Volvo made quite a splash recently when it announced the Excellence Child Safety Seat Concept, a new interior feature to be introduced in the 2016 XC90 SUV brand. It was, for example, touted as the biggest revolution in child car travel since the car seat was invented, News.com.au raved. But will the innovation actually live up to the hype?
Volvo's new design is centered around an adjustable chair for babies in the car's front passenger position (see video below). The company calls it "an ergonomic swiveling chair" and is marketing it towards parents who are after comfort when traveling with a baby without sacrificing safety, according to the News.
The value proposition rests on the capability of a completely redesigned car seat that allows adults to access the baby from all directions. The seat, for instance, could be turned rear-facing so that the baby is in eye contact with the driver or the passenger. It can also be swiveled towards the door when getting the baby out.
Tisha Johnson, Volvo's chief interior designer, said in a statement that, in addition to being well-designed and safe, the car seat "takes things to the next level." The next level she is talking about appears to be the additional little luxury that Volvo managed to include in the design, such as additional storage space and a heating mechanism to keep milk bottles warm.
Consumer Reports was quick to jump into the bandwagon, citing in a statement the concept's appeal and pointing to the fact that up to 75 percent of car seats are not installed correctly. There are those, however, who are not sold on the idea.
"Frankly, it looks a bit absurd," Wired's Jordan Golson wrote. "But for those of us with kids, the idea of a rear-facing baby seat directly in front of Mom, Dad or, perhaps more likely for the jet set, the nanny, is worth consideration."
Sam Oliver, a mother of two, also expressed her misgivings, News.com.au reported.
"It would be very distracting for the driver, especially if no one else was in the vehicle. I personally think children belong in the back seat of the car until the suitable age requirement," she said.
The concept also faces serious regulatory hurdles. If implemented, it will go against existing car seat laws in countries such as the U.S., where children staying in the front seat is considered illegal.
