Next year’s concept car will lean into Volvo’s heritage. Volvo is also committed to bringing back buttons to its cabins. The concept car appears to be an SUV with a muscular hood. Eager to double its market share and drive up profits, Volvo has announced plans to launch 13 new models by the end of 2030. A preview of the company’s next-gen styling will be given through a concept, and Volvo released a teaser image ahead of the concept’s debut next year. The teaser isn’t particularly revealing. However, Volvo chief executive Thomas Ingenlath confirmed this model will sport a new design language for the company, one which will influence all future Volvo models. Read: Volvo Will Launch 13 New Models By 2030, And Not All Of Them Will Be SUVs The concept in the teaser appears to be an SUV of some kind, although it’s difficult to determine how large it will be. It appears to feature a toned hood and an upright grille. Speaking about the model, Ingenlath confirmed it will draw upon Volvo’s rich heritage. “The brands that have heritage have a strong history,” he said. “The foundation of how a Volvo is recognized first glance is the iron mark, a diagonal slash that supports that iron mark, and the surrounding of a grille that has framed our cars and the logo for a long, long time.” Bringing Back Buttons Volvo isn’t just transforming the exterior styling of its future models. Ingenlath acknowledged they have become too reliant on touchscreens in its cabins, saying forthcoming models will include more physical switchgear, following complaints from customers and journalists alike. “The over-emphasis of screens and the interaction with the screens is something customers and journalists heavily criticize, and we have to aim for a better harmony, a better balance between the interaction that we have with our digital device and the physical interaction,” he said. “We’re not going away from touchscreen, it’s just to use the screen for what it’s good at.” Ingenlath added that any function displayed on a screen all the time “should not be on the screen,” perhaps suggesting that things like climate controls could be shifted off infotainment displays, something that’d no doubt be well-received by buyers.
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