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Android-Based Volvo Multimedia System to Have Google Services Embedded

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Volvo is working on the next generation of its Sensus infotainment system, which will run Google’s Android operating system, and announced today that the next-gen Sensus will have several Google services embedded.

Related: 2018 Volvo XC60s Touchscreen Is More Logical

Sensus has impressed and frustrated us in its current form; its nifty embedded features are hampered by slow loading times and the lack of physical buttons as alternatives. There’s no word yet on how switching to Android might affect loading times, unfortunately, but Volvo has been attempting to make Sensus load more quickly for a while.

Integrating Google Assistant will allow drivers to adjust climate or audio settings via voice commands, with the goal of keeping eyes on the road and improving safety. The Google Play Store also will be part of the next generation of Sensus, enabling Volvo owners to download a variety of apps directly to the infotainment system. Google Maps integration will give drivers real-time-updating traffic information while navigating to their destination.

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An additional benefit of this update will be the ability to provide over-the-air updates to Sensus, keeping cars up-to-date even after purchase. There’s nothing quite like purchasing a car two weeks before it receives a crucial multimedia update that isn’t available until you can take your car back to a dealership (if it’s available at all).

Volvo anticipates the next generation of Sensus will launch “a couple of years from now” but has not yet provided fixed dates.

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Brian Normile
Road Test Editor Brian Normile joined the automotive industry and Cars.com in 2013, and he became part of the Editorial staff in 2014. Brian spent his childhood devouring every car magazine he got his hands on — not literally, eventually — and now reviews and tests vehicles to help consumers make informed choices. Someday, Brian hopes to learn what to do with his hands when he’s reviewing a car on camera. He would daily-drive an Alfa Romeo 4C if he could.
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