Garmin, the U.S. technology company best known for its navigation systems, plans to showcase an all-new car infotainment system at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show. But, the reason this news really piqued our interest is because the system's introduction clearly shows a new Volvo interior, possibly for the 2020 Volvo S60 and V60.
Dutch publication Auto RAI first discovered the connection and reported the news on Friday. The video showcases some typical Volvo interior parts and design, such as the vertical center touchscreen, flowing center stack, and signature gear selector, and the video eventually pans over the steering wheel and gauge cluster, though we can't quite make out the Volvo logo on the steering wheel.
Volvo hasn't shared any news or photos of the next-generation S60 or V60, which makes the video all the more intriguing.
The news about the control interface and infotainment system is pretty cool, too. It has smart dials with touch and toggle controls and digital faces. Weather and parking information display for the selected navigation route. The Garmin infotainment system shown in this mystery Volvo has wireless entertainment and navigation support for tablets in the car. Amazon Alexa is built into the system. The gauge cluster, shown briefly, also displays digital gauges and the navigation map fills the screen. The cluster is more than likely highly configurable, too, akin to the Audi virtual cockpit.
The 2020 S60 and V60 are due for a 2019 reveal and they will be the first vehicles to roll out of Volvo's new Ridgeville, South Carolina, plant, which is scheduled to open in the third-quarter of this year. The brand currently builds the S60 in Europe and in China, but all future cars will call South Carolina home. An SUV could also be built at the U.S. plant.
