Among the myriad music options available in new cars, Spotify is a pretty popular one. Volvo certainly thinks so, which is why the Swedish carmaker is adding Spotify to its latest-generation infotainment system.
Spotify will soon become available in the XC90 crossover, as well as the upcoming S90 sedan and V90 station wagon, Volvo announced at the 2016 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The music-streaming service will be available to Volvo owners in all countries where Spotify is already available. Volvo claims it’s the first carmaker to offer Spotify in all markets simultaneously.
Accessing Spotify in a Volvo will require a Premium subscription, although new owners will get a 30-day free trial. It can stream through Bluetooth or Apple CarPlay, which Volvo began rolling out on new cars in December. Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system also has its own interface for the service.
Spotify integration will most likely be available on the S90 and V90 at launch. The S90 goes on sale in the U.S. later this year, and the V90 is expected to follow sometime later. Since the XC90 is already on sale, Volvo may allow owners to upgrade their cars with Spotify, as it did with CarPlay.
While features like Spotify and CarPlay help keep products competitive today, Volvo has much bigger plans for its in-car infotainment systems. It views infotainment functions as an important part of its plan to make self-driving cars available to the masses in the near future. Because if you’re not driving, you’ll need something to pass the time with, right?
Volvo is currently partnering with Ericsson to develop high-bandwidth streaming for future self-driving cars, including the ability to pair content with a given trip. At the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, Volvo also unveiled the Concept 26, a car interior that could morph into an infotainment-optimized configuration when a vehicle is operating autonomously.
