Taking the connected car further

Volvo has always prided itself on being one of the safest cars on the road. In 1959, Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin developed the three-point seatbelt. At the time the design was patented, but Volvo decided to leave the patent open, making it available to other car manufacturers. It is the standard in all road vehicles today. 

Volvo then went on to invent various child seats, including the side impact protection system (SIPS) in 1991and, in 2010, pedestrian detection with full auto braking. Despite these innovations, due to its looks, it was considered an old man’s car.

Fast forward a decade – how things have changed. The Volvo XC60 B5 AWD R-Design still has all the safety features and a few more, but it looks very different. It has an almost sporty look with its sleek design and large Volvo insignia on the grill.

That is just the tip of the iceberg. The key fob is elegantly designed with the Volvo insignia on the front, a panic button recessed on the left, and a lock, unlock and tailgate control button on the right. The buttons don’t really need to be used though, as the car offers complete keyless control over locking, unlocking and starting. The key fob just needs to be in one’s pocket or close to the car in order to open a door and start it.

Once inside, the driver is presented with a heads-up display which can be switched between a full-screen map or a smaller one with a speedometer and a rev counter. It can also be adjusted to show one’s average speed, fuel usage, distance before the car next needs refuelling, the top and average speed during the last journey, time spent driving and time before the next service. On startup, the display shows which doors are open and who is not wearing a seatbelt.

The real magic happens on the second 9-inch portrait infotainment display mounted to the dashboard. It runs the Android 11 operating system with a range of preloaded apps – mostly to stream news and music. Volvo won’t let one install apps like WhatsApp, Facebook or Gmail, as it believes these are too much of a distraction. 

Other preinstalled apps include a user manual, a phone dialler, contact details which it downloads from your Google account, call logs and Google Maps. One has the option of connecting to the Internet either via the Wi-Fi USB dongle which is supplied by Volvo, or to a smartphone. Getting this done is a bit of a process, but it needs to be done only once. I preferred the Wi-Fi dongle route as, once connected, I just made sure I kept it charged. I left it in the storage compartment between the two front seats.

Watch the video below to see how to connect the car to the Internet:

Once connected, users gain access to the Google Play Store from which they can download additional apps. Once again, they are limited to ones that are not too distracting – so no chance of getting Candy Crush or Angry Birds.

The close integration with Google Assistant means users just have to say ‘Hey Google’ and then give it instructions such as a destination, asking it to tell a joke or search for music and news. One can also answer or make calls via Google Assistant. It controls the functions of the car, such as temperature, fan speed and air conditioning.

Watch the video below to see how to operate Hey Google:

Many people asked how I can handle such a big car as they thought it was very bulky. However, I found it much the same, if not easier, to drive than a sedan. The Volvo XC60 B5 AWD R-Design is four-wheel drive so handling at high speed is reassuring despite it being higher than other cars. Additional safety features, such as lane departure warning, automatic braking, and cruise control with a car following option, all give the driver more confidence.

Parking is also made easy with a rear camera and front and back sensors.

A problem I had was the blind spots – making it difficult to change lanes. The model I test drove didn’t have blind spot indicators in the side mirrors.

Conclusion

Accessing the controls on the infotainment system is a bit of a hit-and-miss process at first, but it operates like an Android smartphone or tablet so one should become acquainted with it very quickly. Then there is the onboard manual as a last resort.

Volvo has released eight variants of the X60. The entry-level model is front-wheel drive and retails for R796,900, which the company says is cheaper than some German equivalents such as the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. The top of the range is the XC 60 T8 twin engine AWD Inscription and it will set you back R1,282,400.

If one considers the integration with Google and the manufacturer’s attention to detail, combined with the safety features and technological add-ons, the price can be justified for a great family car.

Then, of course, there is the smug feeling of sitting higher than most other road users.