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Modern automobiles often bear mundane, insignifant names that seem like competitive gestures. Terms like CT4-V, QX80, and X6 sDrive40i sound elitist and lack substance. Volvo shares Cadillac’s sentiment and aims to introduce genuine names for its upcoming models, likened by CEO Håkan Samuelsson to the naming of a child.
Samuelsson disclosed to Autocar that Volvo’s new emotionally driven naming strategy would debut with the successor to the XC90. While the name is yet to be finalized, removing the constraints of alphanumeric labeling has inspired “a stimulating and inventive” dialogue within the company.
2021 Volvo Concept Recharge, Volvo
The first Volvo model to bear a word-based name since the discontinuation of the Amazon in 1970—excluding Cross Country and Polestar variants—is anticipated in 2022, styled akin to the Concept Recharge. It will integrate a LiDAR-assisted autonomous driving function for enhanced safety, potentially akin to an SAE Level 3 automated system. Samuelsson suggested that the name signifies Volvo’s entry into a new era marked by extensive electrification.
“We’re embarking on a completely fresh architecture, a new breed of electric, all-electric vehicles with centralized computing,” Samuelsson elaborated. “It is significant and unambiguous to denote that this marks a new beginning, hence we are eschewing the use of numbers and letters, typical of engineering titles. Instead, we will bestow upon them names as one would a newborn child.”
2021 Volvo Concept Recharge, Volvo
Alongside new identities and advanced driving systems, Volvo may explore unconventional designs in this subsequent phase. Samuelsson hinted at the possibility of diverse shapes for future Volvo vehicles, suggesting designs reminiscent of Volvo’s 2018 concept with fins, the 360c.
“Subsequently, other models will follow, prompting a reconsideration of traditional body styles: no longer confined to sedans, wagons, and SUVs,” Samuelsson concluded. “Electrification will reshape vehicle designs; they must prioritize aerodynamics, promising to astound with innovative designs in the future.”
2021 Volvo Concept Recharge, Volvo
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