for a moment we got pretty excited when Volvo’s new Senior Vice President of Design, Thomas Ingeniath referred the Volvo Concept Coupe as not a futuristic dream car. alas, that does not necessary means what you here would come to fruition as is, but rather it points toward the capability of Volvo’s new architecture which will be carried forward to future Volvo cars. developed under Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture, this designated concept car from the Swedish automaker is a petrol plug-in hybrid with power coming from a 2-liter Drive-E petrol engineer fitted with a supercharger and turbo and an electric motor on the rear axle, resulting in an estimate output of 400 horses and “over 600 Nm of torque.” design-wise, Volvo has taken the design elements of its iconic P1800 and translate them into 21st century and forward concept vehicle, featuring unmistakable muscular and yet svelte form. and so, no. retro it is not.
on the outside, the Volvo Concept Coupe is nothing less than a visual impact, assaulting our visual senses with low sculptured bonnet, rakish windshield, mega-sized 21″ wheels, a wide sporty stance, and a “floating” grille flanked by a pair of headlamps with new T-shaped DRL light guides (basically, daytime running lights). the last exterior feature is something that we are sure to see in further Volvo rides. the inside welcomes occupants with a future-meet-today design with handcrafted elements such as the leather instrument panel, naturally aged wood inlays, dark blue woven carpets, and an opulent touch of luxury in the form of a handcrafted crystal gear lever (yes. it is literally a crystal). unlike most cars and concepts, the Volvo Concept Coupe boldly includes a large portrait touchscreen, prominently located at the center console, that “interacts with an adaptive digital display and head-up display.” we don’t about your take on this. in all honesty, the Volvo Concept Coupe is not a ride that would result in us drooling uncontrollably, but nevertheless a head turner and an exciting development for the car of near future.
