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Hill Start Assist
The function for assisting when starting the vehi-cle on inclines, Hill Start Assist (HSA), helpsprevent the vehicle from rolling backward whenstarting on an uphill gradient. When backing upa hill, HSA helps prevent the vehicle from rollingforward.
The function retains pressure from the brakepedal in the brake system for several secondsafter the brake pedal has been released.
This temporary braking effect is released after afew seconds or when the driver begins driving.
Hill Start Assist is available even if the Auto-holdbrake function is switched off.
Related information
Auto-hold brakes (p. 437)
Brakes (p. 431)
Braking assist after a collision
In a collision in which the activation level isreached for the pyrotechnic seat belt tensionersor airbags, or if a collision with a large animal isdetected, the vehicle's brakes will be automati-cally activated. This function is intended to helpprevent or reduce the effects of any subsequentcollision.
After a serious collision, it may no longer be pos-sible to control and steer the vehicle. In order toavoid or mitigate a possible further collision witha vehicle or an object in the vehicle's path, thebrake assist system is activated automatically tohelp stop the vehicle safely.
The brake lights and hazard warning flashers areactivated during braking. When the vehicle hasstopped, the hazard warning flashers will con-tinue to flash and the parking brake will beapplied.
If braking is not appropriate, e.g. if there is a riskof being hit by passing traffic, the driver can over-ride the system by depressing the acceleratorpedal.
This function assumes that the brake system isintact after a collision.
Brake assist is part of the Rear Collision Warningand Blind Spot Information safety systems.
Related information
Rear Collision Warning (p. 346)
BLIS* (p. 347)
Brake functions (p. 430)
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Transmission
The transmission is part of the vehicle's driveline(power transmission) between the engine andthe drive wheels. The function of the transmis-sion is to change gears depending on speedand power needs.
The vehicle has an 8-speed automatic transmis-sion and an electric motor for rear-wheel drive.The number of gears allows the engine's torqueand power band to be effectively utilized. Two ofthe gears are overdrive gears that save fuel whendriving at a constant engine speed. The steeringwheel paddles* can be used to shift up or downmanually. The instrument panel shows the gearcurrently in use.
CAUTION
Check the operating temperature of thetransmission to help avoid damage to any ofthe drive system components. If there is a riskof overheating, a warning symbol will appearin the instrument panel and a text messagewill be displayed. Follow the recommenda-tions given.
Symbols in the instrument panel
If a problem should occur with the transmission, asymbol and a message will appear in the instru-ment panel.
Symbol Meaning
Information and messages relatedto the transmission. Follow the rec-ommendations provided.
Hot or overheated transmission.Follow the recommendations provi-ded.
Reduced performance/Acceler-ation performance reduced
In the event of a temporary fault inthe driveline, the vehicle may gointo a "limp home" mode withreduced power output to help avoiddamage to the driveline.
Related information
Gear selector positions for automatic trans-missions (p. 440)
Gear selector positions forautomatic transmissions
In vehicles with an automatic transmission, thesystem selects the optimal gear for the currentdriving conditions. The transmission also has amanual mode.
The instrument panel shows which gear is cur-rently in use:
P, R, N, D or B.
For manual shifting, the gear indicator in theinstrument panel displays the gear currentlybeing used (1-8).
Selecting gears
The gear selector is a shift-by-wire selector,where shifting is done electronically instead ofmechanically. This makes shifting easier and thegear positions more distinct.
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Select gears by moving the spring-loaded, non-locking gear selector forward or backward.
Gear selector positions
Park - P
Park is activated using the P button located nextto the gear selector.
Select P when the vehicle is parked or when star-ting the engine. The vehicle must be stationarywhen Park is selected.
To move to another gear from Park, the brakepedal must be depressed and the ignition inmode II.
When parking – apply the parking brake beforeshifting to Park.
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when parkingon an incline. Selecting a gear or putting theautomatic transmission in P may not be suffi-cient to keep the vehicle stationary in all sit-uations.
NOTE
The gear selector must be in the P positionbefore the vehicle can be locked and thealarm set.
Help functions
The system will automatically shift to P:
if the ignition is switched off while D or R isselected.
if the driver unbuckles the seat belt andopens the driver's door while the vehicle isrunning with the gear selector in a gear otherthan P.
To park a vehicle with an unbuckled seat belt andopen door – end P mode by shifting to R or Dagain.
The system will not automatically shift to P if theignition is switched off while the gear selector isin the neutral position (N). This is to make it pos-sible to wash the vehicle in an automatic carwash in which the vehicle is pulled forward onrolling wheels.
Reverse - R
Select R when backing up. The vehicle must bestationary when Reverse is selected.
Neutral - N
No gear is selected and the engine can bestarted. Apply the parking brake if the vehicle isstationary with the gear selector in N.
To move the gear selector from Neutral toanother gear, the brake pedal must be depressedand the ignition in mode II.
D drive mode
D is the normal driving gear position. The trans-mission shifts up or down automatically depend-ing on acceleration and speed. The vehicle mustbe stationary when the gear selector is movedfrom R to D.
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Brake - B
B can be selected at any time during a drive. In Bmode, the engine braking function is activatedwhen the accelerator pedal is released, whichhelps charge the hybrid battery. This offers addi-tional opportunities to recharge the hybrid bat-tery, since the battery is charged even when thebrake pedal is not depressed.
B mode in the instrument panel.
From B mode, it is possible to manually shift tolower gears. The currently selected gear (1-8) willbe displayed in the instrument panel.
Pull the gear selector backward once to shiftdown one gear.
Pull the gear selector backward again to shiftdown to lower gears.
To shift manually to a higher gear, the vehiclemust be equipped with steering wheel paddles*.
Push the gear selector forward to return to Dmode.
For smooth shifting and engine performance, thetransmission will shift down automatically if thevehicle's speed becomes too low for the selectedgear.
Related information
Shiftlock (p. 443)
Using the steering wheel paddles* to shift(p. 442)
The kickdown function (p. 444)
Using the steering wheel paddles*to shift
The steering wheel paddles are a supplement tothe gear selector and make it possible to shiftmanually without removing your hands from thesteering wheel.
Activating the steering wheel paddles
In order to shift gears using the paddles, theymust first be activated:
–Pull one of the paddles toward the steeringwheel.
> A number in the instrument panel indi-cates the current gear being used.
Instrument panel when the paddles are activated forshifting.
Change
To shift one gear:
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–Pull one of the paddles toward the steeringwheel and then release.
"-": Shift down one gear.
"+": Shift up one gear.
As long as the engine speed (rpm) is within thepermissible range for the selected gear, a gearshift will take place each time a paddle is pulled.
After each gear shift, a number indicating thecurrent gear will be displayed in the instrumentpanel.
Turning off Start/Stop
Manual deactivation in gear D and B
–Deactivate the paddles by pulling the rightpaddle (+) toward the steering wheel andholding it until the number of the currentgear is no longer displayed in the instrumentpanel.
>The transmission will revert to gear D or Bdepending on which gear was selectedbefore the paddles were activated.
Automatic deactivation
In gear position D, the steering wheel paddlesare deactivated after a short period of time if theyare not used. The number of the current gear willno longer be displayed in the instrument panel.
In gear position B, the paddles will not activateautomatically.
Related information
Gear selector positions for automatic trans-missions (p. 440)
Shiftlock
The automatic transmission's shiftlock functionhelps prevent inadvertently moving the gearselector between different positions.
Automatic shiftlock
The automatic shiftlock has a separate safetysystem.
From Park - P
To move to another gear from P (Park), the brakepedal must be depressed and the ignition inmode II.
From Neutral - N
If the gear selector is in N and the vehicle hasbeen stationary for at least 3 seconds (with orwithout the engine running), the gear selector willbe locked in that position.
To move the gear selector from N to anothergear, the brake pedal must be depressed and theignition in mode II.
Messages in the instrument panel
If the gear selector is locked in position, a mes-sage will appear in the instrument panel, e.g.Gear lever Press brake pedal to activategear lever.
There is no mechanical shiftlock function.
Related information
Gear selector positions for automatic trans-missions (p. 440)
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The kickdown function
Kickdown is used when maximum acceleration isneeded, e.g. when passing.
When the accelerator pedal is depressed all theway to the floor (past the normal full acceleratorposition), the transmission will automaticallyengage kickdown, i.e. immediately shift down to alower gear.
If the accelerator pedal is released from the kick-down position, the transmission will automaticallyshift up again.
Safety function
The transmission control module is equipped witha downshift protection feature to help prevent theengine from overheating.
In some conditions, the transmission will preventdownshifting/kickdown if this would lead to suchhigh engine speed (rpm) that the engine couldbe damaged. If the driver still attempts downshift-ing or kickdown at a high rpm, nothing will hap-pen and the original gear will remain selected.
With kickdown, the vehicle can downshift one ormore steps at a time depending on the enginespeed. The vehicle upshifts when the engine rea-ches its maximum rpm to prevent engine dam-age.
Related information
Gear selector positions for automatic trans-missions (p. 440)
All Wheel Drive (AWD)
All-wheel drive, All Wheel Drive (AWD), alsocalled four-wheel drive, means that power is dis-tributed to all four wheels, which improves trac-tion.
The electric motor that powers the rear wheelsenables electronic all-wheel drive functionality.All-wheel drive reacts differently depending onwhich drive mode is selected.
Related information
Drive modes (p. 446)
Transmission (p. 440)
Drive systems
Volvo Twin Engine combines a combustionengine for the front wheels and an electric motorfor the rear wheels.
Two drive systems
Depending on the selected drive mode andpower available in the electric motor, the drivesystems can either be used separately or in tan-dem.
The electric motor gets its energy from a hybridbattery located under the tunnel console. Thehybrid can be charged from a wall outlet or in aspecial charging station. The combustion enginecan also charge the hybrid battery using a specialhigh-voltage generator.
Both the combustion engine and the electricmotor can generate power directly to the wheels.An advanced control system coordinates both thedrive systems to help optimize driving economy.
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Hybrid battery - The hybrid battery's functionis to store electrical current. This energy isprovided by plugging the charging cable intoan electrical outlet, through regenerativebraking or from the high-voltage generator.This provides current to power the electricmotor and to temporarily power the electricalair conditioning to precondition the passen-ger compartment.
Combustion engine - The combustion enginestarts when the charge level in the hybridbattery is too low to provide the power outputrequested by the driver.
High-voltage generator2 - Charges the hybridbattery. Starter for the combustion engine.
Can provide the combustion engine withextra electrical current.
Electric motor - Powers the vehicle usingelectricity. Can provide extra torque andpower during acceleration. Provides electricalall-wheel drive functionality. Regeneratesbraking energy into electrical current.
Related information
General information about Twin Engine(p. 408)
Starting and stopping the combustion enginein Twin Engine vehicles (p. 445)
Drive modes (p. 446)
Transmission (p. 440)
Factors affecting electric motor range(p. 455)
Starting and stopping thecombustion engine in Twin Enginevehicles
An advanced control system determines the dis-tance that the vehicle can be driven on the com-bustion engine, electric motor, or both at thesame time. When driving on only the electricmotor, the vehicle may automatically start thecombustion engine due to outside circumstan-ces, e.g. low ambient temperatures. This is com-pletely normal. The combustion engine will alsoalways start when the hybrid battery is nearlyfully discharged.
Climate settings at low temperatures
At low ambient temperatures, the combustionengine will sometimes start automatically to helpachieve the desired passenger compartmenttemperature and air quality. The amount of timethe combustion engine is running can be affec-ted by:
lowering the temperature
reducing blower speed
activating Pure drive mode.
Using the electric motor in hot or cold
weather
At very low or high ambient temperatures, theelectric motor's driving range and power may be
2CISG (Crank Integrated Starter Generator) - Combined high-voltage generator and starter.
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reduced and affect how often the combustionengine automatically starts.
Emission control system
To help ensure that the emission control systemfunctions optimally, the combustion engine willrun for several minutes after it is started. Theamount of time the combustion engine needs tobe used varies depending on the temperature ofthe three-way catalytic converter.
WARNING
California Proposition 65
Operating, servicing and maintaining a pas-senger vehicle can expose you to chemicalsincluding engine exhaust, carbon monoxide,phthalates, and lead, which are known to theState of California to cause cancer and birthdefects or other reproductive harm. To mini-mize exposure, avoid breathing exhaust, donot idle the engine except as necessary, serv-ice your vehicle in a well ventilated area andwear gloves or wash your hands frequentlywhen servicing your vehicle. For more infor-mation go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/passenger-vehicle.
Related information
Drive systems (p. 444)
Economical driving (p. 453)
Using the electric motor only (p. 454)
Drive modes (p. 446)
Drive modes
Drive modes affect the vehicle's driving charac-teristics in different ways to enhance and sim-plify the driving experience in certain types of sit-uations.
Drive modes enable easy access to the vehicle'smany functions and settings in different drivingsituations. The following systems are adapted tohelp optimize driving characteristics in each drivemode:
Steering
Engine/transmission/all-wheel drive
Brakes
Shock absorbers
Instrument panel
Climate control settings
Select the drive mode that is best suited to thecurrent driving conditions. Keep in mind that notall drive modes are available in all situations.
Available drive modes
WARNING
Keep in mind that the vehicle does not emitany engine noise when using the electricmotor and may therefore be difficult to detectfor children, pedestrians, cyclists or animals.This is particularly true at low speeds, e.g. inparking lots.
WARNING
Do not leave the vehicle in an unventilatedarea with a drive mode activated and the com-bustion engine switched off. The engine willstart automatically if the charge level in thehybrid battery is low and the resulting exhaustgases can be very harmful to people and ani-mals.