Fed up with useless Sensus navigation

[Jack21]

Hello all.

Well been driving my XC90 since March 2017 now and in general have been pretty happy with the vehicle. However, there have been two annoyances that really stick out IMHO, the not-as-advertised fuel economy/mileage and the just completely dreadful Sensus navigation system. Will only talk about the latter in this post.

Living here in Spain I have noticed how hard it is for the Nav system to find many of the cities, villages, or municipalities I type into the Search bar. I’ve also noticed on numerous occasions the Nav unable to find something unless typed in with perfect spelling and/or accented characters. Even when using the regional “Spain” map and not “Western Europe”, these issues persist. Worse of all is that over a dozen times now a village or municipality simply does not exist in the Nav’s database. I have NEVER had this problem using Google Maps.

I have found Volvo’s Sensus Nav so useless that I have resorted to Google Maps with my móvil in hand as my means of navigation. Don’t know about the rest of you gents (if you experience similar frustrations with the Nav), but I find this 100% unacceptable in a 60k euro luxury car. Thanks for listening to my rant.

p.s. If anyone here has an email address or link where I could post this grievance to Volvo Europe, I’m listening.

[MaDProFF]

I find the best way to use the Sensus navi is to search for place using the VOC App map, and then send it to the car, it basically sends co-ordinates, and it finds exact places in the search on VOC

[Jack21]

Originally Posted by MaDProFF

I find the best way to use the Sensus navi is to search for place using the VOC App map, and then send it to the car, it basically sends co-ordinates, and it finds exact places in the search on VOC

Sorry for my ignorance here, but what is that? VOC=Volvo On Call? Don’t use that service. What is this app?

[anotherv60]

I have found you have to really know where to type your location into the command window, i.e. city, village, postcode it needs to go in the correct location otherwise it won't pull up an address.

The Volvo maps in sensus are from wegohere.https://wego.here.com/?x=ep&map=40.4...70578,6,normal if you go to this site you can see the detail and place names you can also click and send a location direct to your car via the website, the mobile app or you can use the Volvo on call app. If it isn't in this website it isn't in your car.

I have attached a photo to show you what the site looks like. If you want to send a destination to your car you click on send to car and put in your volvo id email address and it will send the location straight to the satnav. Once the system has loaded on your Volvo you will get a blue popup at the top of the screen saying something like - new address - go here?

[gaby]

The OP doesn't seem to be aware of VOC, so perhaps his car is VOCless.

[anotherv60]

Originally Posted by gaby

The OP doesn't seem to be aware of VOC, so perhaps his car is VOCless.

Indeed, but send to car will still work so long as the car is connected to the internet, either by bluetooth - i.e. Phone, wifi at home or via a wifi hotspot in the car.

[nu11eaf]

Originally Posted by Jack21

Hello all.

Well been driving my XC90 since March 2017 now and in general have been pretty happy with the vehicle. However, there have been two annoyances that really stick out IMHO, the not-as-advertised fuel economy/mileage and the just completely dreadful Sensus navigation system. Will only talk about the latter in this post.

Living here in Spain I have noticed how hard it is for the Nav system to find many of the cities, villages, or municipalities I type into the Search bar. I’ve also noticed on numerous occasions the Nav unable to find something unless typed in with perfect spelling and/or accented characters. Even when using the regional “Spain” map and not “Western Europe”, these issues persist. Worse of all is that over a dozen times now a village or municipality simply does not exist in the Nav’s database. I have NEVER had this problem using Google Maps.

I have found Volvo’s Sensus Nav so useless that I have resorted to Google Maps with my móvil in hand as my means of navigation. Don’t know about the rest of you gents (if you experience similar frustrations with the Nav), but I find this 100% unacceptable in a 60k euro luxury car. Thanks for listening to my rant.

p.s. If anyone here has an email address or link where I could post this grievance to Volvo Europe, I’m listening.

It could be better, mine is a lot better now than when I first bought my car (after updates) but it lacks a very useful feature, "lane indication" I was in a Ford Kuga the other day and approaching every junction, traffic lights or round-about etc a split screen popped up it showed very clearly which lane to get in. It was a great deal better than the Volvo Satnav but the voice instructions where terrible, Volvo's voice instructions are miles better and much clearer, some of the Ford instruction were incomprehensible but graphics were spot on.

[Bernard F]

Originally Posted by nu11eaf

It could be better, mine is a lot better now than when I first bought my car (after updates) but it lacks a very useful feature, "lane indication" I was in a Ford Kuga the other day and approaching every junction, traffic lights or round-about etc a split screen popped up it showed very clearly which lane to get in. It was a great deal better than the Volvo Satnav but the voice instructions where terrible, Volvo's voice instructions are miles better and much clearer, some of the Ford instruction were incomprehensible but graphics were spot on.

Lane indication shows on the driver screen if you have this set to always show SatNav. It’s in full 3D detail far better than any split screen I have ever seen.
Cannot vouch for Spain but in France and the UK I find it excellent. As previously said you must enter in the correct sequence or send to car from various sources. This is easier and always accurate.

[gaby]

Originally Posted by anotherv60

Indeed, but send to car will still work so long as the car is connected to the internet, either by bluetooth - i.e. Phone, wifi at home or via a wifi hotspot in the car.

Isn't a personal SIM card needed in order to set up a wifi hotspot in the car?
If that is so, this will not be possible if the car has no VOC.

[nu11eaf]

Originally Posted by Bernard F

Lane indication shows on the driver screen if you have this set to always show SatNav. It’s in full 3D detail far better than any split screen I have ever seen.
Cannot vouch for Spain but in France and the UK I find it excellent. As previously said you must enter in the correct sequence or send to car from various sources. This is easier and always accurate.

I do and always have satnav in middle of the driver display and have never noticed lane indicators, but I have only had my car for two and a half years, it cant be as good as the Ford system which was so easy or I would have noticed it. The Ford system was much more colourful and very large green lane indication. I will have to have a play with my satnav settings to see if anything needs changing.