They may have never been appealing to the average petrolhead, but that was not the intention behind minivans or MPVs as they are known overseas. Aimed at families who need superior cabin space and a decent boot, they have lost their thunder to crossovers and SUVs, and only a handful of automakers still have such models in their portfolios.
Volvo is definitely not one of them, as their high-riding and wagon lineups should be more than enough to feel this void, but there was a time when rumors spoke of a possible people carrier signed by the Swedish company.
As everyone knows, it never happened, but our friends at Kolesa have imagined one, nonetheless. It looks instantly recognizable as a Volvo, as it features the typical front and rear end designs, and came to life by throwing the XC90 and Concept Recharge into the rendering blender. The show car gave it its exterior lighting, and the SUV was used as a digital blank canvas.
Riding closer to the ground than the normal XC90, it has smaller windows and sliding rear doors, a defining trait of vehicles in this segment. Bigger wheels feel the arches, and a new coachline links the front and rear lighting units. In all likelihood, the cockpit of such a model would be similar to that of the SUV, albeit with more storage spaces, and some child-friendly features, but we don’t get to look inside, as this is where they drew the line.
A hypothetical minivan from Volvo would be underpinned by the versatile SPA platform, which is basically the foundation stone of the brand’s latest cars. It would also pack the usual four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, mated to automatic transmissions, and perhaps all-wheel drive in the range-topping configurations. One thing it does not have is a name, so what would you call it?
As everyone knows, it never happened, but our friends at Kolesa have imagined one, nonetheless. It looks instantly recognizable as a Volvo, as it features the typical front and rear end designs, and came to life by throwing the XC90 and Concept Recharge into the rendering blender. The show car gave it its exterior lighting, and the SUV was used as a digital blank canvas.
Riding closer to the ground than the normal XC90, it has smaller windows and sliding rear doors, a defining trait of vehicles in this segment. Bigger wheels feel the arches, and a new coachline links the front and rear lighting units. In all likelihood, the cockpit of such a model would be similar to that of the SUV, albeit with more storage spaces, and some child-friendly features, but we don’t get to look inside, as this is where they drew the line.
A hypothetical minivan from Volvo would be underpinned by the versatile SPA platform, which is basically the foundation stone of the brand’s latest cars. It would also pack the usual four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, mated to automatic transmissions, and perhaps all-wheel drive in the range-topping configurations. One thing it does not have is a name, so what would you call it?