The new Volvo XC90, the first SUV from Volvo Cars, has its world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show on 7 January 2002. "SUV buyers are a natural part of Volvo's customer base, not least because a large proportion of these customers are women. We know that many customers have waited for us to make an SUV," says Hans Wikman, Project Director for the Volvo XC90.
The Volvo XC90 is a genuine Volvo down to the smallest detail, developed with a firm focus on the company's core values: safety, environmental consideration and quality. "We have not tried to copy any of the SUV models already on the market. Rather, the XC90 is one of the first vehicles in a new SUV generation," says Hans Wikman.
The Volvo XC90 is therefore built on a passenger-car base, utilising the same technical base as the Volvo S80, V70 and S60. This means that it has the ride and roadholding, safety and, not least, the emissions of a passenger car. The Volvo XC90 is a vehicle designed for all types of roads, irrespective of the surface beneath the tyres and the weather conditions. Even though it is not focusing on off-road driving, the combination of electronically controlled four-wheel drive and 218 millimetres (8.6") of ground clearance creates the right preconditions for continued progress when the going gets tough.
This combined with space for up to seven occupants and a high degree of flexibility make the Volvo XC90 the ideal vehicle for those who want to extend the traditional boundaries of their car use.
The Volvo XC90 also features a wealth of innovative solutions to tackle the risk of roll-over accidents. The car will be manufactured at the Torslanda factory in Göteborg. Roughly 65 percent of total production will be sold on the North American market.
Text and photos courtesy of Volvo Car Corporation
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