the leaf spring has seen a modern development in cars. the new volvo xc90 (from 2016 year model and forward) has a transverse leaf spring in high tech composite materials, a solution that is similar to the latest chevrolet corvette. this means a straight leaf spring, that is tightly secured to the chassis, and the ends of the spring bolted to the wheel suspension, to allow the spring to work independently on each wheel. this means the suspension is smaller, flatter and lighter than a traditional setup.