Volvo’s new Concept Estate not only continues to reveal this automaker’s evolving design language, but also illustrates that Volvo is ready for the ‘big screen.’ Of special interest is this concept wagon’s interior design, which integrates a large tablet-like touchscreen at the center of the dash, a sure sign that connectivity and infotainment loom large in Volvo’s future, as they do with all automakers.

The automaker says its aim is to organize controls and information in an intuitive and user-friendly way, with the portrait touchscreen serving as the control panel for Volvo’s in-car user experience. This strategy does away with all buttons and controls save for a select few, including functions like window heaters, hazard warning, volume, and play/pause. From a design standpoint, this greatly simplifies interior architecture and provides significant design freedom for Volvo designers.