2013 Volvo Coupe Concept Knows Its Sausages

THIS SWEDISH company has defined itself on not being German, so the appointment of two Volkswagen designers, Thomas Ingenlath and Max Missoni, might seem unusual. Yet the result is a striking three-box coupe that will remind many of the Audi A5. This third box is an important feature: a low, flat deck, ending in a chamfer, resolutely eschews the diminishing tails on cars such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS, and keeps the proportions outlined by the P1800 in check, and indeed the BMW E9, which shares a similar centre-line. 

This Teutonic association continues in the details, especially the rear corner where the lights from the Volkswagen X1 concept are mirrored. It is a compatible theme with the iron badge, however, and the lights appear like sections through metal beams, especially the T-beam DRL at the front. Here, the Coupe Concept is classically premium: the lights are kept separate from the grille, and intricate details lift simple forms. The grille itself is exceptional, featuring a strong chrome band and vertical bars subtley concave, kept separate by a shadow gap.

Along the bodyside, purists are already recoiling from the broken curvature of the door-section, a Volvo trait lauded as a literal reflection of Swedish furniture. This easy-to-understand characteristic was compatible with the family-orientation of the products. That broken section has been expertly realized, however, planting the crease on the curvature, rather than using it as a break. The positive swell that runs along the shoulder is kept tense in section by sandwiching it between two tight negative fillets. It is telling that Volvo has steered away from using a wagon to hail in the new era: a three-box coupe is ideally suited to bend its themes to many more bodystyles. German solidity has been achieved in an unorthodox manner. It may not be familiar, but it is a design that will outlast the decade.

Volvo clearly has aspirations beyond being known for safety, but such is the dominance of the German premium brands in conveying premium-ness, it is hard to avoid lifting cues to do so. It highlights the quandary faced by many designers: how much brand equity can you sacrifice to become more attractive. With the Coupe Concept, there is enough Volvo DNA to keep cynics quiet, and the successful translation of the themes to the next XC90 has now been proven. With that in mind, perhaps those Germans ought to start worrying.