Volvo Concept Estate Previews Interiors of Future Volvos Just the Facts:

Just the Facts:

• Car shoppers get a preview of how their future Volvos will look and feel on the inside, courtesy of the Volvo Concept Estate that will debut at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show.
• The concept "reveals how the interior of Volvo's forthcoming models will both look and function," said Volvo Cars of North America on Thursday.
• The cabins of future Volvos will have the feel of a Scandinavian living room and there will be minimal buttons and knobs.

GENEVA — Car shoppers get a preview of how their future Volvos will look and feel on the inside, courtesy of the Volvo Concept Estate that will debut at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show.

The concept "reveals how the interior of Volvo's forthcoming models will both look and function," said Volvo Cars of North America on Thursday.

The cabins of future Volvos will have the feel of a Scandinavian living room and there will be minimal buttons and knobs.

The traditional instrument panel will be replaced by a tablet-like touchscreen control panel that replaces all buttons and controls except for a "few crucial functions such as volume, play/pause, hazard warning and window heaters," the automaker said.

"Not having to deal with buttons and controls for a growing number of functionalities is like being freed from a pair of handcuffs," said Robin Page, Volvo Car Group interior design director, in a statement. "The concept car showcases how this user interface will be integrated in our new-car generation."

In the U.S., the new cabin is first likely to roll out on the Volvo XC70, a competitor to the Audi Q5,BMW X3, Lincoln MKX and Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class.

Volvo said the redesign of its interiors puts the emphasis on "simplicity."

The concept has a number of other unusual interior features, including orange seatbelts, woven wool carpets and a crystal gear lever with an orange glow from Orrefors/Kosta Boda. The headliner and sides of the front seats get a checkered black-and-white fabric treatment.

Edmunds says: Think high tech and Swedish furniture that's not IKEA and you'll get a good idea of what the cabin of your future Volvo will look like.