Volvo rolls out OTA update to 2.5 MILLION cars – from C40 to XC90

Volvo is rolling out a massive OTA update for around 2.5 million cars built since 2020, with new UX and improved tech.

We may moan that cars have lost their soul and are rapidly becoming white goods powered by technology and software, but one advantage is that, just like your PC/Tablet/Laptop, it’s a relatively straightforward task to update that software and tech as it evolves to give owners of older cars the same tech as their new siblings. Well, as long as you don’t have to pay.

A good example is Volvo’s latest OTA update, which is now rolling out to 2.5 million Volvos built from 2020 and Google-based, and encompasses everything from the C40 to the XC90. And yes, it’s free.

The new update will deliver a new Volvo Car UX, which Volvo claims will deliver a faster and more intuitive user experience. Something the current UX doesn’t always deliver, with important functions often buried in sub-menus.

Anders Bell, chief engineering and technology officer at Volvo Cars, said:

This update is one of the largest over-the-air updates in automotive history, leveraging years of investment in Volvo Cars’ tech stack to improve life with their cars for millions of people. Our new user experience delivers significant updates and improvement in areas most used by drivers, and directly addresses the needs and desires of our customers.

The new UX takes fewer taps to reach the most-used features, with a modern look and the most apps and controls, such as maps, media and phone, always on the home screen, as well as a contextual bar which changes depending on need at the time; for example, the icon for outside cameras pops up at low speeds. PHEV models also get new ‘Drive Modes’ on the home screen.

The update may be free, but if owners want Pilot Assist they will have to buy and download it.