Volvo S90 Ambience Concept: A New Realm of Luxury or Just a Gimmick?
In an ambitious stride towards shaping the future of luxury in-car experiences, Volvo, the Swedish automaker, unveiled the S90 Ambience Concept. The concept debuted at the Beijing Auto Show in China, and as the name suggests, it aims to immerse passengers in an ambiance of their choice. It's no coincidence that this concept, adapted from the top-tier S90 Excellence, targets the rear seat, placing chauffeured customers at the centre of its creative narrative. Yet, the critical question remains: Does this novel concept truly redefine luxury, or is it an extravagant ploy with little practical value?
Personalizing Your Mobile Sanctuary
At the core of the Ambience Concept lies an innovative idea: transforming the automobile into a sensory experience by synchronizing visuals, sounds, and scents. Passengers can seemingly control the car's atmosphere using a smartphone app, choosing from seven visual themes, each accompanied by a corresponding audio and scent. The themes range from calming "Northern Lights" and "Scandinavian Forest" to the invigorating "Freedom" theme, supposedly designed to inject fresh and uplifting energy into your journey.
An Immersive In-car Experience
The Ambience Concept takes full advantage of the S90's design elements, transforming the car ceiling into a visual spectacle that mirrors the selected theme. The immersive audio experience is rendered through the Bowers and Wilkins premium sound system, featuring small tweeters in the headrest. Meanwhile, the selected theme's corresponding scent disperses from a portal in the centre console, with each scent specially crafted by Byredo. It's a meticulously designed experience that seemingly pushes the boundaries of automotive luxury. Yet, whether these innovations will significantly enhance the in-car experience or merely serve as novelties remains to be seen.
Targeting China’s Luxury Market
Notably, the S90 Ambience Concept is targeted primarily at the Chinese market, a strategic move given China's prominence as Volvo’s largest single market and the country's growing appetite for luxury vehicles. In 2017, Volvo sold more than 100,000 cars in China, marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth trajectory. By offering a unique experience tailored to counter the hectic city environments, Volvo aims to reinforce its premium brand values and captivate the luxury market segment in this crucial region.
Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, the S90 Ambience Concept underscores Volvo's ambition to pioneer novel approaches in luxury car design, particularly by extending their human-centric approach to encompass not only safety but also passengers' overall well-being. It attempts to redefine luxury beyond materialistic considerations, striving for a car that connects with passengers' senses and enables them to influence their in-car environment. However, as intriguing as the concept is, it's important to critically evaluate whether such sensory innovations genuinely enhance the in-car experience or merely serve as fleeting novelties. Only time will tell whether this approach will find a significant audience, and perhaps more crucially, whether Volvo will decide to integrate the Ambience Concept into their production line.
-Ed
2018 Volvo S90 Ambience Concept
