Volvo is rolling out its biggest over-the-air update to date. Millions of customers who drive a model from the Swedish premium provider with an integrated Google infotainment system will benefit from an improved and more intuitive user experience as a result of the software update.
Around 2.5 million vehicles in 85 countries worldwide will receive the so-called “Volvo Car UX” in the coming weeks. The new, particularly user-friendly layout of the central screen is intended to enable faster, easier and more intuitive interaction with the vehicle. In addition, various functions can now be accessed with fewer key presses.
“This update is one of the largest over-the-air updates in the history of the automotive industry. It builds on Volvo Cars’ years of investment in its platforms and improves the everyday lives of millions of Volvo drivers,” said Anders Bell, Chief Engineering & Technology Officer at Volvo Cars. “The update delivers significant improvements in the areas drivers use most, directly addressing our customers’ needs and wants.”
Anyone driving a Volvo model from 2020 onwards that is equipped with an Android-based infotainment system will receive the upgrade free of charge. “The Swedish premium automobile manufacturer is thus underlining its commitment to making the vehicles ever better even after delivery through regular software updates,” it says.
The changes in detail
Based on the Android Automotive operating system, which offers access to various Google services as standard, Volvo wants to simplify life behind the wheel with the new user experience. “Customers now need fewer taps or clicks to get to the most frequently used functions,” emphasize the developers. “The new layout also includes simpler and more visible navigation, as well as a more modern, refreshed presentation with numerous improvements based on real research and feedback from customers.”
The biggest change concerns the content on the screen: the most common apps and controls such as maps, media and phone are now displayed directly on the home screen. With active navigation, customers no longer have to leave Google Maps to access “Media” to change music. There is also a new context bar that changes its display depending on the driving situation and lists the most recently used apps. At low speeds, the symbol for the external cameras also appears, so that the driver can activate assistance when maneuvering in tight spaces if necessary.
Plug-in hybrid vehicle users can access “Pure” mode, among other options, via “Driving Modes” on the home screen. “The switch from hybrid to pure electric drive is just a tap away,” explains Volvo.
As one of the most comprehensive infotainment updates from a car manufacturer to date, the new user experience also creates a contemporary and consistent design experience for all models – regardless of whether you drive a three-year-old Volvo XC40 or the new fully electric Volvo EX90, the manufacturer advertises. “The approach is the same everywhere.”
The software update also creates the conditions for software-based functions – such as the Pilot Assist lane guidance assistant – to be subsequently acquired over-the-air, i.e. via the network, in the future. “The update also prepares vehicles for an optimal conversational AI experience with Google Gemini, which will be available for the same eligible vehicles later this spring,” Volvo announced.
