Ward's AutoWorld magazine once again acknowledged Volvo for superior car interior design. The Volvo C30 earned Ward's Interior Design Award for Best Brand Reflection. Last year, Ward's named the Volvo S80 winner of the Best Interior Design of the Year Award.
According to Eric Mayne, Ward's Editor of News Operations, “Marked by simplicity, grace and functionality, the C30's interior exemplifies this heritage. They not only defy the industry convention that mass ensures comfort, they contribute to a futuristic ambience usually reserved for concept cars.” Volvo interiors have always been ergonomically designed to bring forward in materials all that is reflected in Scandinavian design: where form and function combine to be aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand. In a complicated world, Volvo brings a sense of harmony and peace to the daily grind of driving.
“With the C30, our goal was to bring a more youthful spirit and a refined Scandinavian flair to the interior,” Steve Mattin, SVP Design, Volvo Cars said. “We wanted the best of our cultural design heritage in this car. Our design vision was to create an interior that could only be branded Volvo. We shied away from chrome, kept controls intuitive without adding more buttons or switches and looked for ways to express our feeling about harmony and softness. Our center stack console has become a signature element for all Volvo car models. Its outline brings a natural rhythm and functionality expressed in clean lines and soft curves.”
Volvo's legendary anatomically designed seats are upholstered in the unique T-Tec fabric specially developed for Volvo Cars and inspired by sportswear and modern travel accessories. T-Tec is soft, supple, elastic and comfortable. The contrast between T-Tec and textile – along with seams of a different, yet coordinating color – reinforces the dynamic appeal of the car.
“We are pushing the edge with materials, visual sensations and tactile feelings,” Steve Mattin said. “C30 is a reflection of our Scandinavian culture, feelings about our environment and our heritage.”
