Available across the engine range, the R-Design kit includes a redesigned front and rear bumpers and a set of five-spoke 18-inch wheels. Inside, the seats are more heavily bolstered and can be trimmed in half leather.
The steering wheel is R-Design specific, as is the gear selector, and there's a set of sports pedals.
Deeper than that, each R-Design car gets a strut brace for added chassis stiffness and different dampers for better steering feel. The springs are shorter and stiffer too, by 15mm and 15 percent respectively, and the suspension bushings are stiffer as well.
In addition, Volvo has fettled the electronic stability programmes, including adding a system called Cornering Traction Control that brakes the inner wheel to tuck the car in.
We'll see the R-Design models in Paris later this week, with a 2011 launch expected for the Irish market.
If there is anything about this story we have not covered, you can avail of our expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.