Yahoo Autos Volvo shows the off-roader project it worked on in the 1970s
Volvo began experimenting with the idea of launching an SUV well before the original XC90 made its debut for the 2003 model year. The brand released sketches of a rugged-looking, two-door off-roader that it considered bringing to production for overseas markets in the 1970s.
Had it seen the light that awaits at the end of a production line, the unnamed SUV would have undoubtedly been celebrated as the XC90's spiritual successor. And yet, the sketches published by Volvo show a completely different type of off-roader. Its front end falls in line with the design language that characterized models like the 200-Series released in 1974 by adopting an upright grille with a diagonal "Volvo" emblem and rectangular headlights. No one would have mistaken it for, say, a Jeep CJ, but it looks considerably more rudimentary than the XC90.
The sketches don't reveal the back end, though we can clearly see wrap-around lights and an external spare wheel. While technical details haven't been released, it's not too far-fetched to speculate that the model was developed for serious off-roading. It features short overhangs, so it would have (in theory) offered high approach, break-over and departure angles, and it sits much higher than Volvo's current crop of SUVs. It looks like the rear part of the top comes off; we imagine Volvo might have wanted to keep the B-pillar fixed in the name of safety.
