Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, today reveals the S90 Ambience Concept, an industry-first sensory experience that synchronises visuals, sound and scent to redefine in-car luxury.
The S90 Ambience Concept, making its public debut at the Beijing Auto Show in China, is based on Volvo’s top-of-the-line S90 Excellence three-seater executive sedan and focuses on chauffeured passengers in the rear seat.
The passengers can personalise the car’s atmosphere by using the intuitive smartphone app to choose one of seven visual themes synchronised with audio and scent.
“The Ambience Concept redefines luxury by taking it beyond material choices, creating a car that connects with your senses,” said Robin Page, head of design at Volvo Cars. “The design explores how people feel inside the car and enables them to influence their own mood and well-being.”
The visual element transforms the car ceiling according to the selected theme – including Northern Lights, Scandinavian Forest, Swan Lake, Archipelago and Rain – each providing a different mood scaling from relaxing to invigorating. There is also a Nocturnal theme for resting and Freedom gives a boost of fresh and uplifting energy.
The synchronised audio plays through the car’s Bowers and Wilkins premium sound system, which includes small tweeters in the headrest for an immersive sound experience. Each theme is matched with one of four scents, created by Byredo, which deploys simultaneously from a portal in the centre console.
“We’re known for our human-centric approach to design and as an industry leader in advanced safety technology,” Robin Page said. “Ambience reinforces this and shows our broader focus on human care, which starts with safety and also extends to general well-being.”
While the S90 Ambience is launching as a concept, Volvo Cars has the ambition to make it available in S90 Excellence production cars, to enhance its Excellence offer, especially in China.
In 2017, Volvo sold more than 100,000 cars in China for the first time, which made a significant contribution to the company’s fourth consecutive year of record sales and growth. China is Volvo Cars’ largest single market and the company’s biggest marketplace for the S90 sedan.
“The Ambience Concept was created primarily for the China market and provides a contrast to China’s sometimes hectic city environments,” said Martin Andersson, senior commercial product manager at Volvo Cars’ Special Vehicles department, which is responsible for the Excellence range. “The S90 Ambience Concept will reinforce our premium brand values in this important region.”
Follow the social media coverage on #AmbienceConcept.
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Volvo Car Group in 2017
For the 2017 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 14,061 MSEK (11,014 MSEK in 2016). Revenue over the period amounted to 210,912 MSEK (180,902 MSEK). For the full year 2017, global sales reached a record 571,577 cars, an increase of 7.0 per cent versus 2016. The results underline the comprehensive transformation of Volvo Cars’ finances and operations in recent years, positioning the company for its next growth phase.
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 571,577 cars in 2017 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.
In 2017, Volvo Cars employed on average approximately 38,000 (30,400) full-time employees. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), Chengdu and Daqing (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).
