Brand new limited Edition Volvo XC90 First Edition sold out in under two days.

The First Edition of the all-new Volvo XC90 – 1,927 individually numbered cars only available for sale via digital commerce – sold out in 47 hours after it was released at 3pm on Wednesday. Most of the cars were reserved within one hour from sales start. At its peak, 7 cars were sold every minute.

UK customers secured 55 of the First Edition models, which will be delivered in April 2015.

“We are very pleased, but not really surprised,” said Alain Visser, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service of Volvo Car Group. “The huge interest in the XC90 escalated to astronomical levels after the world-première last week.”

An innovative sales launch saw the First Edition cars, which celebrate the year Volvo was founded, made available to customers online only at www.volvocars.com.

The 1,927 First Edition owners will get a fully equipped car with uniquely numbered tread plates and a distinctive badge on the tailgate.

“The first buyers signed up for their favourite number in milliseconds. The rapid response confirms that the XC90 is a truly iconic car model. The First Edition will be a collector’s item in the future,” said Alain Visser.

Black exterior an Amber leather seats

The Onyx Black exterior and 8-spoke, 21-inch inscription wheels are combined with an interior featuring nappa leather seats in Amber, a Charcoal leather dashboard and Linear Walnut inlays.

UK First Edition models will be powered by a high-performance diesel engine from Volvo Cars’ new four-cylinder Drive-E powertrains. The D5 twin turbo diesel engine has 225hp and is teamed with a smooth eight-speed automatic transmission.

Striking tablet-like touch screen

The tablet-like touch screen in the centre is one of the most striking features in the all-new XC90.  The heart of the all-new in-car control is virtually button free and represents an entirely new way for drivers to operate their car and access a range of Internet-based products and services.

The Bowers & Wilkins audio system features a 1,400 watts Class D amplifier, 19 speakers and the latest sound processing software, which brings the emotional experience of a world-class live performance into the car.

Most comprehensive standard safety package

The most comprehensive and technologically sophisticated standard safety package available in the automotive industry includes two world first safety technologies: a run-off road protection package and auto brake at intersection capability. All of Volvo Cars’ auto brake functions vehicles, covering cyclists and pedestrians in front of the car, are also standard.

The FIRST big release of Summer, we have the new VOLVO XC90

The all-new Volvo XC90 has officially been let out of the bag. Full details on specs, price and on sale date here.

The first Volvo XC90 was launched way back in 2002 but now Volvo has finally taken the wraps off the all-new XC90 model. The large premium SUV is due on sale in the UK during Spring 2015 with a starting price of £45,785 for the D5 AWD Momentum model.

Set to debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in October, the second-generation SUV is dripping with the Swedish manufacturer’s technological know-how and will become of one the safest, most hi-tech and most economical SUVs on the market when first customer deliveries begin in April.    

With longer, taller and lower dimensions than the current model, the new Volvo XC90 will be the first all-new car to emerge under the brand’s current Chinese ownership. It faces off against rival premium SUVs like the BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg and Mercedes M-Class.

Volvo XC90 2015: design details 

As well as gaining new owners, Volvo has also embarked on a new design direction with its flagship SUV. Wrapped in sophisticated new metalwork, the XC90’s styling cues adopted from the Volvo Coupe Concept are clear.

The prominent chrome trimmed grille is a first from Volvo and will become a trademark feature on future models, as too will the T-shaped LED daytime running lights. An elongated but chiseled bonnet cuts back into the car’s shoulder line, stretching all the way to the tapered rear lights, exaggerating the XC90’s broad stance.

New Volvo XC90 interior design revealed

The bold redesign extends to cabin, too. A new tablet-like touchscreen is the centerpiece, replacing a multitude of buttons and dials with a clean, clutter-free dash. Elsewhere, there are swathes of wood and leather throughout the cabin with handcrafted highlights such as the crystal-glass gear level and diamond cut designs for the starter button and volume controls.

2015 Volvo XC90: new SPA platform technology

The reveal of the second-gen XC90 isn’t just the re-launch of the SUV it also signifies the rebirth of Volvo. Key to the SUV’s new footprint is the adoption of the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which will underpin a whole new portfolio of models currently under development from Volvo.

It’s lighter, stronger and therefore safer than the platform employed by the current XC90 and also significantly increases passenger space in the second and third row of seats. Volvo claims the rearmost seats will comfortably accommodate adult passengers as tall as 5ft 6in. 

Volvo XC90 advanced new engine tech

The innovative XC90 running gear brings with it a lineup of new and efficient petrol and diesel engines. All will be 2.0-litre four-cylinder units and part of the new Drive-E family. 

The 316bhp T6 petrol is both turbo- and super-charged, while the 222bhp D5 diesel is twin-turbocharged, with both engines mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

A new 390bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain will also be offered in the XC90, which combines the 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor. Despite being the most powerful variant it’s also the most efficient thanks to CO2 emission of only 60g/km. Its closest rival, the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, only manages 79g/km.

Only all-wheel drive XC90s will be available form launch in April 2015, with a front-wheel drive 187bhp D4 diesel offering arriving September next year.

World first safety technology in the new XC90

Alongside the huge leaps forward Volvo has made with efficiency of the XC90, the SUV also boasts two world first safety technologies.

A run-off road protection package tightens seatbelts and activates energy-absorbing technology in the seats when the car detects challenging terrain ahead.

Another system is the auto-braking feature, which cuts in if a driver pulls out in front of on coming traffic. Both safety systems bring Volvo closer to its vision of nobody being seriously injured or killed in any of its vehicles by 2020.

The brand is so confident in its latest product it claims the new XC90 is not only one of the safest cars ever made but also the world’s first SUV built without compromise.

Following its debut in Paris, customers will be able to place orders before the end of the year with a price tag of around £40,000 expected.   

Special Volvo XC90 First Edition models

Although the new XC90 won’t arrive in showrooms until April, Volvo has announced 1,927 First Edition models will be available to order exclusively online from 3 September 2014. Prices will start at £68,785 with every available option included.

The limited production run number represents the year the Swedish brand was launched, with each model fitted with uniquely numbered tread plates and a distinctive rear mounted badge. 

Customers can spec the XC90 First Editions with either the 316bhp petrol or 222bhp diesel engine, both of which being 2.0-litre, four-cylinder motors. The eight-speed automatic transmission also is fitted as standard.

All 1,927 of the First Edition models will be finished in Onyx Black and ride on 21-inch alloy wheels.  Inside, amber coloured nappa leather seats and charcoal leather dash with walnut inlays differentiate it from the standard model.

The minimalist dash remains, as does the tablet-like touchscreen, which gives customers access to a range of Internet based services. Like the standard XC90 models, the First Editions will also feature the run-off road and auto-braking safety systems. 

ORIGINAL REPORT HERE

Two weeks and counting till Volvo launches next generation XC90

Volvo’s all-new XC90 – which will be launched in two weeks’ time in Stockholm – will be the first car in its range to be built on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) modular chassis technology developed in-house.

SPA has been under in-house development at Volvo for the past four years and is the cornerstone of the company’s ongoing USD 11bn transformation plan. It will be introduced with the all-new XC90 and then rolled out across the product range in future.

The benefits of SPA are twofold. First, 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 at the same time as improving driveability, introducing world-first safety features, offering the latest connected car technologies and creating more interior space.

“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,” says Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research and Development of Volvo Car Group.

Secondly, SPA will change the way Volvo builds cars in the 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 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 quality and technology level 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 removed.

“This has created greater freedom for us to design cars with a confident stance, dynamic proportions and a number of distinctive design signatures. Our three recent concept cars have demonstrated this capability. Even though the all-new XC90 is an entirely different type of car, you will recognise the connection instantly when it is revealed in two weeks,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design of Volvo Car Group.

Outstanding driving pleasure and flexibility

The 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 new XC90 features innovatively designed seats that free up interior space for passengers in the second and third rows, helping make the new XC90 a genuine seven-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 new 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 two-litre, four-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 XC90 ‘Twin Engine’ combines a two-litre, four-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and offers an unrivalled combination of power and clean operation – around 400 horsepower 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 without compromising on design, size or weight. Thanks to the extensive use of high-strength boron steel, SPA cars 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 the 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 and built in a flexible production system. 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 new 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 XC90 behind them,” says Mr Ingenlath. “The XC90 is a car that has presence on the road.”

Volvo XC90 to be cleanest SUV available.

• All-wheel drive, seven seats and ultra-low emissions of around 60g/km
• Up to 400 hp and 640 Nm of torque
• New Volvo-developed Twin Engine technology

Volvo Cars’ all-new XC90 will offer an unrivalled combination of power and clean operation when it is launched later this year. The all-wheel drive seven seater offers drivers up to 400 horsepower but with carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions of around 60 g/km (NEDC driving cycle). There has never been an SUV offering this level of power this cleanly.

“There are no compromises when you drive an all-new XC90,” said Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development of Volvo Car Group. “In the past you could either have power or low CO₂emissions. But with the all-new XC90 you can have both.”

The new XC90 offers a range of Drive-E engine options, all of which provide an outstanding combination of performance and fuel-efficiency. The main distinguishing feature of the Drive-E engine range is that they are all four-cylinder engines.

“With our new Drive-E powertrains, we have created a family of intelligent petrol and diesel engines with power curves that give exciting driveability at the same time as delivering world-beating fuel economy,” added Dr. Mertens. “With seven people in the new XC90, carbon dioxide emissions per person and kilometre are outstandingly low."

The CO₂ performance of the all-new XC90 will reinforce Volvo Cars’ leadership when it comes to bringing more environmentally-sound technologies to market. According to figures monitored by European car industry association ACEA, Volvo Car Group delivered an industry-leading reduction of average fleet emissions by 8.4 per cent from 2012 to 2013.

Twin Engine technology

Volvo has made it possible for a four-cylinder engine to provide all the driving pleasure associated with a much larger engine and do so far more efficiently and cleanly. Drive-E engines will over time be introduced across Volvo’s entire range.

For the all-new XC90, the top of the range ‘Twin Engine’ will carry the badge ‘T8’ and be a plug-in electric car, hybrid car and high-performance car rolled into one.

Normal driving is conducted in the default hybrid mode. This utilises a two-litre, four-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged Drive-E petrol engine that powers the front wheels and an 80 hp (60 kW) electric motor that drives the rear wheels.

It uses the supercharger to fill in the bottom end of the power range to give the engine a big, naturally-aspirated feel, while the turbocharger kicks in when the airflow builds up. The electric motor on the rear wheels provides immediate torque.

But at the push of a button the driver can switch to quiet and emission-free city driving on pure electric power where the range will be around 25 miles, and then, when needed, immediately revert back to the combined capacity of the petrol engine and electric motor, with its combined output of around 400 hp and 640 Nm of torque.

Full range of other engine options

The Volvo XC90 range also includes the D5 twin turbo diesel engine with 225 hp, 470 Nm and best in class fuel consumption of around 47mpg (combined), plus the D4 turbo diesel engine with 190 hp, 400 Nm and a fuel consumption of around 56mpg (combined cycle).

Not only is there no compromise in terms of performance or efficiency, but Volvo Cars’ new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) chassis technology also allows for far more flexibility inside the car. 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.

“Since our new SPA technology is designed from the start to accommodate electrification technologies, the Twin Engine installation does not compromise luggage or passenger space,” said Dr. Mertens.