[Taboleo] A Smart AI Assistant Rides Along in the 'Volvo XC60'

AI Navigation Equipped in Joint Venture with SKT
Say "Aria" for Seamless Complex Commands
Voice Navigation and Auxiliary Features Used a Hundredfold

Volvo XC60

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] "Aria, play some music with an autumn vibe!"

Volvo's flagship sport utility vehicle (SUV), the XC60, has returned smarter than ever. Most notably, it features a navigation system equipped with artificial intelligence (AI). With voice commands alone, you can use most of the car's auxiliary functions, including navigation, air conditioning, radio, and phone connection.

Driving the new XC60 on a round trip of about 110 km from Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul to Paju City’s Kavea felt like having a personal assistant with me. -What was your first impression?

Volvo XC60

What was your first impression?

△The exterior design of the XC60 has not changed much from the previous model. If you don’t look closely, you might not realize it’s the new model. Changes to the exterior include a newly added chrome bar on the lower front, hiding the tailpipe inside the rear bumper so it’s not visible, and a new alloy wheel design. The LED headlights, known as ‘Thor’s Hammer,’ a symbol of Volvo design, and the 3D-shaped iron mark remained unchanged.

Volvo XC60

How much has the infotainment system improved?

△The most striking feature of the new XC60 is not the exterior but the interior infotainment system. As soon as I got in, the surprisingly convenient infotainment system welcomed me.

The XC60 is equipped with an integrated infotainment service developed jointly with SK Telecom’s Tmap Mobility, with an investment of 30 billion KRW. It includes Korea’s leading navigation app Tmap, AI platform NUGU, and the music platform FLO, which is based on user preferences.

Operating the navigation on the 9-inch vertically oriented touchscreen center display felt like an enlarged version of Tmap transferred directly into the car. Calling the AI system ‘Aria’ inside the car allowed setting destinations and waypoints, providing nearby attraction information, and other navigation settings.

New features enabled using just voice commands include making calls and sending texts to contacts saved on my smartphone, music recommendations based on preferences, playing my playlist, and accessing various information like weather and news.

Even with music playing loudly, simply calling Aria allowed the AI system to recognize my voice and execute commands, showing how much effort Volvo put into developing this service. With enhanced AI, it understood and quickly executed more complex commands like "Play radio 89.1" or "Lower the cabin temperature to 23 degrees."

Volvo XC60

What was your impression after driving it yourself?

△I called Aria to input the destination and drove following the navigation. The test vehicle XC60 was equipped with the B5 engine. The B5 is a gasoline-based mild hybrid engine with a maximum output of 250 horsepower (5700 rpm) and maximum torque of 35.7 kg·m (1800?4800 rpm).

The mild hybrid uses both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine like a hybrid, but the electric motor’s role is more limited. Compared to a conventional engine, it produces less noise and carbon dioxide emissions and improves fuel efficiency.

Acceleration was smooth, and pressing the accelerator increased speed powerfully. It takes 7 seconds to go from a standstill to 100 km/h. The top speed is 180 km/h. For safety reasons, Volvo limits the top speed of all models to 180 km/h. It feels more like a ‘family car’ focused on driving safety rather than sporty driving. The combined fuel efficiency is 9.5 km per liter.

Volvo XC60 T map Display

Did the advanced features work well?

△Volvo applied advanced systems with ‘safety’ as the top priority. Basic driver assistance systems like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), tested while driving on Jayu-ro, worked flawlessly.

The latest Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) platform, composed of radar, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors, also helped with driving.

Through the ADAS platform, City Safety detects vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists on the road and supports emergency braking and collision avoidance in risky situations. Pilot Assist helps maintain distance from the vehicle ahead and assists steering to keep the car centered in the lane. Other advanced safety technologies include lane departure mitigation and collision avoidance with oncoming vehicles.

The Rear Active Brake (RAB), which supports automatic braking when a collision risk is detected while reversing, was also added. The ‘Volvo On Call’ service, newly introduced in Korea, provides 24-hour accident reporting, emergency dispatch requests, and service center guidance with the push of a button in emergencies.

Volvo XC60

How do you evaluate the interior design?

△The interior of the XC60 is simple yet quite luxurious. It features natural materials and modern craftsmanship finishes with an intuitive layout. Volvo describes this as a Scandinavian design interior reflecting a human-centric philosophy.

The second-row space was spacious. Both legroom and headroom were ample, and the seatbacks were comfortable. The trunk space was also sufficient, making it suitable as a family car for traveling with children.