First Look: Volvo’s designing women

Volvo has unveiled a car at the Geneva motor show totally designed by women.

Called the YCC, or Your Concept Car, it is a sporty two-door coupe about the size of the current Volvo S60 sedan.

Power comes courtesy of a low emission 160kW five-cylinder engine married to six-speed automatic gearbox.

It features short-span gull wing doors, a low bonnet line, deep windows and high driving position for excellent visibility, durable and practical body part extremities and a changeable cabin defined by simplicity of function and design.

According to Volvo, women want everything men want in a car – performance, prestige and style – but also demand smart storage solutions, easy entry/egress, good visibility, a car able to be personalised, minimal maintenance and ease of parking.

The YCC was the outcome of an idea hatched after an American expert on female consumer patterns, Marti Barletta, claimed: "If you meet the expectations of women, you exceed the expectations of men." President and CEO of the Volvo Car Corporation, Hans-Olov Olsson, gave the concept the green light in June 2002.

In the United States, 54 per cent of all Volvo buyers are women.