Volvo enhances car connectivity

Volvo was recently named "Car Manufacturer of the Year" by Telematics Update. The automaker won the award at the Telematics Update Automotive Conference in Detroit, Michigan on June 2.

Telematics Update recognized Volvo for their ongoing dedication to vehicle connectivity.

Volvo’s all-new XC90 reflects this more vividly than any other model. The interior of the XC90 is completely re-designed with a touch screen that serves the driver like never before. Gone are buttons in favor of a much more open, spacious, and luxurious dashboard.

Steering wheel thumb controls, voice commands, available Heads Up Display, and the optional 3D Surround View Camera also give Volvo a tremendous advantage in driver connectivity.

“We take the best available technology and make it work in the most useful way for our customers,” said Klas Bendrik, Senior Vice President & CIO at Volvo Car Group.

As interactive technology and the push to incorporate it continues across the entire automotive industry, Volvo plans to stay ahead of the curve.

“With massive changes in this respect Volvo Cars are at the vanguard of this in-car technology revolution and we aim to constantly innovate and pioneer in the field of the connected car,” Bendrik said.

New features in Sensus Connect offer a wide selection of cloud-based applications. While varying by market, Internet radio, real-time location sharing, and finding and paying for parking are some of the highlights.

A restaurant and popular attractions locator are features too.

Volvos, like the XC90, can schedule service visits with the Connected Service Booking application.

Sensus Connect will also offer Apple CarPlay and later Android Auto. These applications will further enhance driver connectivity with the Volvo interface.

Sensus Connect also allows control, through the Volvo On Call app, of things like a timer to heat up or cool down the interior. A driver can also send destinations to the navigation or lock and unlock the doors.

The approach Volvo is using may have lasting impacts. This type of connectivity software, while providing many creature comforts and conveniences now, may become a pioneering stance in autonomous driving.

“Our vision is that cars will not only communicate with their drivers, but also with other vehicles and eventually broader society,”

Bendrik said.

For Bendrik and the rest of the Volvo Cars team, the touch screen in the center of the XC90 is more than a mere center stack.

“By sharing relevant road safety data, Volvo cars could, in the very near future, help to improve the safety of other road users while at the same time helping to streamline traffic flow, reduce emissions and eventually infrastructure costs,” he said.

Photo: Volvo Car Company