On show: Concept Coupe show car
Volvo Concept Coupe (pictured above)
To prove how versatile the XC90’s new scalable structure is, Volvo’s designers have created a sleek coupé concept car as a centrepiece for the stand.
It’s the first of three concept cars which will give us some clues as to what we can expect upcoming Volvo models to look like.
Some of its design cues have been influenced by the classic Volvo P1800 from the 1960s – the car that Roger Moore drove in TV series The Saint. Its interior is equally spectacular, featuring a crystal glass gear selector and seats with built-in Aux and USB sockets for each occupant. There is a bare minimum of switches, the majority of functions controlled by a large touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard.
The Concept Coupe is powered by a hybrid system, combining an electric motor power for the rear axle with one of Volvo’s latest petrol engines for the front – a 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit with both a turbocharger and supercharger.
At present, Volvo has not indicated any plans to build a production version of the Concept Coupe. It remains a show car to demonstrate the potential of its new chassis architecture and preview design cues we can expect to see on the company’s production cars in the near future.
You can read more about the Volvo Concept Coupe in our concept car guide here.
New engines unveiled
Volvo has unveiled a new set of ‘Drive-E’ engines set to power popular models. The 304bhp T6 petrol engine and 179bhp D4 diesel will be available in the autumn on S60, V60 and XC60 models. They’re both 2.0-litre engines, and will be joined by more power outputs as time goes on.
We expect hybrid power to become more popular in the Volvo range as companies strive to drive down CO2 emissions and improve fuel economy.
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