volvo s design team likes heritage but won t go retroIt's safe to say Volvo design moves at a different pace.The current design language, best showcased in the 2028 XC40 and XC60 unveiled this month, has its most direct roots in the 2015 XC90. The flagship SUV was a turning point for the brand not just in terms of powertrains (this is where the move to purely four-cylinder setups began) but also styling. The XC90 brought in sharper creases, more purely geometric shapes, and of course the Thor's Hammer headlight signature. Thirteen years later, the influence is still clear, whereas other brands have dramatically altered their looks at least once."It's something I think that is deeply rooted within Scandinavian culture, to have a certain style which is quite timeless," says Alain Snoodijk, exterior designer at Volvo and a part of the team responsible for the latest XC40. "You can see it in fashion, you can see the furniture, you can see your interior design, and that's something which I think is also deeply rooted within our design language. And then we try to breathe out this Scandinavian culture for design."volvo s design team likes heritage but won t go retroSnoodijk explains that this gives the design team a "stable course" heading into the future. Certain elements are refined over time and become pillars of the brand-such as the tall taillights of the XC40 and XC60. With these newer models, there's a clearer sense of a singular family look, and I ask Snoodijk if the closer ties are intentional. His response is somewhat expected: that there is indeed an overarching strategy within Volvo design, looking multiple years into the future. Yet within each team, there is room for experimentation."However, of course, everyone fills in a design differently, so I have a different idea about something than my colleague," explains Snoodijk. "If you look into the details, I might make different choices than some of my other colleague designers."As a brand that is celebrating its centennial next year, Volvo has a lot of design history to pull from. That doesn't make it a slave to the past however, and Snoodijk talks about the difference between designs inspired by what came before and simply retro work."We are a brand that is lucky enough to have a very strong heritage, which we deeply rely on when we design the cars," says the designer. "On the other hand, you don't want to do, you know, retro design or cars that are old. We try to bring a new experience to our customers in terms of how the cars look, but also how they function."volvo s design team likes heritage but won t go retroFor Snoodijk and the team, it isn't so much about the design as it is about the reason behind the design. Yes, the shorter, wider grille of the '28 cars can be a subtle nod to the P1800. The bigger story is what the P1800 meant: it was a bold new move for Volvo in the early 1960s, one looking forward. "We try to link something to the heritage of the brand, which was trying to be as advanced as possible."While there is a strong familial look to the 2028 models, there are still differences inherent to each vehicle's size. In the case of the XC40, I ask Snoodijk what advantages he finds working with the smaller SUV."When you design a car for a small package, you can also blow it up, easily into a bigger package, so that's something, first of all, in terms of process, which is nice," says Snoodijk. "It's more difficult to design something in a big car, and then scale it down.""But what I personally really like about the XC40 is the character that has, it has a very kind of punchy attitude. And that's something that you find in a smaller car," he adds. "Maybe larger cars are a bit more about presence, and much more about, you know, premium feeling, and a small car, you can kind of really emphasize and blow up the characters. And that's really nice to do as a designer."Finally, we talk briefly on where the Volvo design teams find influence. While some such as customer feedback-the proportions of the XC60 being a particularly strong bit for buyers-are expected, others are slightly less so. Interior design may not be so surprising given the timelessness of Scandinavian architecture. Yet Snoodijk specifically calls out his team, where the care in how the arrange their living spaces is clear even through a virtual call."You know, we have some dark and long winters, so we better make our house very cosy," laughs Snoodijk.Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter.