Last month, we revealed that latest Volvo XC90 now comes fitted with fresh semi-autonomous technology here in South Africa. Now, the Swedish brand’s CEO, Hakan Samuelsson, has revealed plans for fully autonomous tech to be optionally available for around $10 000 (R135 000) by 2021, Autonews.com reports.
This comes after a handful of Volvo customers began a trial-run with XC90s fitted with this option through the Volvo Drive Me programme. This autopilot system means that a driver can decide whether to operate the controls themselves or leave all the driving duties to the vehicle itself.
“To make a car even more premium, one of the most interesting things is a full autopilot. Not a supervised version, but really the one that you can sit back and watch a movie or whatever. That will make the premium car even more premium,” Samuelsson said.
So, what do you make of the proposed cost of this option (bearing in mind that it is merely a suggested figure for international markets)? In context, it doesn’t seem like too much at all, considering that the XC90’s Techno and Premium package currently costs some R104 500…
