This is some next-level stuff.
Rolls-Royce, considered to be the benchmark in automotive luxury, has long told the world that the loudest thing in the cabins of their cars is the clock. The church-library levels of quiet inside a Rolls-Royce is a truly amazing thing, though it begs the question: With noise absence, what do you fill it with?
Well, Volvo has an idea. Their Beijing showcar, dubbed the S90 Ambience, explores the idea of a more immersive experience of luxury and tranquility, designed to make automotive travel as pleasant and luxurious as possible.
“The Ambience concept redefines luxury by taking it beyond material choices, creating a car that connects with your senses. Volvo is known for its human centric approach to design and as an industry-leader in advanced safety technology. Ambience reinforces this, and shows our broader focus on human car, which starts with safety and extends to general well-being.” — Robin Page, Head of Design, Volvo Cars
Based on the well-received S90 Excellence (in China), the S90 Ambience bears no noticeable changes on the outside, with all revisions hiding inside the cabin. It claims to be an “industry-first sensory experience” that marries sight, sound, and scent together to create create an unrivalled luxury experience.
A smartphone app is where the experience begins, where passengers can choose one of seven available visual themes, each paired with a sound and scent. Volvo makes available Northern Lights, Scandinavian Forest, Swan Lake, Archipelago, and Lake themes to choose from, as well as a Nocturnal theme to let you rest and a Freedom theme to revitalise you.
Once a theme is selected, the car then projects a corresponding visual onto the headliner to set the mood, with accompanying audio piped through the impressive Bowers & Wilkins stereo system, which has been further enhanced with the placement of tweeters in the rear headrests.
The final aspect of Volvo’s immersive luxury experience comes in one of the four supplied scents for the S90 Ambience, courtesy of Byredo. The scents themselves are diffused via an element that rises from the centre console to create its own visual delight, capping off what has to be the most thought-through approach to luxury travel we’ve seen in a long time.
Would you splash your cash on something like this, you think? Let us know in the comments below.
For more information on Volvo, check out our Showroom.
