Volvo XC60 concept (2006): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

14 December 2006 03:19

Volvo XC60: the lowdown

Volvo is going X3 hunting. The new XC60 will be launched in 2009 as a small brother to the soaraway successful XC90 – and this concept car is the best clue yet to what it’ll look like. Like other crossovers, this 4x4 will eschew off-road work (those skid plates front and rear are just for show) and will instead offer comfy seating for five. Volvo says the bottom of the car looks like an SUV, mated to the roofline of a coupe. We reckon it looks surprisingly like next year’s Ford Mondeo Estate, whose platform it will share.

In a nutshell, yes. The most interesting aspect of the XC60 Detroit show star is its significance for future Volvo design; it’s the first car penned by new design boss Steve Mattin – and the character you see here will spread to other Volvos. He says the XC60 marks the start of ‘more extrovert’ design and you can expect to see details such as the angled headlamps and bolder diagonal Volvo ‘iron bar’ badge to pop up on other models. The prominent, spaced-out Volvo badge at the rear will become standard, too.

By Tim Pollard