Sight, Sound, Smell: Volvo S90 Ambience Concept

From Car and Driver

We think of Volvo as a Swedish brand, but it is owned by the Chinese conglomerate Geely and seems to become more China-focused all the time. We’re told that China is now Volvo’s biggest market, and it’s where all S90 sedans sold in the United States are built. One special version of the S90 sedan designed primarily for China is the Excellence, in which the front passenger seat is removed in order to provide an extra-spacious rear seat, a luxurious perch for the chauffeur-driven occupant. For the Beijing auto show, Volvo created an even more coddling environment for the Chinese executive on the go: this S90 Ambience concept.

Based on the S90 Excellence, the concept addresses passenger well-being by projecting onto the ceiling one of seven different themed images (Northern Lights, Scandinavian Forest, Swan Lake, Archipelago, and Rain, plus Nocturnal “for resting” and Freedom for “uplifting energy”). An accompanying soundtrack plays through the audio system, which is enhanced with headrest-mounted tweeters. And, finally, there is a perfume atomizer (located in the center console), that diffuses one of four scents. Naturally, it’s all controlled via a smartphone app.

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Although the car is officially a concept, Volvo says it “has the ambition to make it available in S90 Excellence production cars.” But, again, that’s primarily for China. Americans seeking well-being will just have to gaze up at whatever is revealed by the open sunroof and hang one of those scented-tree things from the rearview mirror.

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