Skip to main content

Volvo put a Seattle coffee shop in the back of an XC90

Volvo put a Seattle coffee shop in the back of an XC90

Share this story

In Sweden, Fika is one of the first words that foreigners learn when visiting the country. It’s sort of like a coffee break or afternoon tea in England, but with much greater social connotations. This Swedish obsession with coffee is part of the reason why Volvo outfits its auto show booths with a coffee shop for attendees — that and the fact that Dean Shaw, head of corporate communications for Volvo Cars USA, is a coffee fanatic.

It also explains why Volvo installed a miniature coffee shop in the back of this Volvo XC90 SUV. The company unveiled it at a press drive this week in Arizona, and brought along Jay Lijewski from Victrola Coffee Roasters in Seattle, Washington, to whip up some drinks.

Volvo removed the third row from the XC90 and installed an electric sliding shelf in the cargo area. It’s covered with the same Linear Walnut wood that accents the rest of the interior, and the car has a number of additional batteries to help handle the heavy load (the car needs to be running for everything to work properly). The brunt of the coffee production is handled by a $4,500 La Marzocco Linea Mini, which Volvo says is the best “home” machine in the world.

Volvo reps aren’t sure what they’ll do with the Volvo XCoffee 90 (not an official name) aside from making espresso for caffeine-addicted car journalists, but if you really like coffee, you can always give Dean a call and see how much he wants for it.

Photography by Jordan Golson / The Verge