A car company with one of the world's best safety reputations, Volvo, and the world's most famous innovative technology company, Apple, have joined forces to bring Apple's operating system into the car, with a promise of 'transforming' the in-car experience.
Called Apple CarPlay, the new service brings all the features and services familiar to iPad, iPhone or iPod users directly into the car via Volvo's large centre console touch screen display.
Volvo enhances Apple's capabilities by linking them to a specially-developed interface that allows drivers to use voice and touch controls to access Apple features and services, ensuring the entire interaction is always safe and easy to use.
With Apple CarPlay, users will immediately recognise their basic iPhone applications, such as phone, messages, music and navigation. The initial offer also features third party audio apps including Spotify, the popular music streaming service.
Volvo's unique portrait screen gives users the benefit of having both Volvo and Apple content co-existing simultaneously, removing the need to switch between a dedicated car and iPhone screen.
"iPhone users will feel completely at home in a new Volvo," said Hakan Samuelsson, President and CEO of the Volvo Car Group.
"We have created a wholly-integrated user experience in our large portrait-oriented touch screen that takes the in-car mobile device experience to a new level. That, coupled with the obvious driver safety benefits of an advanced voice control system like Siri, made Apple a perfect match for Volvo."
The first car to offer Apple CarPlay will be the all new XC90 SUV which will be introduced later in 2014, one of the most anticipated cars of recent years, replacing the original XC90, which redefined the SUV and became the best selling model in Volvo's history.