seat in the second row comes with an optional child booster cushion. The third row has been designed in such a way that ingress and egress gets easy for passengers. Volvo claims that the third row seats can seat passengers with height up to 5’7″ comfortably. Each and every seat in the second and third rows can be folded individually which leads to increased flexibility and practicality in the SUV.
The 2015 Volvo XC90 also comes with a four-zone automatic climate control system. The third row gets an optional air conditioning system too. All in all, the interiors of the new XC90 pack in a great punch compared to the outgoing version. Just having a look at the interiors of the older XC90 make us feel that they were quite spartan compared to what Volvo has engineered now. Even the older interiors had a simplistic and functional design but that design was being used since a decade and it stood nowhere when compared to current rivals.
Volvo will surely blow out its competition now. If the interiors of the new XC90 look so promising, we can’t help but wait for the automaker to unveil the engines and drivetrains in July and the exteriors by August. Volvo will be updating all its cars in the near future, the company was criticised heavily for the outdated dashboard on all its current cars but the new interior design direction looks very promising.
