2015 Volvo XC90 revealed: first images of vital new SUV

The pictures show a modern new look for the second-generation XC90, although there are some entirely familiar elements to its design - particularly at the rear end. The front, which had been teased earlier this month, is decidedly more modern.

The reveal - which is being hosted in Gothenburg, Sweden - is the culmination of months of teaser images and tidbits of information on the large SUV, which will rival the likes of the Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz ML-Class.

The new XC90 has been confirmed to arrive in Australia in the first half of 2015, with pricing and specifications for the Australia-bound models to be confirmed at a later date.

The new XC90 is to be the recipient of a four-cylinder engine lineup, but with some high-tech powertrains as part of that. The engine range includes a twin-turbo diesel, a turbocharged and supercharged petrol, and a plug-in hybrid petrol-electric model. Read more details of the engine lines here.

Volvo's new scalable platform architecture underpins the 2015 XC90, which is the first car to be based on the modular toolkit for larger vehicles from the Scandinavian marque.

There have been benefits of the use of the new underpinnings inside the cabin, with Volvo claiming the new model is a genuine seven-seater, rather than the 5+2 style seating of the current car.

Second and third row space are said to have improved considerably, with the latter claimed to offer class-leading comfort for those up to 170 centimetres tall, and with improved ingress and egress. Further details on the interior of the XC90 can be found here.

Other big changes inside the cabin include a portrait-style infotainment screen, which has just a couple of buttons below the screen in place of the button-centric system of the existing car, which initially went on sale back in 2003.

The system will be equipped with Apple CarPlay, allowing the screen to mirror the display and functionality of connected iPhone, iPad and iPod devices. Read more about the XC90's new infotainment system and its features here.

CarAdvice will bring you more details and further news on the 2015 Volvo XC90 from the international launch as it comes to hand.

See more images of the new-generation 2015 Volvo XC90.