The partnership between Apple and Volvo has finally given some fruit; the 2016 Volvo X90 crossover will be the first out of the carmaker to feature Apple CarPlay as an option. This partnership has been two years in the making, and Volvo has had intentions of having an Apple car interface onto their vehicles since 2014.
Volvo’s Sensus Connect and Apple CarPlay Join Hands
The reason why it has taken the carmaker so long to launch the services is because they were looking for the best way to combine it with their new automobile entertainment interface, Sensus Connect. It works as a four-tile system, which performs different tasks. These involve navigation, phone connection, media, and if buyers choose it, Apple CarPlay.Choosing any option will not take over the entire 2016 Volvo X90 screen, so drivers and passengers can easily toggle back to the main screen. Apple CarPlay will also not start without the mobile app, so passengers will have to first get the app ready on their phones and then launch the application.
Apple CarPlay is Only Featured as an Option in 2016 Volvo X90
In an interesting turn of events, buyers can choose to not integrate Apple CarPlay onto the 2016 Volvo X90. The fourth option bubble can be taken over by other third-party apps instead. Apple, who is usually strict about its partners and enjoys exclusivity, has allowed for Volvo drivers to have other options on board when it comes to entertainment.
Sensus Connect, which is part of Volvo’s plan to revamp their entire car roster by 2019. The software takes up a fraction of the $11 billion investment that looks to change the brand in the next five years. The 2016 Volvo X90 will be the first one to feature it, and it will be a standard feature on all upcoming cars by 2018.
Volvo’s Next Makeover is for the Volvo S90 Sedan
The car maker’s next target will be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month. It’ll be presenting a new re-designed version of the S90 sedan.
This maker isn’t the only one with alliances with Apple. Ford is also featuring Siri in the upcoming models of their cars, and it feels like this is the company’s attempt at starting to become part the automobile industry, which Google is already heavily invested in.
