2018 Volvo XC60s Touchscreen Is More Logical

CARS.COM — At the 2017 New York International Auto Show earlier this month, Volvo told us it had improved the multimedia display in the redesigned 2018 XC60 SUV, and the changes weren’t just for the new SUV. The XC90, S90 and V90 also have similar updates. The V90 isn’t on sale yet, but if you own an XC90 or S90 without the updates, you can get them for free.

Related: 2018 Volvo XC60 Video Review

The changes amount to a software update, Volvo spokesman Jim Nichols told Cars.com. Icons will go in “more logical spaces,” while larger font sizes improve visibility.

“There isn’t a change in processing power as far as hardware is concerned,” Nichols said. “It is only in software. It is a realignment of our user interface so things such as when you open up the navigation screen, the icons are to the left, and they’re larger and color-coded, as well.”

With the update, the navigation system’s map view will occupy more space on the 9.2-inch displays — the same system in the XC90, S90, V90 and redesigned XC60, Nichols said. Owners of the existing XC90 (2016-17) or S90 (2017) can get the free update at a dealership, he added. The new XC60 gets it off the bat.

The XC90’s touchscreen initially impressed us, as did the car itself. But when we bought an XC90 and owned it for a year as part of our long-term test fleet, the screen had its share of glitches, most noticeably a tendency to lag on startup. It’s unclear if these changes help.

“We’re working on it,” Nichols said of the startup lag. “I do know there are lots of improvements coming with this interface. I haven’t seen it in a production car. So I know that reducing that boot-up time is a high priority, but I don’t know if it’s been impacted in this update so far.”

We won’t know for sure until we get into the new XC60 or another Volvo with the updated screen. Stay tuned.