Volvo S90 voted design of the year

Volvo Cars’ S90 premium saloon, which will be launched here in Ireland later this year, has been voted Production Car Design of the Year 2015 by a panel of professional car designers from around the globe.

The award, presented by Car Design News, represents the pinnacle of automotive design awards. The jury is made up of 18 top car designers from around the world, from companies such as Bentley, Daimler, Ferrari and McLaren.

“Our use of high-end materials, classic proportions and controlled surfacing reflects our intention to forge our own path. We don’t want to fit in, we want to stand out,” said Thomas Ingenlath, senior vice president of design at Volvo Car Group.

Volvo Cars’ interiors have received a lot of attention in recent times thanks to the serene nature of the design and the use of key design elements, exemplified by the elegant air blades and control surfaces in the new S90.

The Volvo S90 was chosen by the 18-strong panel of judges from a list of 20 contenders. The premium saloon received praise for its great proportions, authentic use of materials and timeless design.

Commenting on the award, Car Design News editor Owen Ready said that the S90 was recognised “for its priority of clear, calm design over the ‘styling entertainment’ that has been plaguing the industry for too long.”

The award was presented at a ceremony hosted by Car Design News in Geneva.

In the meantime, Volvo posted a 15.2% increase in retail sales for the month of February, selling 34,551 cars globally. Sales of the new Volvo XC90 were the main growth driver in all regions, while the XC60 was the best-selling model globally.

Sweden was the biggest market in February while retail sales in Europe as a whole were up by 21% with growth across the region. The Volvo XC60 was the best-selling model while the new XC90 represented most of the growth for the month.

The US reported sales of 5,261 sold cars, up 31.1% versus the same month last year. February was the eighth consecutive month of double digit growth for Volvo in the US.

Sales were boosted by strong demand for the new Volvo XC90 which also was the best-selling Volvo model in the US for the month.

Volvo China reported retail sales of 4,866 cars, up 1.1%. The best-selling cars were the locally produced Volvo XC60 and S60L models.