2015 Volvo XC90 to Leverage Modular Chassis Technology

volco xc90 interior

With the debut of the 2015 Volvo XC90 now fewer than two weeks away, and Volvo already having teased a lux interior and some nifty new braking technologies, the company recently provided some notable details about what’s beneath the skin of the upcoming seven-seat crossover: a “scalable product architecture,” or SPA, that Volvo calls “the cornerstone of the company’s ongoing 11 billion dollar transformation plan.”

Which puts the first vehicle to use that architecture—the 2015 Volvo XC90—right on the cutting edge of the marketplace.

Said Dr. Peter Mertens, senior vice president of Research and Development at the Volvo Car Group: “SPA and the XC90 are firm evidence of our Volvo-by-Volvo strategy. The XC90’s outstanding combination of luxury, space, versatility, efficiency and safety will bring the SUV segment into a new dimension, just as the original XC90 did in 2002.”

So, what’s the big deal about the 2015 Volvo XC90 getting the SPA treatment? First, by using the same basic, proven vehicle architecture for various model lines, Volvo will be able to save all the money that would otherwise have gone into creating individual architectures for individual vehicle lineups. But there’s also a more design-oriented impact, as the company reports that: “The flexibility of SPA liberates Volvo’s engineers and designers, allowing them to devise and introduce a wide range of new and alluring design features while also improving driveability, introducing world-first safety features, offering the latest connected car technologies and creating more interior space.”

The 2015 Volvo XC90, for its part, lives up to that promise by offering:

• A high-tech, “virtually button-free” cabin highlighted by a tablet-style touchscreen control console and lux cues like a crystal gearshift lever (by Orrefors)
• Industry-first stopping technologies designed specifically for vehicles inadvertently leaving the road and when turning across traffic, as at an intersection
• Premium illumination cues, including “Thor’s hammer” front daytime running lamps
• A high-performance plug-in hybrid powertrain that can deliver 400 hp, 472 lb.-ft. of torque, an all-electric driving range of about 25 miles and electrically assisted all-wheel drive

The 2015 Volvo XC90 is scheduled to make it U.S. debut early next year.