Marking the beginning of a new chapter in Volvo's history, the second generation XC90 captures the brand's future design direction, incorporates its own range of new technologies and utilises its new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) technology.
SGCM: Is there a reason why the XC90 was chosen as the first model to be built on the new SPA platform? Or was it merely a coincidence?
CW: There is no particular reason why but one thing the SPA platform does for us is that it is very adaptable and you can have many configurations for a car - coupe, sedan, SUV, etc. With the lifecycle of the old XC90, it was way over of course thus we decided the XC90 will be the first to go on the platform.
SGCM: The Volvo T8 twin engine is quite a stunning engine on paper. Will we see it in action in any other cars in the future or is it exclusively used just for the XC90?
CW: We started with the twin engine journey three years ago and Volvo was the first car manufacturer to offer a diesel plug-in hybrid with the V60. With the T8 twin engine, we now have unlimited opportunities to combine any engine with the plug-in hybrid system. I can't go into further detail, but all I can say is all the petrol and diesel engines have been designed with electrification in mind.
SGCM: If you had to choose an engine variant for the XC90, which one would you think suits the car best in the real world - the D5 diesel, the T6 or the T8 hybrid?
CW: If I focus on Singapore, what I can say is it could be any of the three engines and I will explain why. If I do a lot of kilometres, then the D5 diesel will obviously be a very good choice because I will get more fuel economy.
However, if I'm travelling to work in the city and do around a 40km-a-day commute, then I would pick the T8 for a very simple reason - I can drive to and from work without having to use any fuel at all, just pure electricity. Ultimately, it depends on the driver and what he is going to use the car for as that will determine the ideal engine choice.
SGCM: The interior of the XC90 is probably one of the best if not the best in the market for SUVs. Was there a benchmark for the XC90 in terms of interior design and quality?
CW: In terms of a benchmark for the design, we started with what our customers wanted five years ago. It was all these different feedback from all over the world that allowed us to come up with a package that ticks all the boxes for our customers.
SGCM: Volvos of old were known for their boxy, sedate designs, but with the all new XC90, the brand has taken things to the next level. Is this a template for what future Volvo models will look like?
CW: What I can say is if you look at the design of the XC90, it gives a very good indication of the design direction moving forth. What we will always do is to utilise Swedish design that embodies everything in a really dramatic way.
SGCM: What do you think is the toughest challenge that the brand faces now?
CW: There are many external factors, but I think the global economy plays a big part for any car manufacturer in the world. For me, I would summarise by saying what Volvo is doing today is working because you can see it from the results. It is a very competitive place to be and there are many other cars out there for people to buy, which is why we are very much focused on this bold dynamic Scandinavian design that stands out and that's where we create opportunities for people.
SGCM: What is the reason behind the recent acquisition of Polestar? Will we see a sportier range from Volvo?
CW: We have had a collaboration with Polestar for a number of years and what we recognised is that bringing the engineers in house to ourselves gives us more opportunities to do, for example, Polestar edition cars. I think what you can expect from Volvo will be more of the same. We have had Polestar cars, the S60 and V60 Polestar, available for sale alongside the regular range for the past two years. However, not everyone wants a sports or performance car so there will be different choices available.
