This DC2-designed Custom Crossover Is ACTUALLY A Sensible Luxury SUV Underneath

The redesign is certainly unique if not a popular look, even with large gullwing doors

Dilip Chhabria’s DC2 design studio has been synonymous with extreme customisation of standard cars from various carmakers. The attempt at creating something unique of the ordinary usually results in their creations being mocked or dismissed due to their outlandish design. 

Now, the design house’s newest victim to go under the knife is a pre-facelift Volvo XC90. The result is a custom coupe crossover, which is sure to raise many eyebrows. Let’s try and decode what works for it and what doesn’t, starting with the latter:

The Bad

DC2 certainly has made this SUV unrecognisable to its donor, but not in a pleasant way and that’s immediately earned it some disapproving comments. It is because Volvo cars over the years, including the XC90, have had the reputation of being some of the most elegant and best-looking models on the global market.

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The design house has completely overhauled the exterior of the SUV to make it look more like a crossover coupe with some rugged details, making the original Volvo lose its overall charisma. Where the Volvo SUV gets a stylish appeal thanks to its sleek design and the iconic LED lighting details, the custom-built crossover features none of those things.

Instead, it features a big mesh-like pattern at the front, which in our opinion, robs the SUV of its beauty, opting for a more tough and dated look. This butch design theme continues on the sides as well as it has unproportionate and massive wheel arches housing the huge off-roading tyres. The custom car gets just two massive roof-hinged doors (gull-wing type) and glass panels housing smaller and openable window areas as seen on race cars.

At the back, the XC90-based coupe SUV is seen with a bulging rear glass panel similar to rear  mid-engined sports cars, which leads to twin outlets. Although it does get connected taillights, it isn’t half as attractive as the ones on newer offerings by carmakers. Then comes probably one of the worst bits of this coupe: the enormous and ugliest-looking honeycomb pattern on the lower rear portion, featuring large dual squarish exhausts.

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The Good

It’s only when you check out the interior of the car that you will believe it to be based on a Volvo, i.e., the XC90 SUV. The custom car is based on the Excellence variant of the SUV as it has a 4-seater layout. DC2 has given it a red interior and upholstery with ambient lighting all around the cabin, ditching the panoramic sunroof in favour of a nightclub lounge aesthetic.

The design studio hasn’t tinkered much with the original dashboard layout of the SUV as the custom-made model features the Volvo-provided AC vents and the vertically stacked touchscreen system. Its steering wheel is borrowed directly from the XC90 but gets a red and black wrap, with even the centre console featuring red stitching. The luxury creation also retains the power-adjustable front seats from the Swedish donor SUV.

Unlike some of the previously custom-made models, which got an extensively redone centre console and equipment for the rear passengers, DC2 hasn’t made much changes here. We suspect this area was spared due to the complex integration of the dashboard elements and the car’s onboard computers; even the Mk.V Toyota Supra shares those with the current BMW Z4.

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How Much Does The Makeover Cost?

Although DC2 hasn’t revealed the exact cost of this customisation, we believe it will certainly add a premium to the standard XC90’s price tag of Rs 98.5 lakh, pushing it well over the Rs 1-crore territory (ex-showroom). We also don’t have any details for any changes to the powertrain and performance output from the Volvo donor car. Luckily, we assume there will not be many takers for this creation and so most of us will be spared from encountering it on our roads.

What are your thoughts on this customisation and what other changes would you have loved to see on it? Drop them in the comments.

Read More on : XC90 Automatic