The Swedish brand is set to roll out what will be the largest over-the-air update in its history. It will cover about 2.5 million Volvo cars across 85 countries around the globe, and the update being received will include a new user experience called Volvo Car UX.
The update will feature a new, more user-friendly layout for the car's central display screen, which should also allow the driver to enjoy a faster, easier, and more intuitive way to interact with their cars while reducing the number of taps needed to access different functions. "This update is one of the largest over-the-air updates in automotive history, leveraging years of investment in Volvo Cars' tech stack to improve life with their cars for millions of people," says Anders Bell, chief engineering and technology officer at Volvo Cars. "Our new user experience delivers significant updates and improvements in areas most used by drivers and directly addresses the needs and desires of our customers."
The Volvo cars that will receive this update are models from the year 2020 onwards, free of charge thanks to the built-in Google system, which, as Volvo claims, "will make future updates faster and easier." Based on the Android Automotive operating system and with several Google services as standard, the new user experience aims to make customers' lives easier behind the wheel. It now takes fewer taps or clicks for customers to reach the most-used features, getting them where they want to be more quickly.
The new layout also includes a more prominent and easy-to-read navigation display, along with a refreshed, more modern look in terms of apps and screen graphic layout. The search function has been improved to provide a more accurate response. "In other words, it's simply better. As one of the most comprehensive infotainment updates by any carmaker to date, the new user experience creates a contemporary and consistent design philosophy across all Volvo car models. This means a customer with a three-year-old XC40 benefits from the same approach as an EX90 owner, for example."
For plug-in hybrid drivers, the new user experience will make it easier to get the most out the electric powertrain. Via ‘Drive Modes’ on the home screen, drivers can now easily access ‘Pure’ mode alongside other options. That means switching from hybrid to electric-only power is now only one tap away, giving drivers more control.
At the same time as the updates above, Volvo Cars will also start to roll out the opportunity for all customers with Google built-in*, but without its Pilot Assist driver assistance feature, to purchase and download the feature to their car. The update also prepares cars for an optimal conversational AI experience with Google Gemini, which is set to come to the same eligible cars later this year .