VOLVO Cars’ design team have completely re-imagined how children could travel safely in cars in the future.

For most parents, installing and removing the child seat, fiddling with the harnesses and making sure their child is safe, secure and comfortable, can often prove to be the stressful element of any vehicular journey.

It’s why van-derived MPVs like the Citroen Berlingo and Renault Kangoo have found a cult following for their sliding rear doors that make accessing the rear seats simple, no matter where the car is parked.

Volvo’s concept attempts to blend practicality with safety without compromising comfort. The child seat sits on a rotating platform on the front passenger side of the car and can be turned towards the door for ease of access then turned through 90 degrees so that the child seat is rear, rather than front facing.

Under the concept seat are storage spaces for toys, clothes, nappies, food and a bottle and of course larger items like a full change bag. The finishing touch is a heated cup holder that can be used to warm up a bottle when it’s time for a feed.

Volvo subscribes to the view that for ultimate safety, children under the age of three should travel in rear-facing seats when inside a car due to the relative weakness of their neck muscles and the size and weight of their heads.

Volvo, like Mercedes is exploring the future of the car cabin. As vehicles become more autonomous, their cabins are going to become less focused on driving and more focused on traveling in comfort.