When you work as an automotive technician, you deal with a variety of vehicles every day, from station wagons to BMWs, caravans to luxury imports. You‘ll work on sports cars, sedans, electric-powered hybrids, and more.
One thing that has always been standard is that almost every car has a passenger seat and three back seats. Volvo plans to rock the boat a little bit in this area, with the introduction of their all-new luxury vehicle concept. What makes this luxury vehicle different is that there’s no passenger seat, and only two back seats. This is the type of car which is only meant to be driven by a chauffeur.
Automotive Technicians at Volvo Have Done What?
Volvo introduced the XC90 T8 Excellence concept car at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show. It’s a luxury SUV, modelled on Volvo’s already popular flagship vehicle the XC90 Excellence. While that car may raise the bar for providing a level of comfort and legroom SUV passengers don’t usually get, this concept vehicle throws the bar away completely.
Designed to only hold three people, this is a very luxurious and roomy ride. That’s because Volvo’s automotive technicians and engineers eliminated the front passenger seat from the design completely.
Why would someone want a vehicle missing its front seat? Volvo had high-powered executives and people who are used to being chauffeured around in mind when designing this vehicle. Thomas Ingenlath, Volvo’s Senior Vice-President of Design, confirmed this in a statement, going on to say that:
“A key element in our thinking was how to make the available interior space work for the occupants in an optimal and luxurious fashion. Removing the passenger seat enabled us to create an open space that dramatically changes the dynamics of the interior and led to firework of ideas and new possibilities.”
What Did Automotive Technicians Add?
But what will the busy bank CEO get in place of a front passenger seat blocking their view? In addition to more legroom, the area Volvo is calling the “Lounge Console” will offer:
- A 17” LCD Screen
- Zoned cabin lighting designed to illuminate only the passenger in the Lounge Console area
- A motorized table with a large vanity mirror and compartments to store jewelry
- A retractable bin to store footwear
It may be a concept car at this stage, but given the interest at the Shanghai Auto Show, experts in auto careers believe it will likely be produced—especially considering the large growth in China’s luxury vehicle market.
Take a look at the XC90 T8 Excellence and the exclusive Lounge Console, as explained by Volvo in this video:
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Did you ever think that after completing your automotive course in Montreal you would see cars cease to have a passenger seat?
