In just a couple of months Volvo will reveal its first all-new XC90 since the launch of the original SUV all the way back in 2002. The new XC90 is shaping up to be a much more luxurious and refined model than the one it replaces, and it will also be packing some of the latest technology found in the auto industry.

In addition to fuel-efficient hybrid powertrains, new safety features and autonomous capability, the new XC90 will also benefit from an advanced user interface almost completely devoid of conventional buttons. The interface, part of Volvo’s Sensus connectivity and user interface sub-brand, will feature a large tablet-like touchscreen (ala Tesla’s Model S), head-up display, voice activation and some thumb controls on the steering wheel.

The touchscreen replaces the traditional selection of buttons and controls in the center stack with one sleek control panel. This central panel will work together with a configurable digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, while vital information can be projected on the head-up display on the lower part of the windscreen.

To ensure it’s easy to use and quick to become familiarized with, popular information such as navigation and media are displayed high up and easy to check. The phone controls, application icons and climate controls, meanwhile, are located lower on the screen. All of this logic is based on extensive usability and user experience research and the latest technology, according to Volvo.

It’s no coincidence that Volvo’s new interface sounds a lot like the interface of a smartphone. Not only will it provide owners with the ability to mirror and use Apple iOS devices in the touchscreen display, the system will offer a range of additional benefits common to smartphones via integrated cloud-based applications. Available apps will be dependent on the market but should include services for music streaming, navigation, finding and paying for parking, restaurant searches, and vehicle maintenance.

The new Volvo XC90 will be revealed in early August before a formal debut at the 2014 Paris Auto Show in October. Sales in the U.S. commence spring 2015.

These are the first spy shots of Volvo’s next-generation XC90 SUV, which is set to be revealed this fall and headed to showrooms next spring, most likely as a 2015 model. The XC90 is one of Volvo’s most acclaimed models but the current one is well overdue for a redesign, having been on the market since the 2003 model year.

The long gestation for the new 2015 XC90 is due to Volvo finally ditching the last remnants of its previous tie-up with Ford and developing its own modular platform to spawn its future lineup. This new platform, dubbed the Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA), will debut in the new XC90 and will ultimately underpin every Volvo sized from the S60 up.

The SPA platform enables significant improvements when it comes to boosting safety, which Volvo is keen to maintain its leadership in. The structure has been made strong using high-strength materials and a myriad of sensors will help prevent accidents through active braking and steering.

All models based around the SPA platform, including the new XC90, will be powered by four-cylinder engines grouped in Volvo’s Drive-E family. Volvo will use turbocharging and direct fuel injection to get performance numbers up, and a plug-in hybrid model with as much as 400 horsepower is also in the works. An eight-speed automatic transmission will be standard, along with all-wheel drive.

As the spy shots reveal, the new XC90 will get a fairly convention SUV shape. Heavy camouflage masks the details but Volvo’s recent Concept Coupe and Concept XC Coupe hint at what’s to come. In addition, Volvo design chief Thomas Ingenlath recently gave a sneak peek at the new SUV; look for a chiseled body, T-shaped daytime running lights and vertical tail-lamps.

Inside, expect digital gauges, a head-up display and a large touchscreen display sitting center on one of Volvo’s signature ‘floating’ center sticks. There will still be buttons and ***** for frequently used functions.

A debut for the 2015 Volvo XC90 is likely to take place at either the 2014 Paris Auto Show in October or the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Stay tuned for updates as development progresses.

We now have our first official look at the all-new 2015 Volvo XC90, albeit only from the inside. Volvo started its official launch campaign for the new XC90 today by revealing the SUV's interior, and the automaker promises to release more information in the lead up to the full reveal in August.

The original XC90 was launched in 2002, and it revolutionized the SUV segment with its combination of space, versatility and safety. Volvo is keen to repeat that success, and from what we’ve seen the automaker may just pull it off.

The new interior is the most luxurious to have been designed by the Swedish automaker and takes advantage of Sweden's reputation for functional and elegant design and combines this with the latest technology. The most striking feature is a tablet-like touchscreen display in the center of the dash, which forms the heart of Volvo’s next-generation infotainment system and was first previewed in last year’s Concept Coupe. The system is virtually button free and not only controls vehiclefunctions but also a range of internet-based products and services.

Then there are all the luxurious touches such as soft leather and wood, plus handcrafted details including a gear-lever made of crystal glass from Orrefors, the famous Swedish glass maker. Another special touch is the diamond-cut controls for the engine starter button and volume control. It should come as little surprise that Volvo’s interior design chief, Robin Page, is a former Bentley man.

Finally, the new XC90 features specially designed seats that also free up interior space for passengers both in the second and third rows, helping to make the vehicle a genuine seven-seater. The seats are designed to be comfortable without the need for thick padding and they have been ergonomically shaped to better fit the spine. All seven seats feature three-point safety belts with pre-tensioners, and all the seat rows are covered by curtain airbags in a side impact or rollover situation.

The new XC90 will be Volvo’s first model to use the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) modular platform, which will eventually underpin all of the automaker’s vehiclesfrom the next-generation S60 up. All vehicles based around the SPA platform will be powered by four-cylinder engines grouped in Volvo’s Drive-E family. They will also feature advanced safety features and new driver assist technologies with autonomous capability.

In July, Volvo will reveal technology highlights of the new XC90, including chassis and powertrain details. Later that same month we’ll get the full details on the vehicle’s safety features and air purification technology (a must for customers in China, the home of Volvo’s parent company Geely), before the final reveal of the exterior in August. In the meantime, hit our spy shots report for additional photos and info.

It's raining Volvo news today, as following the unveiling of the gorgeous Coupe Concept, our Swedish friends at Feber, who were at the media event held in Gothenburg tonight, tipped us off about a series of pictures they took at the presentation – not of the coupe, but of the next generation XC90 that was teased on a big screen.

The darkened pictures provide us with our first official glimpse at the 2015 XC90, including its face with the brand's new signature headlights featuring T-shaped DRLs (Daytime Running Lights), as well as the SUV's rear quarters and the interface of the touch-screen infotainment system on the center console.

Volvo has already confirmed that the new XC90, which will be its first production model to be developed under the ownership of China’s Geely, and the first to make use of the Swedish brand's new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), will debut late next year.

At the Gothenburg event, Volvo mentioned that after the introduction of the XC90 SUV, it will present the new S90 sedan and V90 estate as replacements for the S80 and V70 respectively.

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