Volvo Concept Car Designed by women for women

An easy car to get in and out of

Easy access to the car interior was high on the list of what the target group wanted. The YCC designers were happy to oblige. When the gull-wing door opens, the drop-down sill below it opens down out of the way, so you do not need to climb in over it. The ride height is automatically returned to Hi mode for door opening, a comfortable height for those getting in. For added space, the driver's seat moves back automatically and the steering wheel moves upwards. And the side bolsters on the driver's seat base are lowered out of the way so you can get in more easily, too.

If you have a lot to carry, you can make the YCC open the door automatically when you reach it. You simply activate Auto-Open using the key before you pick up your bags, then, when you stand by the rear wheel, the relevant side door will be opened for you. If you go to the back of the car, the tailgate opens instead.

Good visibility

Your actual driving position and line of vision is very important for both safety and comfort in reaching all the controls. "In the YCC, we have combined ergonomics and line of vision adjustment in our Ergovision system, which we are in the process of patenting," says Holmberg. This is how it works.

Your whole body is scanned at the dealership, then the data on your relative proportions (height, leg length, arm length) is used to define a driving position just for you. This is stored in digital form on your personal key unit. Once you get into the driver's seat and dock your key on the centre console, the seat, steering wheel, pedals, head restraint and seat belt will all be adjusted automatically to suit your build. The result is a recommended fully personalised driving position with the best line of vision for you. If you want to alter the stored position, you can change the settings of the various car components in the system, then store that set of data on your key unit. The system will warn you if your line of vision is wrong by means of the lenticular hologram, which looks like a stylised eye displayed on the A-pillar, between windscreen and door. The exterior design of the car has also been developed specifically to help the driver see better. "The bonnet section has been lowered and the fenders have been deliberately brought into sight. Add to this the fact that the rear window extends right to the extremities of the car and the driver will know exactly where the four corners of the car are," says Anna Ros'n, the designer of the YCC exterior.

More choice and flexibility

The YCC gives you all-round flexibility. You can choose the ride height - either Hi, if you like a commanding view of the road, or Lo, for a sportier feel. And you can radically change the look of the car interior whenever you feel like it. There are eight exchangeable seat pad options to choose from, everything from dark brown leather, linen and wool boucl', to a shimmering yellow-green embroidered seat pad. Each of these has a matching carpet - also easy to swap over - for a whole range of styles inspired by home interior design. "No need to trade in your car just because you have grown tired of its colour scheme!" says Maria Uggla, the Colour and Trim designer for the YCC.

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