Whenever confronted by a new car, I am sure that I am not alone in carrying out the ‘tactility test’. If you do not do it, please let me recommend it to you, as it is surprising what you can learn by closing your eyes and just reaching out to touch, whether it be paintwork, the dashboard, specific trim details, or the location of switchgear and controls. You can tell a lot about how much passion and enthusiasm has been invested in the vehicle.
Carry out the exercise in a static Volvo and you may find a cool Orrefors crystal gear knob falling to hand…it might be the grain of real wood door inserts…the stitching of the leather atop the dashboard…the exquisite Nappa hide wrapped around the steering wheel…the precise click of the indicator stalk…or the fine adjustment of an airvent. These are measures of unerring high quality. They are imparted equally, while being driven in a new Volvo and they are recognisable elements, supported by a characteristic calm and virtual effortlessness that only a handful of high-end carmakers manage to invest in their products.
Producing standout brilliance demands a tranquil work ethos. It cannot be achieved overnight and it would be fair to state that the past 92 years of Volvo Cars’ enterprise, which has been problematic at times but strong enough to build and maintain momentum, has been put to good use. The end result is appealing to all of the senses.
If you are either driving, or a passenger, in a Volvo model, there exists a satisfyingly natural familiarity to its controls and responses. Everything falls conveniently to hand and finding the most comfortable and supportive seat position is aided by the fluency of the adjustment controls, whether manually, or electrically operated. The mirrors provide maximum visibility and control weighting provides confidence, while the much-publicised investment that Volvo makes in primary and secondary safety is so inherent to the brand that very little needs to be explained; it is simply taken for granted.
Now under Chinese ownership, by the Geely Corporation, Volvo has what it has always needed, design, engineering and marketing independence, all underwritten financially by an avuncular parent that studiously avoids meddling. As a perceived rival to the American-described ‘premium’ brands of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Jaguar/Land-Rover, Cadillac and even Lincoln (Ford’s US luxury marque), Volvo possesses an uncanny knack of avoiding plagiarism by forging its own, stylish market furrow.
Even Bentley and Rolls-Royce, despite their otherworldly price tags and super-luxury aspirations, can be considered as competitors in the detail execution of their cars. Yet, Volvo achieves, in its present line-up, a sense of artful adroitness, which ensures that, when you close your eyes, you are unlikely to describe the relevant model as anything other than a Volvo and that is a very special marker-point.
