Volvo Vision 2020
Dylan Styles
The Volvo Vision 2020 stems from the company’s “zero deaths by 2020” ambition — as stated by CEO Hakan Samuelsson — and designer Dylan Styles’ realization that modern cars are becoming much more standardized, therefore looking more and more alike.
His vision was to create a design language that is synonymous with safety that inherently contains Volvo’s DNA, while stepping aside from the current trends.
“My main inspiration was drawn from the strengths in proportions of nature, primarily developing the design language from the cocoon, as this was a direct representation of how I wanted the public to perceive the vehicle,” says Styles.
In keeping with the Volvo image, the design was realized in a shooting brake body type. The compact vehicle features large body surfaces while its low height and wide body create a stable aesthetic. Styles used the posture of a silverback gorilla to influence the stance of the vehicle, making it look stronger and more stable. Similar inspiration came from the silhouette of a rhino.
Inside, two occupants are positioned centrally to express the intentions of the vehicle, while creating a cocooned environment that reinforces the feeling of safety.
The hybrid vehicle’s twin charged four-cylinder powers the front axle while a 55KW AC induction electric motor powers the rear. The batteries are mounted in the transmission tunnel of the scalable product architecture (SPA) chassis to keep the weight central. For agility, the vehicle also has rear wheel steering.
