Volvo XC60 with Volvo on Call
The Volvo XC60 has been around for a while, and ever since its launch in 2017, the XC60 has been racking up award after award. One of the most recent, and on local soil, was the award for Best Premium SUV/Crossover at the annual CAR’s Top 12 Best Buys Awards. The most notable was its World Car of the Year victory in 2018 – this is, after all, the world’s ultimate motoring accolade.
So why then do we get to drive the Volvo XC60 again if it was launched in 2017 already? Well, to introduce Volvo On Call. Volvo On Call is an innovative app-based service that helps motorists to communicate with their cars and has been available since late last year in South Africa. With Volvo On Call, motorists can remotely lock or unlock the doors to their car, check the fuel level from their office desk, and cool or heat their car before they get it – and they can do this all via their smartphone, smartwatch, tablet or desktop!
The app gives Volvo drivers control over their car’s functions and also provides access to a world of convenient services. With Volvo On Call, the car becomes far more than just a means of travel. It becomes your personal assistant. It knows when you have appointments, where they are, and how to get you there. If you forget to lock your car it will send you a notification message. And Volvo On Call automatically contacts the emergency services if you are involved in an accident and tells them where you are.
Anyone who has ever lost track of their car in a huge parking lot will also welcome Volvo On Call with open arms. The app will show you the location of your car on a high-definition map, and then provide directions on how to reach it. You can even ask your car to hoot and flash for five seconds to identify itself and guide you to its location. Another useful feature is the ability to provide an in-car WiFi hotspot, which can be accessed by everyone in your car enabling them to stream music and movies.
And best of all? It will make you a cup of coffee! Well, not yet… Unfortunately. But it can tell you about the best coffee spots in town and send the destination to your car’s navigation system.
The Volvo XC60 T6 Geartronic AWD R-Design we tested is fitted with a 2.0L Four-cylinder Super & turbocharged petrol delivering 235kW and 400Nm through an 8-speed automatic gearbox. It’s list price is R 882,700 including 15% VAT, a 5-year / 100,000 km warranty and a 5-year / 100,000 km full maintenance plan.
Volvo On Call is a standard feature in South Africa with effect from model year 2020 Volvo derivatives.
