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2020 Volvo XC90 Inscription Interior Driveway Test | A lesson in minimalist luxury

We tend to love Volvo interiors. They’re beautiful, simple, inviting and a relaxing place to spend time in. Designers needed to get it right, too, because Volvo has applied the same styling and design language to every vehicle in its lineup. WeÂ’re focusing on the flagship today: the 2020 Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription. Since our tester is the Inscription trim, that means itÂ’s the most luxurious version of the bunch (Momentum and R-Line are the two others). Some highlights include perforated Nappa leather seats, a “tailored dashboard,” Gray Ash Wood trim inlays and the Orrefors crystal shift knob.  Our car had the Charcoal interior scheme to play along nicely with the trim. The contrast between the light wood trim and gray stitching with the black leather is pleasing to the eye. Volvo uses a gratuitous but not overwhelming amount of piano black trim to bring some shine to the interior. ItÂ’s nice to see and touch on the buttons, but gets dirty quickly around the flat gear lever area where dust tends to collect. Much of the dash is left blank in a nod to minimalism. WeÂ’re left with a large nine-inch touchscreen oriented vertically in the center, just like every other Volvo on sale today. This is flanked by the center air vents. ThereÂ’s little to no styling going on with the vents, which seems like a missed opportunity. Regardless, we dig the layered and nicely-stitched dash that comes with the Inscription model. Also nestled into the dash is this crossoverÂ’s 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. ItÂ’s basic in its visuals, but plenty effective at conveying important car information. We like the more vibrant and customizable clusters from Mercedes-Benz and Audi a lot, but this one gets the job done and it isnÂ’t distracting in the least bit. Volvo has your back when it comes to comfort. Our tester has the Luxury Package, so itÂ’s equipped with massaging front seats, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. Additionally, Volvo finishes the headliner in Nubuck, and the grab handles and visors get leather. Unlike everybody else, Volvo allows you to choose between three levels of heat for the steering wheel. ItÂ’s noticeable to our hands, and is great when you want to add a little heat into your fingers without being scalded. As for the massage, itÂ’s backrest only. We wish it was back and bottom, but at least the programs available for your back are soothing.

Volvo Cars leaps 22% in IPO stock debut — a big endorsement for EVs

Volvo Cars CEO Hakan Samuelsson at the automakers' stock market opening bell on Friday in Stockholm. (Getty Images)   STOCKHOLM — Volvo Cars shares surged 22% on their Stockholm market debut on Friday after wrapping up Europe's biggest IPO of the year so far, in a boost for new issues markets and carmakers' vision of an electric future. The Gothenburg-based company cut the size of its listing and priced it at the bottom of a previously-announced range UPDATE 3-Volvo Cars gives itself $18 bln price tag as cuts IPO size - Reuters News on Monday, valuing it at just over $18 billion and making it Sweden's second largest listing yet. But the successful deal and strong market reaction — which propels the valuation to about $22 billion — is a lift for a European automotive industry that has embarked on a challenging transition towards electric vehicles (EVs). It also shows that while the euphoria over initial public offerings (IPO) in the first half of 2021 is over, the market is open for new listings of big companies with a story to tell. Volvo Cars Chief Executive Hakan Samuelsson said the listing showed a recognition of its transition plans, adding it would be key for Volvo to demonstrate it is on track to be the "fastest transformer." "There's a much bigger interest in the market to invest in electric car makers than in the conventional ones. So we better do what we said we would," he told Reuters in an interview. Shares in the carmaker, which is majority owned by China's Geely Holding, were trading at 64.70 Swedish crowns ($7.59) at 1057 GMT, after being priced at 53 crowns in the IPO. Polestar Apart from Volvo's commitment to becoming a purely electric carmaker by 2030, it also has a 49% stake in EV venture Polestar, which said in September it would go public through a $20 billion deal. Samuelsson said Polestar had a "good valuation." "They are already electric... showing in a way what the potential would be for Volvo if this (the transformation) is done in the right way." A source familiar with Volvo's transaction said the outcome of this week's IPO was good, even though investors had pushed back and forced Volvo to price at the bottom of the announced range. "The company had to compromise on size and the governance structure. They were hoping for a read across on Polestar, but they were clearly not getting that," the source said, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the press.

Volvo Concept XC Coupe is ready to hit the slopes

There's something inescapably right about a Swedish car with a set of skis on its roof. It doesn't matter if it's a Jurassic-era Volvo Amazon, a Saab 900 Turbo, or even a Koenigsegg Agera R. Surely it's some sort of Scandinavian birthright... right along with immaculate complexion. The latest to carry on that tradition in fine form? The Volvo Concept XC Coupe, just released at this week's Detroit Auto Show.
The two-door, four-seat XC Coupe rolled onto stage here at Cobo pre-outfitted with a matching ski box, looking sharp on its 21-inch wheels. According to Volvo, the box isn't an afterthought - in fact, the XC Coupe's design itself was "inspired by modern sports equipment."
As for the rest of the concept's genetic makeup, at this point, we don't have much to go on. Volvo has admitted that the XC Coupe rides atop its new boron-steel-intensive Scalable Product architecture, but it has declined to outline any sort of powertrain details. We're not sure if this showcar has any production future, but we do expect for its design language to inform the next-generation XC90 crossover.