We have been following the development of the all-new Volvo XC90 for quite some time. Last year we brought spy shots of the 2015 Volvo XC90 mule, and now we have a true pre-production model.

It may be covered in heavy camouflage but one look at the rear lights and it's immediately obvious this is a Volvo->ke188. This prototype looks to be sized similarly to the previous car, and will include room for seven passengers.

The 2015 XC90->ke3145 will be built on Volvo's new Scalable Product Architecture platform. The SPA platform has been designed to be extremely safe and employs a massive amount of ultra-high-strength steel in the main safety shell of the vehicle. The 2015 XC90 will be the first model to utilize the new platform, but it will become the core of every product Volvo sells from the S60 up.

Thanks to the SPA construction, Volvo expects the 2015 XC90 to be the safest SUV ever sold to the public.

Volvo is expected to drop all the engines in the current-gen XC90 in favor of more fuel-efficient, four-cylinder powertrains. All the engines will be turbocharged, and Volvo is developing both gasoline and diesel engines. No word on if the oil-burner will hit U.S. shores.

We are not entirely sure if American buyers will responsive to a three-row SUV without at least a six-cylinder engine, but only time will tell.

Expect the new Volvo XC90 to be put on sale in early 2015.

Spy shots

The heavy camo of this tester does a solid job of hiding the exterior design of the new XC90, but expect it to share many design touches found on the Concept XC Coupe that was released last month at the Detroit International Auto Show. The most obvious carryovers will be the upright and modern grille design, and general shape of the front bumper with the three lower openings.