How do you translate values into materials? And what does luxury mean in the world of today? Those were some of the questions facing Volvo designers as they got to work on the interior of their forthcoming Volvo EX90 all-electric flagship SUV.
Their answers are in tune with the times, yet firmly rooted in the fundamentals of Scandinavian design: simplicity, well-being and natural sources.
Just like old metrics such as horsepower and acceleration have been swept aside by charging time and range, there’s a new paradigm in automotive luxury as well. For Volvo, bling isn’t best. And the smell of new animal leather is no longer the only indication of a rich interior.
“We’ve chosen materials based on our values,” says Cecilia Stark, Senior Design Manager at Volvo Cars. “These choices leave behind old-fashioned automotive luxury and express our Scandinavian foundations. With the Volvo EX90 we take customer well-being as a design starting point.”
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Translate that into tangible elements inside the Volvo EX90 and the result is one of the most pleasant and elegant car interiors on the market. At the same time, the interior composition reflects Volvo’s sustainability ambitions, such as being a fully circular and climate-neutral company by 2040.
Forest wood and wool blends
Inside the Volvo EX90 you’ll find a progressive material that they’ve named Nordico. Nordico is a contemporary expression of Scandinavian values and sets a new standard for premium interior design.
Created from textiles made from recycled material such as PET bottles, as well as bio-attributed material from responsibly managed forests in Sweden and Finland, Nordico is a progressive and technically advanced material.
Speaking of forests: inside the Volvo EX90 they have FSC™-certified wood panels around the cabin. They’re nicely back-lit with warm light that creates a Scandinavian living room atmosphere and evokes the Nordic wilderness.
The Volvo EX90 also offers the option of a wool blend seat finishing, a fabric certified according to strict sustainability standards on animal welfare, environmental and social issues.
In line with their ambitions in circularity, the Volvo EX90 also contains more recycled plastics in order to use less finite, primary resources. In addition to the recycled PET bottles, the Volvo EX90 consists of almost 50 kilogrammes of recycled plastics and bio-based materials. That’s the highest amount of non-primary fossil-based materials in their line-up and sets a new bar for the future.
The carpets also embrace the concept of circularity, partly consisting of regenerated polyamide.
A personal and distinct ambience
Taking things beyond materials, the Volvo EX90 also offers you the opportunity to personalise your car’s atmosphere and appearance by choosing between seven different ‘rooms’ that synchronise the interior deco and upholstery with the exterior colours.
Each room, specially created by their designers, provides a different character and offers a distinct ambience to suit your tastes. And each is inspired by aspects of the Scandinavian lifestyle and its symbiotic relationship with the beautiful nature that surrounds them.
“The interior design and composition of the Volvo EX90 continues decades of iteration and innovation,” says Cecilia Stark. “We see interior composition as a learning process that will continue overtime based on your feedback, in-house innovation and new responsible sourcing opportunities.”
The new, all-electric Volvo EX90 will be revealed on 9 November.
