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Heico Sportiv, the German tuning house specialized in Volvo automobiles, has released a set of renderings to showcase what they?ve got installed for the brand new XC90.
So, there you go, another tuning company trying to prove something by making a matte-green XC90; right? Wrong! Heico actually started its ?customization program? way back in 1995, when a German Volvo dealer commissioned the brand to construct two 850 T5s to be raced at the demanding 24-hour Nurburgring race. And that?s what they?ve been doing ever since: Modifying and racing cars.
Of course, not every creation is motorsport related, but it surely is performance orientated ? like this interesting looking XC90.
As the photos depict, the big Volvo will come with a balanced, well proportioned and subtle body kit, which looks almost like the optional factory R-Design Package. In fact, if the car was rendered in a darkish stock color, the difference between the two choices would have been unnoticeable for the untrained eye. Of course, there are style cues ? like the quad exhausts ? that differentiate Heico?s own approach from Volvo?s.
That?s high praise for a company such as Heico, especially as Holger Hedtke - Founder and Managing Director - explains: ?Our products cannot look like add-ons ? after all, our customers expect a harmonious, overall work of art?
The body-kit is constructed from PU-R-RIM, a highly compact, rigid-elastic sculpting made from polyurethane and reaction injection molding. I know it doesn?t sound very interesting, but it brings us to the next big thing: The body-kit is plug & play and interchangeable with various design options.
Along with the awesome-looking tailpipes, Heico-Spotiv developed a short exhaust system with an integrated subwoofer which mimics the sound of a Heico developed V8. Why? Because now the XC90 only comes in 4-cylinder options and Hedtke decided that sound wise, there is room left for improvement.
Heico also offers 22 and 23-inch forged rims, which weigh 15 percent less than a standard 23. Mind you, the 315/25/R23 wheels are massive, even though Heico says that with a 23 inch x 11 setup, the forged rims are an optimal compromise between maximum size and every-day use. So much for family SUV?