Volvo's got a brand new dash

Volvo's new center stack, seen here on the C70 at the Tokyo Motor Show, looks good and high tech. As one of the more conservative car companies, Volvo approaches design changes gradually. I've seen some of these elements on recent Volvos, such as the A/C controls with the outline of the seated person. But this narrow stack configuration is new, and seems well-designed. All the controls fit in its space well, and the metal face plate gives it a very modern look. I especially like that Volvo dropped a keypad in, which is probably the most efficient input device when space is limited but you have a variety of data to enter. The keypad, combined with the four-way toggle button, surrounded by four more buttons, should give a lot of flexibility for controlling navigation, audio, or a Bluetooth integrated cell phone.