SWEDISH revolution is in the air with Volvo suggesting its brand will be heading in a different direction with a global small car strategy.

The prestige brand has revealed pictures of its future 40 series range in concept form, with variants including pure battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in line with Volvo's ambition of selling up to 1 million electrified cars by 2025.

The concept pictures show a small SUV - believed to be the future XC40 - and a high-ish riding four-door sedan with coupe-esque fastback rear. These 40 series cars will be the first built around Volvo's new Compact Modular Architecture, specifically created for smaller cars.

"Our new expanded range of smaller cars will improve and broaden Volvo's presence in an important and growing market segment in Australia and around the world," said Kevin McCann, Managing Director of Volvo Car Australia.

The first 40 series car is planned to go into production in 2017, and expected to go on sale late next year or in early 2018. Considering the surge in small SUV sales locally, we'd fancy it's the XC40 we'll see here first.