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such as the environment or caring for the people around you.' Note, for instance, the soft surfacing
on Volvo exterior corners: it is safer for pedestrians.
Volvo's design language has undergone dramatic change over the past decade without
compromising in any way the core values that have made the brand one of the strongest in the
automotive world.
LED technology adds to styling character
Volvo's designers have used LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology to create distinctive, yet fluid,
light streams front and rear. The vertical position lights at the front, the eyebrowlike side marker
lights, the turn indicators in the door mirrors and the position lights in the tail lamps all help give the
new S60 an unmistakeable profile, even at night. Parts of the rear lamp units are also integrated
into the boot lid, creating a horizontal light pattern that helps make the car look even sleeker, lower
and broader.
The allnew Volvo S60 is being launched with a range of bold exterior colours to match its more
extravert personality. Among the 15 colours are Vibrant Copper and Electrum Gold. Says Anders
Sachs, responsible for colours and materials: 'Colour helps you to express your personality. We
look at trends in fashion, design and architecture. Copper and gold are important colours right
now, colours that give an aura of sportiness and exclusivity.'
Aerodynamic design shows it's not just a pretty face
The style of the S60 is not only designed to add emotion, and sports appeal. Being a Volvo, there
is a functional benefit. The drag coefficient is a slippery 0.28, making the S60 one of the most
aerodynamic cars in its class.
A large number of options and accessories, including an exterior styling kit, allow owners to
personalise the S60. The kit features front and rear skid plates, side scuff plates, exhaust tailpipe
finishers and 18inch alloy wheels. Other optional extras include a rear spoiler, and a choice of 16
, two different 17 and three styles of 18inch alloy wheels.
Adds Peter Horbury: 'The allnew S60 is sportier and more dynamic than any previous Volvo. But it
is still an unmistakeable representative of Scandinavian design at its best. Flowing organic shapes
go handinhand with userfriendly functionality, as well as a car aiming to be the safest in the
world.
INTERIOR DESIGN
Driverfocussed cockpit
Sports touches include small thickrimmed leather steering wheel
Major controls and instruments angled to the driver
Premium materials include wood, leather and aluminium
Intuitive controls designed to be easytouse
Simple, premium, elegant Swedish design
The best crafted Volvo cabin ever, with excellent fit and finish
More technology than any previous Volvo cabin
More spacious than outgoing S60, including more rear leg room
'This is the most stylish, distinctive and bestfinished Volvo cabin. Of course, being a Volvo, it is
also highly rational and functional. I think we have also added some playfulness to the rational
simplicity of Scandinavian design tradition,' says Jonathan Disley, head of interior design.
For Disley, the interior is the most important part of any car. 'It's where the owner spends his or
her time.' According to Disley, the S60's interior grew from the S80, 'a car we are immensely
proud of. It captures the Scandinavian feeling of being a home away from home. Our challenge
was to take this and to give it a sportier, driveroriented feeling. It's serene, like a spa, and at the
same time it communicates a sense of being in command.'
'Every detail looks like it's in motion'
The spa analogy is doubly relevant. While Disley was sketching spirals, a colleague commented
that the drawings looked like the famous Spa racing circuit in Belgium. 'That was a eureka
moment,' says Disley. 'This racetrack line ran around the cabin and held everything together. It
also gave the continual expression of movement.'
Interior designer Tony Hunter adds: 'It's a trick that a lot of artists use from Da Vinci to Kandinsky.
They have a visual line that draws all the elements together, that you subconsciously follow with
your eyes.'
Says Disley: 'Every detail looks like it's in motion. All these lines "embrace" the driver's cockpit.
The instruments and centre stack are angled towards the driver to create a sensation of focus and
control. The new dynamic threespoke steering wheel and the new sports seats with extra side
supports are standard. You also sit lower than the Volvo norm, and lower than in the outgoing S60.'
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