Swedish manufacturer Volvo will follow the lead of Volkswagen by introducing a modular platform that will underpin much of its future line-up.
Much like Volkswagen's MQB system the new Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) retains one constant around the engine bulkhead with all other areas of the architecture being interchangeable. This flexibility means that Volvo will be able to build a multitude of cars on the platform. The new generation XC90 likely to be the first to market.
During a presentation ahead of the platform's official unveiling in Geneva Lex Kerssemaker, Senior Vice President of Volvo, showed silhouettes of the new XC90 and S80 and even hinted at a two-door coupé that may go head-to-head with the BMW 6 Series and Audi A7.
All of Volvo's current range excluding the V40, which is seen as too small, will be based on this new architecture, but with the facelift of six Volvo models just announced we are unlikely to see full rollout until 2017.