The Swedish car manufacturer, Volvo recently unveiled its new Concept Coupe ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show, which is scheduled for September 2013. The company has now revealed the images and other details of its new model, which is inspired from the P1800 coupe that was produced in 1960s. The Swedish car manufacturer is calling the new model as next-generation P1800 coupe.
Commenting on the design of the car, Volvo's Senior Vice President for Design, Thomas Ingenlath was quoted as saying, "The new Volvo Concept Coupe reveals how we could shape our cars from now on. Free from the superficial surface excitement of other car brands, we add emotional value to the Volvo brand with the calm, confident beauty that is the hallmark of Scandinavian design." He further added “It is a car designer’s duty to reflect and incorporate design signatures that are vital parts of the company’s heritage. The P1800 is an iconic Volvo, renowned for its beautiful forms and detailing.”
On taking a close look at the car, it was seen that the model was provided with T-shaped running lights on the front bumper. Apart from it, the bumper carries chrome accentuated grille bearing the logo of Volvo. The sporty and edgy design of the car carries over to its side profile, which gives Concept Coupe a distinctive shape. At the rear, the model is given a broader appearance through widening its shoulders. Adding to the overall sporty look of the car, the crystal clear C-shaped tail lights does a great job.
As far as interiors of the car are concerned, Concept Coupe features a unique interior owing to its hand-crafted crystal gearshift lever. A large touchscreen display can also be seen, which is given in portrait mode as compared to the previously used landscape mode.
In Concept Coupe, Volvo has taken off many buttons from the console in order to give it an attractive appearance. On the engine front, Concept Coupe will come equipped with a four-cylinder petrol engine, besides the plug-in hybrid powertrain. As claimed by Volvo, the power generated by this engine is equivalent to the current generation V8 engines. The cumulative output of both 2.0-litre and electric powertrains gives away 400 bhp of maximum power output, while giving away 600 Nm of peak torque.
According to industry experts, Volvo may resort to design its upcoming model based on Concept Coupe platform rather than producing the coupe. The new cars of the company shall be based on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which happens to be a dynamic design platform that can be easily modified for vehicles for different type and sizes.
Speaking on the design Ingenlath told “The new architecture enables us to create the great proportions that are important to achieve a premium look. He further added “The dash to axle ratio is more generous than any other architecture I have worked with before. This gives us the opportunity to be up there among the top premium brands when it comes to proportions.” Volvo also said that the first car to derive the design of Concept Coupe will be XC90 crossover car that is expected to hit the global markets by 2014. In a statement the company told that "The all-new XC90 is an entirely different type of car, you will recognize the connection instantly when it is revealed next year."
