Even though Volvo built their first ever XC90 back in 2002, thinking about a late ’80s/early ’90s predecessor makes for a very interesting mental exercise.
Unfortunately, as cool as this rendering may be, placing it in one specific time period is rather difficult, considering how the designer based it on both the Volvo 200-series as well as the second-generation Jeep Cherokee.
It’s easy to wonder what would have happened if Volvo would have thought to build an SUV back then. Their models were already considered to be extremely safe and reliable by the general public, so an increase in size within their model line-up might have been quite clever.
The ’80s Jeep Cherokee would have been of course the most obvious rival, along with other models such as the Ford Bronco or the Toyota 4Runner. In Europe, you could argue in favor of an Frontera rivalry – which, considering that the Opel was a dud on the road, might have favored the Volvo.
Inside, if we were to go by, say the 1993 Volvo 240, we would find a well designed dashboard, leather seats, wooden trim and heated side mirrors. Not a bad car to have on your family vacation, right?
Renderings courtesy of Theophilus Chin
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