Volvo’s next big thing will be the Embla, the XC90 replacement. It will be produced at the Ridgeville plant in the U.S. alongside the Polestar 3. Theoretically, the Volvo Concept Recharge showed us what to expect, but recent patent images and trademarks made everything a little confusing. Volvo wants to use the name EXC90 and filed pictures of what looks like an updated electric XC90. The rendering artist Theottle interpreted that as a sign that the Concept Recharge could hint at an electric S90, and here it is.
Presented in December 2015, Volvo’s flagship sedan already crossed the replacement line, exceeding the lifespan of six years most modern cars follow. Anyway, a new S90 cannot be a revolution, especially considering the more conservative profile of its customers. This explains why the rendering artist chose to use S90 images as the base for his new renderings.
The surfacing was based on the Concept Recharge because Theottle believes it anticipates the S90 and V90 instead of the XC90 replacement. However, Håkan Samuelsson said back in February that the current XC90 would still have a career after the Embla arrived. According to Volvo’s now former CEO, it made no sense to kill the car while China and the U.S. still had demand for hybrids. The Embla will be exclusively electric.
With the EXC90, Volvo may create an electric version of the current XC90, which is what the patent images present. The lack of a front grille reminds us of the XC40 Recharge, and the flush door handles show the Swedish carmaker wants the refreshed XC90 to make the most of its range with subtle aerodynamic improvements.
That does not mean that the Concept Recharge will limit its influence to the Embla. We will certainly see elements of its design in future Volvo vehicles, especially those that will share the SPA2 electric platform with it. A hypothetical electric S90 would undoubtedly have these underpinnings.
If the S90 and V90 do not get electric iterations, they are more likely to die than to remain in production. Volvo may follow the same strategy it will have for the XC90 and keep manufacturing them until volumes are so low that there is no reason to maintain them in the portfolio. Theottle’s idea for them is much more attractive.
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