Designed by female engineers with features that cater for the female driver. ANDY TATE takes a look.

Women are the most demanding of customers, accord-ing to Volvo.

And the car maker has taken up the challenge by designing a vehicle with women in mind.

The car, which made its debut at the Geneva motor show this week, is currently only at a conceptual stage.

But if it proves popular many of its features could end up in production cars within a couple of years.

Named YCC (Your Concept Car), the car is the creation of an all-women project team, and has a range of features designed specifically to cater for women drivers.

These include:

n Gull-wing doors, like the DeLorean in Back to the Future, for easier access and improved visibil-ity.

n Personalised driving position, where the exact angle of the seats and mirrors can be digitally stored in the car key to save time fiddling about making readjustments after others have been at the wheel.

n Interior storage space for laptops and mobiles, created by moving the gear levers up to the steering wheel and using an integrated, electronic handbrake to free up extra space.

n Exterior screen washing filler point, so the driver is not required to open the bonnet to re-fill.

n Help with parking. A parking assistance button can check whether there is enough space and the Autopark function helps steer the car into the space.

The idea for the concept car arose in 2001 following a series of work-shops at Volvo by Marti Barletta, an American marketing expert on female consumer patterns, who claimed: "If you meet the expectations of women, you exceed the expectations of men."

But whether or not Volvo has succeeded in identifying what women want in a car, their concept is a clever move.

Women are buying more cars than ever and represent an increasingly important group of customers.

Volvo says women buy 54 per cent of its cars in America.

Company spokesman John Rawl-ings said: "The number of women buying cars has increased tremend-ously, particularly in the premium sector, and women influence a lot of purchase decisions.

"With more and more women becoming professionals in their own right, we are designing a car to suit their requirements.

"There is definitely more awareness about what women want these days."

Lorna Newman, 39

A sales assistant from Haydon Wick.

"I think the best thing they could do is take men off the road.

"Every car manufacturer should provide a child seat, and there should be fewer electronic displays.

"I definitely don't want satellite navigation I'd rather get lost than have some computer tell me where to go."

On the Volvo: "The doors look weird."

Francesca Shearman, 17

A New College student from Eldene, has been learning to drive for four months.

"I find driving quite stressful but it would be easier if all cars had an automatic gearbox.

"A vanity mirror on the driver's side would be useful to check the blind spot, and my make-up."

On the Volvo: "It looks great but a bit expensive and not very practical."