I have to be honest. I have never been interested in Volvo’s Ocean Race. My primary interest has and will always be Volvo’s car lineup and this year is no different. However, to gloss over the ocean race would be a gross injustice to all the work and effort that has been put in to make it happen.
This year(same as every other year), Capetown, South Africa is serving as one of the major stops for all the racing teams. While the actual race will only take place on the 10th of this month, Volvo has opened up a pavilion where one can find out more about the race, the race boat being used by all the teams and more about Volvo as a company.
The V&A has long been a favorite not just for tourists visiting South Africa but also to the locals. The harbor doesn’t only cater to private individuals but some of the dry docks serve commercial vessels, shipping and otherwise. This eclectic mix of both blue collar and white collar work spaces make the waterfront a very unique and pleasant experience.
Just outside Volvo’s Pavilion is their current line up of cars on display. All models displayed are currently sold in South Africa with the exception of the XC40 which hasn’t yet been launched both locally and globally until early next year. The XC40 is satisfying a growing trend with automakers to produce premium compact executive SUVs such as the BMW X2.
Because the XC40 is at the lower end of Volvo’s SUV line up the quality of the cabin isn’t as good as say the XC60 or the flagship XC90. The Cabin is all Volvo and has all the familiar design cues present in the other models. The plastics around the cabin do feel harder to the touch than those in the XC60 which was also on display. However, practicality seems to be the selling point of the XC40 since it has plenty of space in the back with seats that fold down to gain even more space.
If the XC40 is the introduction to Volvo the S90 is the epitome of what they stand for and who they are as a car company. After fumbling around the other cars being displayed the S90 felt familiar. However, the cabin quality was markedly different from the rest of the vehicles being displayed. The seats felt the most comfortable of the entire range and the seating position naturally more sporty.
I was able to try out Volvo’s infotainment system across the range of vehicles on display. While I haven’t yet tried similar systems from Volvo’s competitors it seemed to work quite well. There was some noticeable lag as I swiped through some of the menus but the system is relatively easy to use. The angle in which the screen is raked makes it easy to reach while on the move. The icons are large and clear and the graphics quite crisp. It is worth mentioning also that Volvo’s digital instrument cluster is just as clear as VW’s active info display.
The next leg of the ocean race will only take place on the 10th of December. The teams will leave Cape Town, South Africa and head to Melbourne, Australia. Before then one should still be able to view the team resting quarters and all the racing boats while they are still in the harbor. There will also be an in-port race on the 8th of December at 2 pm Cape Town time. For those who are passionate about cars Volvo’s Pavilion at the V&A waterfront will be a welcome treat.
