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Volvo details upcoming XC90's new scalable platform

In two weeks' time, we'll be boarding a flight for Stockholm for the live reveal of the new Volvo XC90. But before we do, Volvo has revealed another round of salient details regarding not only its new crossover, but a whole range of new vehicles to share its architecture.
That platform is called Scalable Product Architecture, and it follows the latest industry trend towards modular platforms. The product of four years' development, the new platform uses high-strength boron steel to optimize weight and rigidity. The scalable architecture, set to underpin the next-generation S60, V60, XC60, S80 and anything larger, offers designers more flexibility in terms of proportions. It can be adapted to a wide range of vehicles of different shapes and sizes, designed from the get-go to incorporate a range of powertrains (including the XC90's new twin-charged hybrid system) and all the latest safety technologies you'd expect from a Volvo.
The XC90, Volvo has revealed, will also offer increased interior flexibility, with movable second and third rows to optimize cargo space and legroom as needed. That third row is designed to accommodate children (or small adults) up to five-foot-seven. Meanwhile the image inset above gives us our first glimpse at the new XC90's styling, with T-shaped running lights inspired by Thor's hammer.

Volvo XC90 successor EV might have been outed in patent images

Motor1 found a trademark application Volvo filed at the EU Intellectual Property Office on June 13 to reserve the name "EXC90." A month later, the Worldscoop Forum for European car fans posted these images, sourced from the same government agency. We can't be certain the two filings are related, but circumstantial evidence points to this being the full-sized XC90's battery-electric successor that will be called the EXC90. Another circumstantial log for the fire is that Volvo ex-CEO Hakan Samuelsson said the coming family transport would start with a vowel. Based on yet another trademark filing from last year and Samuelsson saying Volvo would "give cars a name as you give a newborn child," we've been looking out for the name Embla. But hey, EXC90 Embla would cover all the bases, and it could differentiate the battery-electric XC90 from the hybrid version we know will continue to sell. Rolling with the possibility, the drawings show a crossover taking clear cues from both the current XC90 and the Volvo Concept Recharge design study from November of last year. The headlight design, sold grille and vertical lower intakes look traced from the Concept Recharge. The hood is much more upright, a la the retail XC90, as are the horizontal roof and full-figured sides. In back, the drawings diverge from the XC90 and the concept. The backlight is more raked than that on the XC90, meaning it's far more angled than the upright hatch on the concept. The C-shaped lights are more like units on Volvo sedans, unconnected to the upright light elements beside the hatch glass in the same way the XC90's and concept's are. Below that, there are no visible exhaust outlets, but the ICE-powered XC90 hides its outlets, too. Not long after posting these exterior shots, Worldscoop posted interior shots as well. These represent designs that differ from every Volvo interior save for the inset where the portrait-oriented infotainment screen goes. The left and right steering wheel spokes feature floating inserts. The instrument panel stretches a single vent across its width, removing the vertical vents next to the infotainment screen, and might be reminiscent of the unit in the Polestar in placing the HVAC controls at the bottom of the touchscreen.

Wagons make a bit of a comeback, with new models, sales on the rise

Consider this an official invitation to hop on the wagon bandwagon. There's still tons of room because, well, it's a wagon (and market share is still extremely small). But according to new data, the segment is growing. According to a report from Bloomberg, using data from Edmunds.com, roughly 211,600 Americans purchased wagons in 2018. That is technically down from the 237,600 sold in 2017, but wagon sales in the U.S. are up 29 percent from where they were five years ago. It's also the third year in a row that wagon sales broke the 200,000 mark. The sales trends have been somewhat representative of the availability of wagons. New models have debuted during the past 5 years and therefore offer more opportunity at more brands to buy wagons. In addition to more modest cars such as the Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen, several luxury and performance brands are offering wagons today, such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, Jaguar, Volvo and Buick. (Bloomberg's headlines make the point that "crossovers are for the Kardashians," and wagons are just, well, classier.) This uptick in brand-name availability, as well as extremely well-executed design on most of the wagons currently available, has helped increase the segment's desirability. That, and its ability to better accomplish the same tasks at hand while standing out from the crossover and SUV crowd. Still, the posted numbers represent a small fraction of the total vehicles sold. According to the data, wagons only held a 1.4 percent market share in 2017, the segment's best recent year. Wagons hold a steadfast place in America's past, and they're writing an interesting new story. With the downturn in traditional cars, they may continue to create an unexpected narrative. Related Video: News Source: Bloomberg, Edmunds Audi BMW Buick Volkswagen Volvo Wagon station wagon