Volvo Cars has introduced 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 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. 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.
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. 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. This makes the Volvo 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 Volvo 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. With a World Car of the Year title in 2018 as one of its most prominent achievements, the Volvo XC60 has been lauded with global awards over the last decade, in categories ranging from design to safety. 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.
Volvo’s commitment to safety is evident in the XC60, with driver-assistance features such as automated emergency braking and lane-keeping assist made standard across the range. This platform enables the development and deployment of active safety systems in the Volvo 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. 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.
Volvo offers three different powertrains—B5, B6, and T8—in the XC60, all mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Under the hood of base B5-badged XC60s is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a 48-volt hybrid system making 247 horsepower. The B6 is powered by the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder as the B5, but a supercharger is added for more oomph. With 295 ponies in its stable, it should feel a bit peppier than models with the base B5. The plug-in hybrid T8 powertrain borrows the B6’s engine and pairs it with a set of electric motors for a total of 400 horsepower in the Recharge model or 415 in the Polestar Engineered model. The model year 2022 of the Volvo XC60 will go in production end of May 2021.
