Following last week's announcement that the new XC90 will be the most luxurious Volvo ever, one of the most striking changes is that the interior buttons will be replaced with a large tablet-like touch screen, a head-up display and thumb controls on the steering wheel.

The new system is intended to ensure drivers will be able to keep their eyes on the road as much as possible while operating or making adjustments to the system. It also uses the car’s interior space far more efficiently and offers a range of additional benefits such as integrated cloud-based applications for music streaming and other services, such as the world’s first integrated Park and Pay application, and the ability to mirror and use Apple iOS devices in the touch screen display. In addition, vital information is projected on the head-up display on the lower part of the windscreen.

‘The in-car control system is designed to keep eyes on the road and hands on the wheel as much as possible,’ said Thomas Ingenlath, Volvo Car Group’s senior vice president design.

‘The adaptive digital instrument cluster and the head-up display make sure that the most relevant information is always available where the driver needs it.’

The new XC90 is also intended to offer a ‘fully connected experience’. The car uses an Ericsson-based cloud solution, with services including internet radio, connected navigation, finding and paying for parking, discovering new restaurants at the destination, seamless streaming of favourite music amongst others, depending on market. There’s also a navigation system by HERE, which provides the possibility to remotely update content.

‘The XC90 will not only tell you when it’s time to visit the garage but also suggest an appointment for you at your Volvo dealership. The Connected Service Booking application is the first step in making the dealer workshop fully integrated into the connected eco-system,’ said Dr Thomas M Müller, vice president electrics/electronics & e-propulsion engineering of Volvo Car Group.

The XC90 also becomes the first Volvo car to offer Apple CarPlay, which brings selected features and services familiar to iPad, iPhone and iPod users directly into the car via the large centre console touch screen display. Users will immediately recognise the well-known icons for their basic Apple applications, such as phone, messages, music and navigation.

‘Apple’s clean and intuitive user interface is a perfect match with Volvo’s Scandinavian Design approach and our focus on fluid functionality,’ added Ingenlath.