To be a four-seater

Sources close to Volvo are saying the Swedish marque is working on a more luxurious XC90 for the Chinese market.

China is a very important market for Volvo so it comes as no surprise they are already working on a special XC90 developed specifically for the People's Republic. While the regular 2015 XC90 is a seven-seater, the more luxurious variant will adopt a four-seat interior layout with individual rear seats that will benefit from the same comfort features as the front ones so expect extendable squabs, electric adjustment, massage function and adjustable seatback.

The same report says Volvo will install the rear seats further back compared to the position of the XC90's middle bench seat to grant "exceptional" legroom. There's no word about a launch date but Volvo will probably show the more premium XC90 before the end of the year.

It's unknown at this moment whether the special variant will be sold outside China.

Could be revealed soon

An anonymous tipster has sent us an image with the all-new Volvo XC90 shown in the more appealing R-Design trim.

The image was posted by a member of swedespeed forums and depicts what appears to be an official digital render showcased during a private presentation. The man blocking the view is none other than Volvo's head of design Thomas Ingenlath who was probably explaining to the audience what's changed compared to the regular model.

It looks a bit too restrained to the point that some would have wanted a more aggressive styling to better differentiate the R-Design from the regular XC90. We notice the fresh alloy wheel design along with slightly altered wheel arches and a redesigned front grille without the chrome accents while the pattern seems modified as well.

We remind you that R-Design versions don't come with any mechanical upgrades and are usually available with just about the same array of engines as the regular models.

Volvo has released the first images of the new XC90 dressed in R-Design clothes, aimed at buyers who want a more dynamic look from their Swedish SUV.

The R-Design styling package brings exterior upgrades including a series of matte silver elements such as the grille, front spoiler, silk metal window trim, integrated dual tailpipes, bright roof rails and mirror covers. The XC90 SUV rides on 20-inch or optional 22-inch R-Design alloy wheels.

Although Volvo hasn’t released photos of the interior yet, the cabin is said to feature sports seats in Nubuck textile and perforated leather, perforated leather steering wheel, as well as special R-Design details including the gearshift ****, pedals, floor mats and illuminated tread plates. The driver also gets an exclusive R-Design leather key remote control. Other changes include the R-Design theme of the driver display and tablet-like touch screen.

“R-Design is created for people with a passion for things that add spice to life. It appeals to customers that love active driving and a personal, expressive design. Every single R-Design detail is designed to contribute to the individualistic and refined expression these customers desire,” said Alain Visser, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service of Volvo Car Group.

The all-new XC90 has two range-topping trim levels, the luxurious but conservative Inscription and the dynamic R-Design. Judging from the way the XC90 R-Design looks, a future Polestar version should be really hot.

Earlier today, Volvo gave us a sampler of the sportier-clad XC90 R-Design model, but what we really want to see is a true performance edition of the new SUV.

Polestar, which to some extent, is Volvo's equivalent of AMG, would probably be the one to lead this project, but in order to get us and everyone else excited, it would have to create something closer to the 508hp Volvo S60 prototype and far less like the forgettable C30 Polestar.

Unless Volvo has more engines in the pipeline, a tuned iteration of the ~400hp 2.0-liter turbo Twin-Engine Plug-in Hybrid powertrain, perhaps turned into a regular hybrid for reduced weight, could serve as the power of choice for a Polestar XC90.

As for the SUV's looks, our friend Khalil Bouguerra from Virtuel-Car has provided us with a second rendition of a possible XC90 Polestar.

Volvo Cars reveals 450 horsepower High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept

- Triple Boost Technology takes Volvo's four-cylinder Drive-E Powertrain petrol engine to 450 BHP
- Further proof of Volvo's commitment to delivering driving pleasure through down-sizing

Volvo delivers a unique combination of performance and efficiency with the High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept - a triple boost 2-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine with no less than 450 hp.

Following the successful introduction of Volvo's Drive-E Powertrain range in 2013, Volvo's powertrain team once again demonstrates its technological leadership in emission-reducing turbo technology.

"When we launched the Drive-E powertrain family, our aim was to deliver the most advanced 4-cylinder engines in the industry based on emissions and fuel consumption relative to performance and drivability. We knew that 320 hp in our petrol configuration was just a starting point. The 450 hp High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept, demonstrates this ambition and the versatility of the Drive-E Powertrains," says Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President for Research and Development at Volvo Car Group.

The 450 hp High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept is based on a set of technologies not usually found in a four cylinder engine. The engine utilizes two parallel turbochargers, which are fed by an electrically powered turbo-compressor. The compressed air from this unit, rather than being fed to the cylinders, is instead used to spool up the two parallel turbochargers. Fuel is fed by a dual fuel pump working at 250 bar pressure. With this kind of power density, this triple boost installation and unique fuel system, enables a very dynamic drivability without any turbo lag, compared to a mono-turbo.

"There are several high power small size applications where one large turbo is used to create a high level of power available from other manufacturers, but the driving experience suffers due to slow engine response. We felt that with our heritage of being among the first car companies to embrace and offer a broad range of turbo technology since 1981, that we could improve this," says Michael Fleiss, Vice President of Powertrain Engineering at Volvo Car Group.

The High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept attracted the attention and involvement of Volvo Cars suppliers AVL, Denso and Volvo Polestar Racing at an early stage, which allowed theories and technologies from racing applications to be infused in the development process.

"This was a very exciting project as we pioneered a combination of technologies in the same application, and the result is a quite unique engine with its high power yet quick response. Above all, its compact size improves weight distribution between the front and rear axle and lowers the center of gravity - two factors that have a significant effect on the handling, whether it is a race car or a street car," said Mattias Evensson, Race Engine Director at Volvo Polestar Racing.

"It may sound odd, but this 450 hp powertrain concept is an important part of the Drive-E development program. Down-sizing must offer customers attractive and usable power for broad scale emissions reduction to work. Compact powertrains free up space and weight in the structure of the car, which can be used for electrification and even further emissions reduction. And that is our ultimate ambition," concludes Dr. Mertens.