- The Volvo EX60 will be the first to be marketed with Google Gemini integrated
- Volvo promises a ‘natural conversation’ between man and machine
- Latest hardware from Nvidia and Qualcomm speeds up response time
Volvo’s innovative mid-size electric SUV will be unveiled in full later this week, with a range of around 500 miles on a single charge and integrated technology that builds on its already highly advanced Android Automotive system.
But the Swedish brand also confirmed that the next model will be the first to ship with Google’s Gemini AI assistant already integrated, allowing for more natural conversations between occupants and the car.
By combining hardware from Nvidia and Qualcomm with Google and software developed in-house, Volvo says its brilliant ‘HuginCore’ system is powerful enough to deliver highly personalized and deeply integrated responses through Google’s Gemini voice assistant.
Complex tasks can be managed through more natural, “multi-turn” conversation, rather than drivers having to remember specific commands or having to press multiple menus that appear on the touchscreen.
Volvo offers a number of possible use cases for the technology, such as looking up a hotel reservation address in a linked email account (presumably Gmail works best), checking if a recently purchased item fits in the trunk of your EX60, or generating ideas for an upcoming road trip.
Rather than simply acting as a built-in voice assistant that takes care of a limited number of vehicle functions, the Gemini integration means drivers and occupants can take care of life management through any linked Google service, as well as ask more generic questions.
It’s also expected to work well with Google Maps, which has become widely regarded as the dominant mapping and navigation service for drivers. This means owners can check if locations are open and even book hotels and restaurants on the fly with natural voice prompts, at least in theory.
Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit platform provides the highest levels of processing power ever seen in a Volvo, while Nvidia’s latest Drive AGX Orin system-on-chip runs the operating system in its entirety.
Combined, this is said to offer a lag-free infotainment system with maps that load instantly and voice assistants that don’t take long to calculate the request and respond.
The company also announced that Gemini integration will improve over time with over-the-air updates, stating that Gemini will be able to use the EX60’s cameras to “see what you see and answer questions about the world around you.”
Gemini will also come to other Volvo vehicles that feature the latest infotainment systems, such as the recently launched ES90 saloon and the seven-seat EX90.
Analysis: battle of the voice assistants
Now the race is on for automakers to offer AI-based voice assistants that are actually useful. Up to this point, they have been clunky, to say the least, with long response times and often requiring multiple attempts to get the desired response.
Volkswagen, for example, took the stage at CES in 2024 to announce that it was integrating ChatGPT into its vehicles, but that system could only answer broader queries and couldn’t actually adjust anything inside the car; For that you had to use VW’s voice assistant.
Fast forward to 2026, and BMW was in Las Vegas, showing off its Amazon Alexa+ system that aims to integrate things even more, allowing for seamless conversation with the upcoming iX3, as well as the ability to operate and interact with Amazon accounts and hardware.
It’ll be interesting to see if Volvo can really figure out the whole “smooth” conversation thing, since even BMW’s live demo at this year’s CES wasn’t perfect.
Some answers took a while to calculate and the whole experience wasn’t like you were chatting with a human being.
But Volvo’s Android-based infotainment system is already impressive, and since most of the vehicle’s functions are mapped to that huge touchscreen, having Google’s Gemini help you adjust the outside mirrors and cabin temperature is probably a good thing.
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