Buttons are out, large vertical infotainment screens and digital gauges are in.
Volvo- Volvo previews the infotainment screen and dash design of the upcoming battery-electric EX90.
- The upcoming model will have all the hardware for “unsupervised” Level 3 autonomy installed, surpassing Tesla’s Autopilot in function.
- The 2024 Volvo EX90 will be revealed in full on November 9, ahead of sales starting in 2023.
If you like the Kindle and you like Volvos, we have some good news. The upcoming Volvo EX90, due to be revealed in a couple weeks, will basically have a giant Kindle on its center stack that will house the controls for just about everything in the car.
But if you like buttons and rotary knobs, there aren’t really any to be seen here.
Volvo shared the first images of the interior of the new, electric EX90, which will be revealed in full on November 9, giving the automotive world a glimpse of the SUV’s layout, albeit in a free-floating form, without showing the rest of the front cabin. If the current XC90 was any indication, buttons were on their way out, but some were still present below the screen. And since that time the vertical touchscreen had spread to other Volvo and Polestar models, which in the case of the XC90 was embedded in the center stack rather than featuring a floating design, with two large climate vents positioned on both sides.
The large vertical screen will dominate the center stack, but the gauge cluster has been replaced by a smaller screen without a hood.
Volvo
One other major change from the XC90 is the instrument cluster, which in the XC90 remained in a traditional display housing with two round gauges. That cluster is now a much smaller and much more animated screen that’s not shaded at all from above. It’s another floating screen, reflecting yet another popular industry trend for instrument clusters. The large vertical climate vents are gone as well, replaced by a single narrow horizontal vent that runs the width of the dash, which is another design trend we’ve already seen in a few vehicles.
More than just giving a preview of the interior, Volvo has revealed how it will help drivers stay focused on the road by minimizing distractions. On the display itself a special contextual bar will give the driver suggestions, depending on the driving situation, providing options for actions that will make the most sense in a given moment.
“It’s all about providing you with the right information at the right time,” said Thomas Stovicek, head of UX at Volvo Cars. “We want your driving experience to be focused, simple, and safe. Since the car also understands its surroundings and you better than ever before, we can create an even safer situation by reducing mode confusion, distraction, and information overload.”
And, the display will transform when the car enters a Level 3 autonomous driving mode, which will permit eyes-off, hands-off operation, or what Volvo calls unsupervised autonomous driving.
This will be quite different from Level 2 driver-assist mode we’ve seen in several models by now, with Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD being the most famous examples. Level 3 will not require driver attention, allowing drivers to read, text, or watch TV on a tablet—everything short of falling asleep.
Volvo says the EX90 will be hardware-ready for its unsupervised autonomous driving system, which reflects some uncertainty about the regulatory roll-out of Level 3 systems in various US jurisdictions. So the vehicles will have the necessary sensors, including LiDAR, but just when the system will be activated via an over-the-air update is still being hashed out.
Jay Ramey Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum.
Keyword: Volvo EX90 Dash Design Revealed Ahead of Debut