VOLVO CARS ANNOUNCES START OF PRODUCTION OF THE NEW XC90 EXCELLENCE AND A RANGE OF UPDATES FOR MODEL YEAR 2017

February 25, 2016 by Volvo

The most luxurious car in Volvo Cars' 89 year history will go into production this year – the exclusive four-seat XC90 Excellence – further reinforcing the company's credentials as a premium car maker.

The XC90 Excellence is based on the award winning XC90 SUV and features extended leather-covered surfacing, finest quality upholstery and hand-crafted crystal glasses in dedicated crystal holders from Orrefors, the famous Swedish glass maker.

The superior comfort of the individual and adjustable rear seats, combined with a massage function and specially designed headrests, is further augmented with a refrigerator, two folding tables and a cup holder with both heating and cooling options.

The XC90 Excellence is built on Volvo's modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) and comes with the award-winning T8 Twin Engine with petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain technology as standard, offering three distinct driving modes in one car – Pure, Hybrid and Power. This means the XC90 Excellence can provide up to 400 hp.

'The XC90 Excellence offers a sublime and luxurious experience. It is our top-of-the-line XC90 offer and we see a lot of interest from our more affluent customers,' said Björn Annwall, Senior Vice President Marketing, Sales and Service at Volvo Cars. 'The additional sound insulation, enhanced Bowers & Wilkins Premium Sound system and convenience of rear seat controls takes the XC90 Excellence to a new level of luxurious calm and comfort.'

The XC90 Excellence will be available in the United States in Summer 2016.

Volvo is also announcing a wide range of model updates for model year 2017.

Semi-autonomous drive in XC90

For model year 2017, the semi-autonomous drive technology Pilot Assist II comes as standard on the S90 sedan and V90 wagon.

This is made possible thanks to the modular approach to car building enabled by Volvo's new SPA architecture. Introduced first in the new S90 premium sedan, Pilot Assist II supports drivers up to speeds of 80 MPH in well-marked highway conditions.

City Safety updated

Volvo has also expanded its safety technology to cover one of the most common causes of single vehicle accidents with Run-off road mitigation, which uses auto-steer to help keep you on the road. Volvo's standard collision avoidance system, City Safety, also receives an update with Large Animal Detection added on 90 Series cars.

90 Series connectivity updates

Volvo's in-car connectivity and driver interface system, Sensus, will receive several new native apps across the range for model year 2017, including Spotify and Park and Pay. Spotify, the highly popular music streaming service, provides constant access to an immense online library of your favorite music and utilizes the familiar interface of Spotify's smartphone applications in the car. Park and Pay provides Volvo owners with the ultimate convenience of finding and paying for parking when desired. Connected Service Booking, which allows workshop booking and reminders from the Sensus interface, will be added along with improved TuneIn, Local Search and Yelp applications. Record & Send, a new voice recording app will also be added enabling drivers to make a voice note that they can send to themselves as reminders.

60 Series cars

The 60 Series cars will receive significant updates for model year 2017. Volvo's award-winning four cylinder T5 gasoline engine delivering 240 hp and 258 lb-ft. of torque mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, will now come with all-wheel drive on all 60 Series cars.

Two new wheels will be offered – a new 18' wheel for the S60/V60 and XC60 and a brand new 20' wheel for the XC60. These will be complemented by a new generation of 18', 19' and 20' wheels for R-Design trim levels.

The 60 Series cars will also be offered with three new exterior colors. Luminous Sand and Mussel Blue will be available on select models while Bursting Blue will be exclusive to R-Design trims.

Updates across the range

Volvo On Call

The Volvo On Call smartphone app, which allows remote access and control over a wide range of in-car features, receives a substantial update. Volvo On Call already delivers wearable connectivity (Apple Watch/Android Wear) and now Microsoft Band 2 connectivity, enabling voice-control for certain features when using Windows 10-based smartphones.

Other updates to Volvo On Call include a calendar integration function that connects your personal calendar to the mobile app, allowing it to send calendar appointment destinations directly to your navigation on request. For 2016 Volvo On Call will broaden its scope and provide support for up to 10 Volvo vehicles, giving access to all the usual functions across a fleet of cars.

Volvo now also offers support for Windows 10 with a new version of the Volvo On Call application that can be used on regular PCs and tablets to interact with your car.

CleanZone technology

Volvo's continuing leadership in interior air quality is highlighted across the product range from 2016 with the inclusion of the CleanZone logo on instrument panel air vents in the 60 Series cars and a logo in the center display of the 90 Series cars.

Volvo's award-winning CleanZone technology ensures that outside air is effectively filtered before entering the cabin, removing harmful pollutants that are increasingly common in large urban areas. CleanZone technology reflects Volvo's ongoing work to improve the in-car experience, covering incoming air, interior emissions and odours, interior surfaces and contact allergies.

Photo credit: Volvo
posted on conceptcarz.com