Volvo Cars has launched Abbey Road Studios Mode, a sound technology designed to capture the essence of the iconic recording studio’s unique environment.
Following the announcement of the mode last year, it is now debuting in all Volvo EX90 cars fitted with the optional Bowers & Wilkins High Fidelity Audio system, free of charge via an over-the-air update in the coming weeks.
Developed by Bowers & Wilkins together with Abbey Road Studios, this technology is inspired by the studio’s characteristic acoustic spaces and the sonic signature of the equipment used by artists and engineers to create some of the most revered albums in music history, delivering a unique listening experience inside the EX90.
The Abbey Road Studios Mode comes with several presets that provide a selection of sounds, optimised for different listening styles. And for those ready to explore new ways of enjoying their favourite tracks, the Producer Mode allows you to engineer your own sound. This includes shifting the acoustic from a retro vintage to a deeper, modern sound, narrowing or expanding the stereo sound field and adjusting the acoustic environment, just as a producer or engineer would do.
“The Abbey Road Studios Mode brings the unique sound of our spaces and equipment to the Bowers & Wilkins system in the Volvo EX90 for the first time, allowing the driver to shape and personalise the sound in the car for an unparalleled listening experience,” says Abbey Road General Manager, Jeremy Huffelmann. “We are hugely proud of this collaboration, and excited for Volvo customers to experience this landmark technology.”
This over-the-air update represents one of Volvo Cars’ most significant upgrades yet in the context of the company’s ambition to continuously improve its software-defined cars. For future EX90 and ES90 cars with Bowers & Wilkins’ audio system, the sound mode will be included as the cars roll out from the factory.
“We use technology to improve everyday life for our drivers, so we’re excited to offer the Abbey Road Studios Mode in the Volvo EX90,” says Anders Bell, chief engineering and technology officer at Volvo Cars. “The addition of this world-first experience is a great example of how we bring more value to our customers through efficient and simple over-the-air updates.”
The EX90 has one of the quietest cabins Volvo Cars has ever created, and 25 speakers carefully positioned within the cabin. With the optional Bowers & Wilkins audio system, it delivers an outstanding in-car soundscape. The 1610-watt system can play Dolby Atmos content and has been developed and tuned by Bowers & Wilkins engineers in close collaboration with Volvo Cars’ audio team.
Thanks to a recent tech transformation, Volvo Cars can deliver over-the-air updates to a fleet of around 2.5 million existing cars built as early as 2020, across 85 countries.
The small print
- The Abbey Road Studios Mode is exclusive to Bowers & Wilkins.
- To learn more, click here to watch a film about the development of the Abbey Road Studios Mode for the Volvo EX90.
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Volvo Cars in 2024
For the full year 2024, Volvo Car Group recorded a record-breaking core operating profit of SEK 27 billion. Revenue in 2024 amounted to an all-time high of SEK 400.2 billion, while global sales reached a record 763,389 cars.
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo Cars was founded in 1927. Today, it is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales to customers in more than 100 countries. Volvo Cars is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, where it is traded under the ticker “VOLCAR B”.
“For life. To give people the freedom to move in a personal, sustainable and safe way.” This purpose is reflected in Volvo Cars’ ambition to become a fully electric car maker and in its commitment to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
As of December 2024, Volvo Cars employed approximately 42,600 full-time employees. Volvo Cars’ head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars’ production plants are located in Gothenburg, Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu, Daqing and Taizhou (China). The company also has R&D and design centres in Gothenburg and Shanghai (China).
For further information please contact:
Volvo Cars Media Relations
+46 31-59 65 25
Volvo Cars Investor Relations
+46 31-793 94 00
About Abbey Road:
Abbey Road is the home of music making. They’re the world’s first and most iconic recording studio, and a leader in sonic innovation, with the experience and craft to bring out the best music in any vision or idea.
For 93 years they’ve welcomed the artists who have shaped music and popular culture. From the greats – The Beatles, Fela Kuti, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Yehudi Menuhin, Massive Attack, Amy Winehouse, Oasis, Nick Cave, Stevie Wonder and Shirley Bassey, to the legends of today – Lady Gaga, Little Simz, The Smile, Florence, Dave, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Frank Ocean, Ezra Collective, Sam Smith, Morgan Wallen and Stormzy.
Once a nine-bedroom house, they are now a global community of artists, experts, inventors and engineers, whose technology and expertise can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Alongside their studios and writing spaces, they work to develop ground-breaking technology that continues to change the future of music making. And through their learning and events, they’re creating one-off experiences and empowering a new generation of talent.
This home has created soundtracks to nights in, nights out, heartbreaks and first loves. Epic adventures and life-affirming stories. They’ve been home to the greatest film music of the last 45 years. From Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Star Wars and Harry Potter movies, and The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, to Barbie, Gravity, The Shape of Water, Tar, Wakanda Forever, Frankenstein and the Marvel titles. Across genres, generations and continents, Abbey Road helps music makers move the world. Come on in. www.abbeyroad.com
About Bowers & Wilkins:
Bowers & Wilkins, founded in the U.K. in 1966, has been at the forefront of high-performance audio technology for more than 50 years. It designs and manufactures precision home speakers, headphones, custom installation and performance car audio products that set new standards for innovation and sound quality, earning countless awards and accolades from the world’s leading recording studios and musicians. Bowers & Wilkins’ reputation is based on the unwavering pursuit of the best possible sound and an unsurpassable music listening experience. Bowers & Wilkins joined the Sound United LLC family of brands in 2020. Learn more at www.bowerswilkins.com
Descriptions and facts in this press material relate to Volvo Cars’ international car range. Described features might be optional. Vehicle specifications may vary from one country to another and may be altered without prior notification.