The Human Touch: Volvo’s ‘Essential’ Renewable Influence

Volvo is leveling up its interiors, and sustainable materials are key to it.

The 2025 Volvo EX90 impressed us when we drove it earlier this month. The brand’s new flagship just so happens to be all-electric, with a blend of good looks and a suitably wafty driving experience. The move upmarket isn’t without a cabin upgrade either: Volvo interiors have been comfortable cocoons for a while now, but there’s a noticeable improvement in material quality and design cohesion. It feels warmer, and more inviting while maintaining those Scandinavian roots.

What’s changed?

After our drive, we had corresponded with Cecilia Stark, CMF (color, material, finish) Vision senior design manager, to find out where the team finds inspiration.

“Inspiration for our textiles comes from everything around us, but our primary sources are nature, our surroundings, and the worlds of fashion and interior design,” explains Stark. “We place a strong emphasis on emotions and haptics—understanding that texture, touch, and comfort are essential for human well-being.”

The fashion angle isn’t surprising, or new. Volvo introduced the tailored wool blend seats on the XC90 and XC40 a few years ago. Anybody who’s worn a wool suit will tell you the advantages: it keeps you warm when needed yet is breathable and thus cooler than leather in the summer. We’d argue it’s cooler in other ways, too. Stark confirms customers have enjoyed the wool blend, “including those who were initially skeptical.”

An important distinction there: the polyester in the wool blend is recycled. Sustainability is a subject Volvo hammers on at the EX90 reveal and during the digital 2025 XC90 refresh event the following week.

“We believe that good design, quality, and sustainability are inherently linked,” says Stark. “Recycled and renewable materials aren’t just an option for us—they’re essential to shaping the future.” Volvo measures CO2 footprints from “cradle-to-gate,” taking into account material sourcing as well as how electricity is produced, and including “battery passport” QR codes for buyers to see the info themselves.

We ask various company folks if there’s any indication customers are receptive to all of this. The signs are encouraging: buyers increasingly want to know that the green vehicle they’re buying didn’t cause more harm during its creation. All this, and Volvo has to contend with people keeping their cars longer, so durability can’t be overlooked. Stark sums it up: “our responsibility is to blend these elements seamlessly, creating a sense of luxury and timelessness, all while ensuring our products stand the test of time.”

Anna Arasa Gaspar crafts her own ceramics. Her day job is UX Manager System at Volvo, where she leads a group of designers overseeing the core infotainment system. Based on her pastime, we think it’s safe to assume she appreciates tactility, so how does she balance that with the decreased number of physical controls in the EX90?

“I love that you brought up ceramics for this topic. As I mentioned I have a lot of them I do not know where to put them anymore mainly plates, bowls and cups,” says Gaspar over email. “Sometimes I wish I could make them disappear until I need them, mainly when my dishwasher is full.” As Gaspar explains it, digital controls are essentially this particular wish fulfillment: gone when you don’t need them, but present when you do. She uses the example of the EX90’s contextual bar: this second-from-the-bottom row of icons changes based on what the vehicle is currently doing as well as what main app the driver currently has opened.

While this doesn’t address the lack of tactility digital buttons have, Gaspar notes it is a constantly evolving process. “Regarding physical controls, what is important to understand [is] what controls are most used and prioritize them and we are always trying to learn on this area.” Our suggestion? More physical seat controls, please.

The talk circles back to safety by the end—this is Volvo, after all. With EuroNCAP recently announcing certain essential physical controls will be required to achieve a full five-star safety rating in 2026, we discuss how Volvo will proceed.

Gaspar notes all existing models already conform to the stated guidelines. “At Volvo, we believe distraction is one of the human behaviors that need to be addressed for safer driving,” explains Gaspar before concluding, “we’ve designed the user interface in our cars to give the driver quick and easy access to the key features needed in an intuitive way.”

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