Spy-Shots of Cars

The next-gen Volvo XC90 has been spotted again by our Euro spies, this time in Copenhagen, Denmark undergoing city testing. These shots give us a clearer view of the prototype's unique dimpled and bumped camouflage - reminds you of Lego, doesn't it? And Lego's Danish, too.

Anyway, the new Volvo XC90 may very well be safest vehicle ever to go on sale when it debuts later this year. In line with Volvo's 'zero-fatality' initiative, the seven-seater will feature an impressive array of both active and passive safety tech.

It'll also be the first production model to use the new modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which will help it weigh around 150 kg less than the original XC90. The low weight means it can be powered solely by four-cylinder engines - from the Drive-E, or Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA) family.

These include a 302 hp/400 Nm 2.0 litre twin-charged and direct-injected petrol and a 190 hp/400 Nm 2.0 litre twin-turbo diesel (featuring i-ART tech), which have already been dropped into the S60 and V40. Expect an eight-speed auto and future plug-in hybrid variants.

For an idea of what the new XC90 could look like, look no further than Volvo's sexilicious (pardon the term) SPA-based trio of concept cars: Concept Coupe, Concept XC Coupe and Concept Estate.