The updated Volvo XC60 adds a Google infotainment system and even more safety tech.
Volvo has recently introduced a raft of new updates to its XC60. Part of its mid-life facelift, this Scandinavian mid-sized SUV gets a couple of minor exterior enhancements and a whole lot of tech.
Kicking off on the tech front first, the facelifted XC60 will now feature with the automaker’s new Android-powered infotainment system as part of its recently introduced Digital Services package. Developed in collaboration with Google, this new infotainment OS that was first seen on the XC40 Recharge (and has since permeated through the wider Volvo range) allows owners access to Google apps and services like Google Assistant, Google Maps as well as ‘a broad offer of native in-car apps via Google Play’.
Aside from the infotainment tech updates, Volvo has also naturally revamped the safety tech aboard the XC60. To that end, this mid-sized SUV now comes equipped with the automaker’s latest Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensor platform which allows for automatic braking and collision avoidance, not to mention adaptive cruise control with stop-go functionality.
As for the exterior enhancements on the facelifted XC60, this particular Volvo gains a slightly redesigned grille and bumpers, in addition to a new exterior colour option and some new wheel designs. On the inside meanwhile, this mid-sized SUV is now available with a leather-free interior option and a new City Weave textile upholstery.
One of Volvo’s top sellers with nearly 1.7 million sold since its first generation debut in 2009, the facelifted XC60 will go into production sometime in May and hit dealerships in select regions a month after that. No word yet though on when it will arrive in Malaysia, though a conservative estimate will be around the end of this year.
PRESS RELEASE: Volvo Cars is introducing a range of upgrades to its iconic XC60 mid-size SUV, including the addition of the company’s new Android-powered infotainment system with Google apps and services built in, making the Volvo best-seller smarter than ever before.
The intuitive, next generation infotainment system offers customers unprecedented personalisation and an unparalleled connectivity, which is further enhanced through the introduction of a brand-new Digital Services package.
The centrepiece of the Digital Services package is access to Google apps and services, which offer hands-free help with Google Assistant, best-in-class navigation through Google Maps and a broad offer of native in-car apps via Google Play.
By signing up for a Digital Services package, customers will gain access to all services and features offered in the package. All hardware needed to run the services already exists in the car, and all data required is included in the package.
Volvo Car Group is the first company to team up with Google on integrating an infotainment system powered by Android with Google apps and services built in, and after years of close development between the two companies, the fully electric XC40 Recharge became the first Volvo car to carry the system.
This makes the XC60 the next step in a continuing rollout of Android-powered infotainment systems in Volvo cars, further improving the consistently popular SUV.
For more than a decade, the XC60 has been ever-present in the top tier of one of the most competitive segments on the market. It has been Volvo Cars’ top seller since 2009, and up until 2020, it has reached over 1.68 million units sold worldwide.
In 2020 alone, the XC60 reached almost 200,000 units sold and accounted for nearly 29 per cent of Volvo Cars’ total sales. In terms of market share, it was the most popular car in the European mid-size premium SUV segment and took its place in the top five in the same segment globally.
With a World Car of the Year title in 2018 as one of its most prominent achievements, the XC60 has been lauded with global awards over the last decade, in categories ranging from design to safety.
In terms of safety upgrades, the XC60 now comes equipped with Volvo Cars’ latest Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensor platform, a modern, scalable active safety system that consists of an array of radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors.
This platform enables the development and deployment of active safety systems in the XC60, such as the detection of other road users, automatic braking and collision avoidance. It also allows for gentle driver support from standstill up to highway speeds, through the Pilot Assist function.
While major changes take place deep inside the XC60, the company’s designers have also made a number of subtle refinements to the exterior design, including a new grille, new front bumpers, and new exterior colour and wheel options.
New interior materials, including luxurious leather-free options as well as the availability of the City Weave textile upholstery, offer further possibilities for personalisation.
The model year 2022 of the XC60 will go in production end of May.
