Volvo Concept Coupe previews a modern-day P1800

Volvo_Concept_Coupe_0001

That mystery concept car that emerged online last weekend has been partly unveiled as the Volvo Concept Coupe through a short video teaser earlier this week. Here it is in full, touted by Volvo as the next-generation P1800 coupe. It’s the first of a series of three concept cars to show off the flexibility of the company’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA).

Ignore the sleek coupe form for a minute. What you see here will form the basis of Volvo’s short-term future, staring from the forthcoming SPA-based next-generation XC90 flagship SUV in 2014. The bold floating grille design, T-shaped DRLs and thin rear lamps you see here will all be carried over into production starting next year.

Right, now back to the Concept Coupe. Echoing the iconic P1800 from the 1960s – without being shamelessly retro, it must be added – it has a pronounced cab-backward profile, with the greenhouse moved back away from the front axle. It’s imagined as a modern-day luxury grand tourer, and sits very low to the ground, perched over 21-inch five-spoke wheels.

The blue and grey colour scheme extends to the interior too. It features plenty of handcrafted elements such as a leather-covered instrument panel, inlays of naturally-aged wood and a sparkling crystal gear lever. A large vertical touchscreen display takes centre stage, which relays information through to the adaptive digital display and head-up display.

On the safety front, Volvo adds that vehicles built on the SPA platform is also being prepared for completely autonomous driving. The first features with autonomous steering to avoid accidents will be introduced next year – and Volvo aims to have cars with fully autonomous technology before 2020.

Remember Volvo’s claim that its new four-cylinder engines will “turn V8s into dinosaurs?” Here’s the proof, as under the Concept Coupe’s long hood lies a 2.0 litre Drive-E engine paired to a supercharger and a turbocharger. Teamed with an electric motor on the rear axle, the package outputs around 400 hp and 600 Nm of torque. Anybody ordered a Scandinavian hot-rod?

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Hafriz Shah

Preferring to drive cars rather than desks, Hafriz Shah ditched his suit and tie to join the ranks of Malaysia’s motoring hacks. A car’s technical brilliance is completely lost on him, appreciating character-making quirks more. When not writing this ego trip of a bio, he’s usually off driving about aimlessly, preferably in a car with the right combination of three foot pedals and six gears.

 

Comments

  • Joe Radzif on Aug 30, 2013 at 11:38 am

    Jaw Dropping!!!
    Super nice and smooth!!!

    Still wishing Proton can come out something like this…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 0
    • drrif on Aug 30, 2013 at 1:30 pm

      GORGEOUS..better than 4 series or A5…hope Volvo make it…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 24 Thumb down 1
  • wahh..VOLVO… i love VOLVO when i was in Secondary to University, now i would fall for VOLVO again

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 2
  • Jaybond on Aug 30, 2013 at 12:04 pm

    The concept has quite interesting and elegant styling lines/details, the interior design concept is unlike anything you’ve seen in any German premium cars. All these which certainly bodes well for Volvo’s future products’ styling direction.And as an ex-Volvo staff, I kinda proud with the direction thaty Volvo is taking to improve the design of their cars.Well done!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
  • Scobby on Aug 30, 2013 at 12:07 pm

    Wrx concept rip off?no?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 16
  • oil_worker on Aug 30, 2013 at 12:08 pm

    this will definitely entice more younger generation to buy volvo.. this is soooooo cool…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • gorgeous!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 0
  • Mwalia on Aug 30, 2013 at 12:30 pm

    Finally Volvo woke up….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
  • Could all these remarkable changes due to Geely?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • farghmee on Aug 30, 2013 at 5:33 pm

    super nice interior!

    Volvo For Man ;)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Simon Hoh on Aug 30, 2013 at 8:00 pm

    Hmm … Doesn’t this look like a Camaro?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 4
  • scooticus on Aug 30, 2013 at 11:59 pm

    this is one volvo i don’t mind owning.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • the driver on Aug 31, 2013 at 11:19 am

    I hate to break the tide of gushing, fawning, swooning fans out there but it seems to resemble American designs like the Cadillac concept designs of yesteryear. It has a gaping front and too small/low cab so I’ll pass . This is not a nice looking car. And Volvo would never accept the final front design because it is not pedestrian safe.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 5
  • I drove my boss’s VOLVO 940 GL, I felt like a mouse in that car… Such a brilliant car….
    once my boss nudged not even hard on a exora’s rear end, and the exora’s bumper clips gave up….

    Volvo such a car… I love Volvo…. :)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • No one comment about the new engine? seems like higher output than A45 amg mill.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Hope this move reproduce RWD Volvo

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Alson Pang on Sep 02, 2013 at 10:47 am

    Stunning!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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