Factory fit dashcam

[zapcity1]

Why don't Volvo or any other manufacturer offer factory fit dash cams as an option from new (or maybe some do)?

Most new cars now already have one camera (rear facing) and a viewing screen, so adding another front facing camera wouldn't cost much, as most new cars have an HDD of some kind as part of the hi-fi/satnav.

I would guess many new car buyers would be willing to pay £500+ for discreet factory fit front/rear system, so just wondering why Volvo (or anyone else for that matter) don’t offer this yet.

Poorly fitted dashcams stuck in the middle of windscreens and plugged into lighter sockets seems a poor solution nowadays.

[Harvey1512]

Totally agree with you. I would certainly tick it as an option.

[DaveNP]

Good idea. We've just bought a KIA with a reversing camera as a factory option/feature and there must be some sort of forward camera for the 'lane assist' system, a dashcam surely isn't that much different.

[Ian21401]

Originally Posted by zapcity1

Why don't Volvo or any other manufacturer offer factory fit dash cams as an option from new (or maybe some do)?

Most new cars now already have one camera (rear facing) and a viewing screen, so adding another front facing camera wouldn't cost much, as most new cars have an HDD of some kind as part of the hi-fi/satnav.

I would guess many new car buyers would be willing to pay £500+ for discreet factory fit front/rear system, so just wondering why Volvo (or anyone else for that matter) don’t offer this yet.

Poorly fitted dashcams stuck in the middle of windscreens and plugged into lighter sockets seems a poor solution nowadays.

Agreed.
Our daughter has retro fitted both front and rear cameras on her 2011 XC70 but hard wiring them in was a pain which she entrusted to someone else more used to it than I. If I ever had time I would consider fitting them on my 940 and would happily hard wire them myself. It does seem like a very sensible and useful option.

[Beardieman]

I hard wired one to my V70 2007 p2. Camera sits behind rear view mirror, cables tucked beneath roof liner and pillar trim. Biggest issue was finding a fuse not live all the time. This method of live fuses was new to me, but got there eventually. Hardware and camera are cheap as chips now for a good one, so worth it though. Fit and forget.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by zapcity1

Why don't Volvo or any other manufacturer offer factory fit dash cams as an option from new (or maybe some do)?

Most new cars now already have one camera (rear facing) and a viewing screen, so adding another front facing camera wouldn't cost much, as most new cars have an HDD of some kind as part of the hi-fi/satnav.

I would guess many new car buyers would be willing to pay £500+ for discreet factory fit front/rear system, so just wondering why Volvo (or anyone else for that matter) don’t offer this yet.

Poorly fitted dashcams stuck in the middle of windscreens and plugged into lighter sockets seems a poor solution nowadays.

volvo have had a forward facing city safety camera for 10 years now , it would be easy to use the images to record on to a usb memory stick . there must be a reason they don't do it ... or maybe they do already but don't tell you ... they store a massive multitude of digital data when an accident occurs ..

[zapcity1]

Good point noted by Clan. Most Volvos now have front and rear cameras already fitted.

I'd love to know why Volvo, who are the most safety conscious of car companies, don't utilise these as an additional safety feature.

Anyway, Citroen are cashing in already.

Available as a front facing device on the C5 Aircross (whatever that may be!!) for £200.

[V60D4]

I've had the same thoughts about the city safe camera. Reversing cameras could also be used as rear facing dash cams too.

If anyone is interested in a more discrete, factory fitted look to a dash cam, I found these:

https://oewitness.com/volvo-v60
Supports a rear facing camera module in addition to the forward facing one. Available much cheaper on amazon.

https://www.kammu.com/shop/dash-cam/...v40-xc60-xc90/

More expensive, but uses the OBD port for power, so easy for anyone to hard wire.

I can't comment on the quality of either of these - just throwing options out there for anyone looking.

[zapcity1]

Originally Posted by V60D4

I've had the same thoughts about the city safe camera. Reversing cameras could also be used as rear facing dash cams too.

If anyone is interested in a more discrete, factory fitted look to a dash cam, I found these:

https://oewitness.com/volvo-v60
Supports a rear facing camera module in addition to the forward facing one. Available much cheaper on amazon.

https://www.kammu.com/shop/dash-cam/...v40-xc60-xc90/

More expensive, but uses the OBD port for power, so easy for anyone to hard wire.

I can't comment on the quality of either of these - just throwing options out there for anyone looking.

The OE witness stuff looks very nice. Thanks for sharing.