Certain features on our cars allow you to benefit from significant driving comfort! In actual fact, having a GPS built in in your car allows you to stay focused entirely on the road although driving to an unknown place without any problems. Nevertheless the road network is constantly changing, it is consequently essential to update the GPS of your Volvo XC90 , and this is accurately what we will see today. To do this, first we will review the different characteristics of the integrated GPS for vehicles, and secondly, how to update the GPS of a Volvo XC90 .

update-gps-volvo-xc90

How does onboard GPS work in a Volvo XC90

In this part we will learn how the GPS of a Volvo XC90 works and what are the different sort of GPS.

The advantages of an integrated GPS?

A built-in GPS gives many features that a smart phone GPS or Tomtom-type GPS will not have the ability to give you. Below is a list of the advantages of these devices:

  • The point that it is built in immediately into the dashboard of your Volvo XC90 makes it hopeless to steal the GPS from your car.
  • Connected to your car’s radio antenna, the GPS will have better reception than any sort of GPS you could use.
  • It is very often, in accordance with the year, linked to steering wheel voice commands, which allows you to use it without taking your hands off the wheel and so to drive more securely.
  • The screen is in most cases much larger than a GPS on a smartphone or a nomadic type, so the info is more readable.
  • Connected to your head unit, it can be coupled to music and just appear when you change direction, which limits the risk of you going off course as much as possible.

The different sort of GPS for Volvo XC90

After having discovered the advantages and before detailing to you how to update the GPS of your Volvo XC90 , we will quickly summarize the different sort of integrated GPS that exist for a Volvo XC90, here they are:

  • The classic GPS: We call classic GPS the models that equip recent vehicles, they are connected to a complete multimedia system and are equipped with a touch screen.
  • The old GPS: These GPS were the first generations, the screen is only used for navigation and they are updated with a USB stick or SD card. These systems, although very easy to use and have a lower screen quality, you’ll feel like you’re watching a TV from the 90’s.
  • GPS Android Auto or Apple CarPlay: At last, last sort of GPS, on the latest vehicles it is possible to have a system integrating Android or Apple, these systems are autonomous and you use the native applications of one of the two operating systems. They are very responsive and convenient to use.

How do I update the GPS on a Volvo XC90?

We will now move on to the part you are most enthusiastic about, how to update the GPS of your Volvo XC90? To achieve this, we will see for each sort of GPS how the process of updating the cartography, the signalling and the software is done.

Updating old GPS on Volvo XC90

The old GPS systems included on the Volvo XC90 until the years 2000/2005, these GPS use a particular software for the brand and the approach to update this GPS on a Volvo XC90 is to go to the dealer who will handle it, for a 50 euros most of the time.

Updating the GPS of Volvo XC90 by SD or USB

This sort of GPS is most common on cars that are about ten years old. Most of the makers have called upon the company “HERE navigation” and you will have to go to their site to download the map update of your GPS, then copy it to a USB key or SD card based on the connectors available on your model and do the update immediately through the menu of your integrated GPS.

Automatic GPS update

Most recent Volvo XC90’s with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay will update automatically, so there is no need for you to produce any updates. You can continue to use your GPS with comfort knowing that the map and speed limits are up to date.

To get more tips on the Volvo XC90, take a look at the Volvo XC90 category.