Detroit: Volvo S60 a Concept in Contours: Swedish design at its airiest

One of the hits of the North American International Auto Show came in the form of the Volvo S60 Concept. The key word there is "form". For the S60 features a seamless integration of flowing, light - even airy - forms, inside and out.

Take the S60 Concept's clear, slim line roof, or the shoulder line that combines with the belt line to form a soft double wave. Or the lines of the trapezoidal lower air intakes that flow into the angled headlights and thence to the sensuously sculpted hood which, in turn, flows into the windshield and clear, visually weightless roof. Or the roof's smooth convergence with the Volvo's curvaceous rear quarter panel and shapely tail lights.

The airy effect continues in the interior, most notably in a center console that seems to float between the dashboard and front seats, thanks to the fact that it's made of Orrefors crystal and mounted at just two points to the dash and the floor. Speaking of which, the airy effect is further emphasized by the slender front seats whose inner edges are attached to the center stack but which do not so much as touch the floor. The lightness of the S60’s being is continued in the blond birch insets in its doors and what Volvo calls its "ecologically" tanned white leather.

Did we mention the S60 Concept has an airy feel? That feel is further exemplified by the aft-hinged rear doors that open with the touch of a button to reveal a pillarless interior.

As for moving the Volvo S60 Concept through all this air, the Swedish beauty comes equipped with a 4-cylinder, 1.6-liter GTDi engine (Gasoline Turbo Direct Injection engine) that produces 180 horsepower while emitting an environmentally conscious 119g of CO2 per kilometer. Adding to the S60 Concept's eco-credentials is a start/stop function when the car comes to a standstill and a Drive-mode system that reduces fuel consumption by limiting various mechanical and electrical functions under certain conditions.

If you like what you see - and feel - in the Volvo S60 Concept, take heart. Volvo says it's a "good indication" of what the new production S60 will look like when it is introduced sometime in 2010.