If you take me for example, i use the cup holders in my car as a trash can for dropping the gas station receipts, and used tissues sometimes. As for my mobile phone, i either keep it in the small storage in the door or the centre console, which usually gets tossed around and falls off during hard braking.
Which is why Volvo wants to create an organized storage space in its upcoming XC40. Volvo said that as part of the XC40’s development phase, the customer research team spent considerable time investigating how city dwellers around the globe use their car on a daily basis, and more importantly, how they store their belongings in their cars. Customers were also asked how they would like to see the interiors of their cars improved.
“As we spoke to people about how and where they store the things they carry with them daily, it was quite clear that most of today’s cars are falling short in this area. Phones slide around in the mid-console, takeaway bags are at constant risk of falling over and people fumble behind the wheel as they try to get service cards out of their wallets. We set out to solve these and many other issues we encountered,” says Louiza Atcheba, Model Brand Manager for the 40 Series at Volvo Cars.
In order to provide better storage space in the doors, Volvo designers moved the speakers from the door and developed an air-ventilated dashboard-mounted sub-woofer, as a result, there is enough storage in the door compartment for a laptop, tablet, or a couple of water bottles.
“When we designed the tunnel the focus was not only on creating a nice design, but also to ensure that cup-holders can be used as cup-holders and that the design itself provides areas for coins, cards or charging cables. Another focus area was to make a usable space for your phone which offers wireless charging as well as USB ports,” said Conny Ewe Blommé, Senior Design Manager at Volvo Cars.
A small fold-away hook has been added to the glove compartment, to secure small shopping or take-away bags. Both front seats offer under seat storage, large enough for a mini tablet or other smaller items.
There are slots for credit and service cards that can be neatly inserted into the dashboard, making them readily available when needed. In the tunnel console, under the armrest, there is a large storage area with room for a tissue box. A special, removable bin allows you to discard and quickly get rid of waste, said the company.
“In the trunk we have designed a smart floor system which can fold and separate your luggage and allows you to use the full luggage space without removing the floor from the car. The rear-seat electronic folding mechanism gives you a flat loading floor at the touch of a button,” says Conny Ewe Blommé.
The XC40 includes a fold-up trunk divider with two hooks to help secure shopping bags or other luggage, along with four load hooks that make loading luggage a simple task. A private locking storage compartment has also been added under the load floor.
“A lot we have done with the XC40 is based on extensive consumer insight. With the XC40, we declare the end of clutter, making sure that everything is within arms-reach but also out of sight. It’s about clearing the clutter so you can clear your mind,” concludes Louiza Atcheba.
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