Apart from claiming the WesBank SAGMJ Car of the Year, the Volvo XC90 has received a smattering of technology tweaks that will come standard for all 2017 models.
Pilot Assist and PowerPulse diesel technology, for a lag-free diesel driving experience, are both now available in South Africa.
The semi-autonomous technology is able to take control of acceleration, braking and steering at speeds up to 130 km/h. According to Volvo, the support system is designed to make the daily commute – or indeed a longer journey – more relaxing and enjoyable.
Good news is that the Pilot Assist system can be activated at speeds up to 50 km/h – making the typical South African traffic jam an absolute breeze and allowing the driver to relax behind the wheel while enjoying the Swedish luxury and Scandinavian simplicity of Volvo’s flagship SUV.
With the latest upgrade, a lead vehicle is no-longer required, and the XC90 is able to maintain safe semi-autonomous driving provided that lane markings are clearly visible on both sides of the vehicle, at speeds up to 130 km/h.
Fully-autonomous Volvos, which will allow for complete hands-off and feet-off autonomous driving, will be available in the future – the first examples of which will be driven by real customers in Gothenburg, Sweden, as part of Volvo’s Drive Me programme, in 2017.
The inclusion of Pilot Assist as standard means that all XC90 models now also come standard with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which uses radar to manage acceleration and braking in a more conventional manner, without steering control.
Introduced globally on the forthcoming Volvo S90 and now also available for 2017 in the XC90 D5 AWD is Volvo’s world-first PowerPulse technology.
Geared to eliminate the effects of turbo lag, PowerPulse turns the Drive-E D5 diesel engine into a lag-free, smoother powerhouse. Volvo is the only car maker using such technology in production vehicles.
