Interior Motives China Conference 2010: Day 2

Session 5: Color and Trim On the second day of the conference, Andreas Wlasak, Vice President of Industrial Design at Faurecia, opened proceedings by announcing that the company plans to open a design studio in Shanghai this year. "A design centre in Shanghai – a new place in China for 2010 – this is a commitment," he declared. Wlasak then asked what OEMs should look for in terms of visualizing the concept of ‘green' design inside the vehicle interior: "OEMs might look for 'visual' green – how can you make it visible that the vehicle is efficient and reducing CO2?" He believed real wood is one likely way of achieving this, as people want to feel natural surfaces, and he also envisaged translucent surfaces playing a key role in years to come.

Volvo S60 R-Design won on Facebook by ‘The Lake District’

Volvo Greatest Drive Winner – The Lake District You may remember we reported in June that Volvo had gone slightly bonkers and decided to give away a brand spanking new S60 to whoever submitted the ‘Greatest Drive’ on Facebook; the route that offered not just great scenery but a great driving experience too. And Volvo didn’t skimp on the competition, with not just an astonishingly good prize but also the services of Robert Llewellyn to drive an S60 round the three routes initially voted the best (curious, that – we didn’t know Bobby could drive a car without an electric motor), with videos posted so Volvo’s Facebook fans could make a proper decision on what really was the ‘Greatest Drive’. And the winner was ‘The Lake District’.

Volvo Concept Estate to become new Volvo V90?

The Volvo Concept Estate (pictured) looks set to be the new V90 The final in a trio of new concepts from Volvo showcasing their new platform and new direction debuted at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month as the Volvo Concept Estate. And it seems it might be heading for production. Not, as we expected, as a replacement for the Volvo V60, but as a larger car set to replace the V70 and to be dubbed the V90, according to Auto Bild.