The All-New Volvo XC90 features a completely new chassis design that makes the luxury SUV smooth and nimble in the city, fun to drive on challenging country roads and refreshingly comfortable on the motorway.

With the option of Four Corner Active Air Suspension, the All-New XC90 is even more versatile. Drivers can select different drive modes that cater for individual driving styles and increase the car's versatility in all road and weather conditions.

"My key input to the chassis team during the development work has been to deliver a feeling of 'Relaxed Confidence' in the chassis settings. The All-New XC90 is designed for a solid, effortless drive that is strong and capable enough to handle anything, in any situation," said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research and Development, Volvo Car Group.

The All-New XC90 marks the beginning of a new chapter in Volvo Cars' history, capturing future design direction and incorporating the company's broad range of technological innovation and utilising the new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA).

"SPA has enabled us to create the world's first SUV without compromises," said Peter Mertens. "You get the incommand feel, generous interior space and flexible capability combined with the agility and smooth comfort of a much smaller and lower car. The driving pleasure is delivered by the new chassis and Drive-E powertrains, which offer an unrivalled combination of power and clean operation."

New chassis front and rear

The All-New XC90 has a completely new chassis, front and rear. The front features new double-wishbone suspension, which uses two transverse links to attach the wheel to the car. The solution contributes to balanced cornering characteristics and counteracts tendencies to roll, understeer and torque steer.

A new integral link rear axle accompanies the double wishbone front suspension. The rear axle also features a new transverse leaf spring made of lightweight material, which replaces the traditional coil springs.

Electronically controlled air suspension

To give the relaxed confidence feel an extra boost, the All-New XC90 customer can add Four Corner Active Air Suspension. This is an air suspension system that replaces the springs and an electronically controlled damping system called Four-C that replaces the traditional shock absorbers.

"The electronically controlled air suspension system has a choice of five driving modes to suit the driver's preference and the road or weather conditions. On top of the Comfort, Eco, Dynamic and Off-road modes, there is also the Individual mode, which can be tuned to your personal driving style," explained Peter Mertens.

The drive mode control is an elegantly designed, diamond-cut roller wheel, positioned between the front seats.

The chosen mode is displayed on the large, portrait-size centre screen.

Automatic levelling and high-speed height adjustment, which automatically lower the ride-height by 10 mm above 100-120 km/h, are included to add stability and comfort. The easy ingress/egress mode lowers the car by 40 mm when the engine is turned off. When the driver returns to the car, it remains in the low position until the engine is started. To facilitate loading and unloading, the rear end of the All-New XC90 can be lowered by 50 mm by pushing a button inside the load compartment.

Electric rack-and pinion steering

The rack and pinion steering system in the All-New Volvo XC90 is powered by an electric motor instead of a traditional hydraulic pump. The electric motor is connected to the steering via a ball screw, an exclusive technical solution that delivers both high precision and low friction.

Speed-dependent power steering is standard while a choice of three levels of overall power assistance is optional. The power steering is still progressive but, depending on the setting, the assistance is stronger or weaker right through the speed range.

Efficient brake system supports the driver

The efficient braking system has well-dimensioned ventilated discs front and rear. It features a number of solutions that assist the driver in certain situations:

• Brake Support prepares for instant, efficient hard braking by moving the pads very close to the discs when the accelerator is released very quickly.
• The Emergency Brake Assist function 'fills up' with more braking power if the driver does not press the pedal sufficiently to obtain maximum power.
• Hill Start Assist keeps the brakes applied for a short period after the brake pedal has been released and until the accelerator is depressed, when starting uphill or downhill.
• Hill Descent Control automatically keeps the car at a maximum speed of 10 km/h forwards or 7 km/h backwards when driving down a hill.

"Every detail that influences the drive - from the progressive power steering, chassis settings and gear-changing strategy to the brake pedal feel - is connected and integrated into the unique All-New XC90 character. The car is comfortable and nimble to manoeuvre and control at low and high speeds and always ready to respond in challenging conditions," concluded Peter Mertens.

Volvo Car Group in 2013-2014

For the 2013 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 1,919 MSEK (66 MSEK in 2012). Revenue over the period amounted to 122,245 MSEK (124,547 MSEK), while net income amounted to 960 MSEK (-542 MSEK). Global retail sales for the year amounted to 427,840 (421,951) cars, an increase of 1.4 per cent compared to 2012. The operating profit was the result of cost control and strong sales and was further tangible proof of Volvo Car Group's progress in implementing its transformation plan. For the full year 2014, global sales reached 465,866 cars, an increase of 8.9 per cent versus 2013. Full year financials for 2014 will be announced during the first quarter of 2015.

About Volvo Car Group

Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 465,866 in 2014 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding. As of December 2013, Volvo Cars had over 23,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company's main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium) and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Sk+â-¦vde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China)

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