Volvo’;s all-new XC90 – which will be revealed in 2 weeks’; time in Stockholm – will be the first car in its range built on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) modular chassis technology developed in-house by Volvo Cars.
SPA has been under in-house development at Volvo for the past 4 years and is the cornerstone of the company’;s ongoing USD 11bn transformation plan. This revolutionary platform will be introduced on the all-new Volvo XC90 and then rolled out across the Volvo’;s future product range.
The benefits of SPA are 2fold. First, SPA allows Volvo’;s engineers and designers a lot more freedom and flexibility, which means they can increase their scope when it comes to new and alluring design features and at the same time improve driveability, introducing world-first safety features, offering the latest connected car technologies and creating more interior space.
“SPA and the all-new Volvo XC90 are firm evidence of our Volvo-by-Volvo strategy. The all-new Volvo XC90′s outstanding combination of luxury, space, versatility, efficiency and safety will bring the SUV segment into a new dimension, just as Volvo’;s original XC90 did in 2002,” says Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research and Development of Volvo Car Group.
Secondly, SPA will change the way Volvo builds cars in future by allowing a wide range of cars, powertrains, electrical systems and technologies – all of differing complexity – to be fitted on the same architecture, generating significant economies of scale.
“SPA gives us a fresh technological start. Around 90 per cent of the components in the all-new Volvo XC90 and upcoming models are new and unique. We are raising the bar to the very top of the premium league when it comes to the level of quality and technology in every vital area,” says Dr Mertens.
Liberating technology
More freedom for designers
With SPA, previous design limitations in areas such as wheelbase, overhang, vehicle height and the height of the front are a thing of the past.
“This creates greater freedom for us to design cars with a confident stance, dynamic proportions and a number of distinctive design signatures. Our 3 recent concept cars have demonstrated this capability. Even though the all-new Volvo XC90 is an entirely different type of car, you will recognise the connection instantly when it is revealed in 2 weeks,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design of Volvo Car Group.
Outstanding driving pleasure and flexibility
Volvo’;s new SPA chassis technology reduces weight and improves weight distribution, improving driving pleasure without compromising on ride comfort.
SPA also allows for far more flexibility inside the car. The all-new Volvo XC90 features innovatively designed seats that free up interior space for passengers in the second and third rows, helping make the all-new Volvo XC90 a genuine and luxurious 6-seater.
The sliding function on all seats in the second row can be used to create more legroom for passengers in the third row – or to increase loading capacity. The seats in the third row offer class-leading comfort for passengers up to 170 cm tall.
“SPA has enabled us to create the world’;s first no-compromise SUV,” says Dr Mertens. “You get the agility of a much smaller and lower car, an in-command feel and generous interior space, plus an adrenaline rush delivered by powertrains that offer an unrivalled combination of power and low emissions. Of course, it carries the Volvo badge, meaning world-class safety is standard.”
Unrivalled combination of power and fuel efficiency
The all-new Volvo XC90 offers a range of Drive-E engine options, all of which provide an outstanding combination of performance and fuel-efficiency. This modular family of 2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel and petrol engines has several levels of turbocharging to cover the whole range from high power and torque variants to fuel-efficient versions.
The top-of-the-range Volvo XC90 T8 ‘Twin Engine’; combines a 2-litre, 4-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and offers an unrivalled combination of power and clean operation – around 290kW and 630 Nm of torque with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of around 60 g/km (NEDC driving cycle).
SPA is also able to integrate electrification at all levels without intruding on interior space or load space. Other carmakers have struggled to combine the bulk of a battery pack with a luxurious and spacious interior, something that Volvo has managed to overcome with SPA.
Improved safety without compromises
SPA helps make it possible for Volvo to bolster the company’;s world-leading reputation for safety even further without compromising on design, size or w7 Thanks to the extensive use of high-strength boron steel, vehicles built on SPA can be made more compact and safer at the same time.
SPA also includes an innovative electrical architecture that elevates the car’;s intelligence level significantly. It is designed to make it easy to integrate new technology within fast-moving areas such as microprocessor, sensor and camera technology. This facilitates the introduction of new accident-preventing safety solutions, and enables rapid introduction of new multimedia and connectivity options.
“We have created a single nerve system with full control over all the connections in the vehicle. This is unique in the industry,” says Dr Mertens.
Industrial benefits
In addition to the significant product-related advantages of Volvo’;s scalable architecture there are also industrial benefits.
SPA allows Volvo to develop a model range consisting of cars based on the same joint modules and interfaces, scalable systems and components that are all built on flexible production line. This means all Volvo models from the 60-cluster upwards can be built on the same production line irrespective of complexity.
The new face of Volvo: ‘Thor’;s Hammer’; running lights
Today, for the first time, Volvo is revealing images of the front end or ‘face’; of the all-new Volvo XC90 SUV, which is distinguished by its T-shaped running lights, christened ‘Thor’;s Hammer’; by the design team after the shape of the hammer used by the famous Norse god of thunder Thor.
“Anyone who looks in their rear-view mirror is going to know immediately that there is a new Volvo XC90 behind them,” says Mr Ingenlath. “The all-new Volvo XC90 is a car that has incredible presence on the road.”
All-new Volvo XC90 – first Volvo built on the company’s new Scalable Product Architecture
