Volvo Concept Universe: Volvo aims high

Volvo Concept Universe - complete with spangly nose

We got the tease on the Volvo Concept Universe, which is what you would expect in this age of pre-launch torment from car makers. And now we get the reality. And we’re not too sure what to think. Actually, we’re not even sure Volvo know what to think.

On the face of it the Volvo Concept Universe is a pointer to a new, high-end Volvo. As we said when we had the tease, we rather expected this concept to point at a range-topping Volvo; a Volvo S90, perhaps, aimed at the Audi A8 and the like.

To our eyes this Volvo Concept just doesn’t gel. It seems like a slightly updated take on a 3-box Volvo, and then you get to the front and they’ve bolted on a grill that looks like it came in a cheap Christmas cracker.

Volvo are describing the Concept as a “large, luxurious sedan with a new human-centric design language”, whatever that means. They go on to say that “… Concept Universe has been designed to spark a subconscious desire and a feeling of eternal beauty”. Oh, dear.

We’re sure this an attempt at East meeting west; Sweden meets China. And maybe Volvo are right to build a Concept to appeal to the affluent Chinese – it’s a huge market – for that is clearly what this is.

But what’s the point in Geely buying a Western brand like Volvo if they then turn it in to a maker of cars which look like Geely made them in the first place?

If only they’d done a posh, grown-up version of the S60.

By Cars UK