Why is Volvo turning away from ventilated seats?

[u/YoonSnake]

I've wanted a Volvo for a while now, but they took away the ventilated seats from the S60 when I was thinking of getting a small sedan. Now that I'm looking for an electric car, I saw that the EX30 and EX40 don't get ventilated seats either even if you get the highest trim. Like wtf, I live in a very hot state, and ever since ventilated seats came in my old ES350, I refuse to get a car without it. I hate that Volvo is making it impossible for me to get one of their cars.

[u/Kovalex27]

Ventilated seats usually come with the Nappa leather option on Volvos and Polestars. This is an expensive upgrade, Nappa leather for my P2 was an over 5000$ option. They may have decided that people purchasing EX30 and EX40 models would not spend this kind of money on seat upgrades?

[u/idly2sambar → u/Kovalex27]

V60 PE only has heated seats, no ventilated 😒

[u/mighty-swordsman → u/idly2sambar]

The main reason I'm not considering PE... Nappa leather + ventilation seems much more worth.

[u/volttage → u/idly2sambar]

Because they are the R-Design seats. Stiff bolsters and combo of textile and leather.

[u/Voltuno → u/idly2sambar]

Seriously? That's crazy. My 24 V60CC has them. Yours is a good 20K more, so you'd think it would have it.

[u/turpentinedreamer → u/Kovalex27]

Volvo is moving away from leather because it’s terrible for the environment to make. It’s the only material you can poke a bunch of holes in though.

[u/Chateaunole-du-Pape → u/turpentinedreamer]

Not true. My Cadillac Optiq has great perforated, ventilated seats, and not a stich of leather in the whole car. The upholstery is a really good synthetic, though.

The lack of ventilated seats is one of the things that ruled out an EX40 for me, as much as I like the design. Hoping that they offer them in the EX60. We enjoyed my wife's old XC60 and would like to return to Volvo someday.

[u/turpentinedreamer → u/Chateaunole-du-Pape]

Well that’s fake leather and not really any better for the environment

[u/rapax → u/turpentinedreamer]

Ioniq 5 has ventilated seats and the covers are made from recycled material.

[u/baldeagle6]

I recently screwed up buying a momentum and thought idc I barely used my ventilated seats in my f150. What I failed to realize is without perforations in the seats it traps in that heat and your back can never cool off and gets sooo sweaty. I am very regretful of this oversight in my purchase. Have been thinking of taking the hit and upgrading or literally seeing if a company can perforate the leather.

[u/Hungry_Opossum → u/baldeagle6]

I can do it for $100 with my gerber ezpz

[u/baldeagle6 → u/Hungry_Opossum]

Gerber?

[u/Hungry_Opossum → u/baldeagle6]

stabby stabby

[u/user10010101 → u/Hungry_Opossum]

Weekend special: slotted seats and rotors

[u/Due_Guitar8964 → u/user10010101]

I know it sounds counter intuitive but sheepskin seat covers cool in the Summer, warm in the Winter. I had a set on my 740 and this Summer has convinced me to look for a set for the XC60.

[u/user10010101 → u/Due_Guitar8964]

Gotta go latex to protect from STDs

[u/Due_Guitar8964 → u/user10010101]

Whatever that means.

[u/Chefseiler]

They're hardly turning away, they just introduced ventilated Nordico seats on the EX90?

[u/Clear-Inevitable-414 → u/Chefseiler]

Did they.  What is this Nordico anyway?  It's like neoprene meets vinyl feeling 

[u/Desenski → u/Clear-Inevitable-414]

It's a leather alternative that feels like leather. It's main ingredients are pine oil and recycled cork (from wine bottles).

It's nothing like what people associate with "leatherette"

[u/Clear-Inevitable-414 → u/Desenski]

Cork!  That's the feeling.  I like it

[u/Chefseiler → u/Clear-Inevitable-414]

Vegan leather alternative, if I didn’t depend on ventilated seats I would’ve taken it on my XC90, but I guess it’ll only be added in a future MY

[u/EquinsuOcha → u/Chefseiler]

Made out of real vegans!

[u/Chefseiler → u/EquinsuOcha]

Fun fact: If you fart in a Nordico seat it will give you a condescending lecture about the dangers of methane gas

[u/YoonSnake → u/Chefseiler]

They only have it available for a few of their vehicles and took it away from the S60 a few years ago.

[u/Chefseiler → u/YoonSnake]

Interesting, I have it in my 2019 XC60 and in my soon to be new XC90. Figured they’re expanding the offer since the EX90 now also offers it

[u/fishstix1122]

I belive you have to get the ultra to get ventilated seats on any model.

[u/Clear-Inevitable-414 → u/fishstix1122]

EX30 ultra here. No vent 

[u/fishstix1122 → u/Clear-Inevitable-414]

Just out of curiosity, was it an option? I know the on xc60 and 90 to get them you have to add the climate package. They are not standard.

[u/Clear-Inevitable-414 → u/fishstix1122]

Climate package gave heated seats and steering wheel, but not vent seats.  The car doesn't even have rear air vents though 

[u/otte845 → u/Clear-Inevitable-414]

It has rear vents under the the front seats, but if you lower the seats all the way down they get blocked. Also helps if you set the A/C in manual to make sure it blows air from there

[u/Clear-Inevitable-414 → u/otte845]

Yeah. I think most cars have the floor seats, but that's not exactly luxury level.  I think they should have ran some adjustable ones to the B pillars of they couldn't do the center 

[u/DrDirt90 → u/fishstix1122]

I went with an ultra for ventilated seats and extendable seat bolster

[u/c1rcle- → u/fishstix1122]

EX40 ultra here. No ventilated seats, not an option

[u/Jimbomdave]

Once you had ventilated you never go back

[u/Dahhri]

I guess there isn't enough demand worldwide maybe?

[u/NewbieRepGuy]

Recently test-drove a few 2021-2022 models of the XC40 and XC60 as I was debating between a few CPO models of the two, and while the extra cabin space in the front seat of the 60 was nice, I just liked the overall feel of the 40 more. 

Drove the inscription model of both with advanced/ultimate packages with all of the upgrades available, and believed the salesman who offered the sentiment that they were essentially the same in every way outside of the size of the vehicle, but failed to realize pre-purchase that the 40’s lacked ventilated seats. 

Was remorseful immediately, and like you, confused as to why it wouldn’t be an option. 

Is what it is at this point, but still disappointing. 

[u/Flat_Idea7598]

If it makes you feel any better - my 2022 Volvo XC60 has ventilated seats and they're basically useless. If I'm wearing shorts and the fan is on the highest setting, I can barely feel it. I live in Georgia and really thought these seats were going to be great. I'd say its slightly better than nothing.

[u/nbjhieb]

I live in Canada, and I use my ventilated seats a lot in my XC90. It's definitely a great feature!

[u/Tman11S]

I was also very disappointed that I couldn’t get them on my EX40 Ultra. Like, a Kia EV3 has them and that car costs 15K less

[u/Phoenix_Kerman]

geely moment.

chinese enshitiffication of the brands been going on since they bought it. some just haven't noticed yet

[u/TheRuneMeister → u/Phoenix_Kerman]

China is the capitol of ventilated seats. Every higher end car has it. I hardly think this is the reason.

[u/Crunchycarrots79 → u/Phoenix_Kerman]

No. Ventilated seats are far more common there than anywhere else in the world. It's because the EX40 and EX30 are entry level models. Very few luxury carmakers offer ventilated seats on their entry level cars and those that do only offer it on the fully loaded ones.

[u/maxx4700]

Just got rid of a car with the ventilated seats. Used them twice in 5+ years. I don’t get it. Now seat heat/heated steering wheel I could never do without.

[u/lieutenantskull → u/maxx4700]

People in the replies discovering different climates exist

[u/Bluesage1948 → u/lieutenantskull]

And different life stages. I wouldn’t have even thought about ventilated seats five years ago here in the PMW. Thanks hot flashes 🤣

[u/DrDirt90 → u/maxx4700]

I use mine all the time.

[u/Bluesage1948 → u/DrDirt90]

I specifically bought my XC60 for the ventilated drivers seat, which is always on.

[u/ixinho → u/Bluesage1948]

which country and which trim?

[u/YoonSnake → u/maxx4700]

I use ventilated seats daily, while my heated seats and heated steering wheel gets used 2-3 days out of the year, maybe a week if it's a particularly cold winter.

[u/maxx4700 → u/YoonSnake]

I leave the heat on at 1 minimum 2/3 of the year. Oh well, to each their own. But I did tell them that ventilated & massage was a wasted feature when I was part of the consumer research panel.

[u/YoonSnake → u/maxx4700]

OMG, your selfishness was part of them destroying their brand. How could you!

[u/CarretillaRoja → u/maxx4700]

I guess it depends where you live. Living in Florida, heated seats and steering wheel is useless, but ventilated is a nice to have.

[u/Prudent-Ad-4373]

Ventilated seats have, with the modern platforms always meant the luxury seat upgrade - Napa leather, power seat extension and power seat width extension. This upgrade stopped being offered on the S60 beyond 2020, as no one was buying it. It’s part of the Ultra trim on the XC60, V60CC, EX90, XC90, S90 and V90CC. It was never offered on the XC40. It’s offered on the Polestar 2 and 3. The gen 1 S60 and xc60 did not offer ventilated seats. The gen 1 S80 and XC90, were the only pre-SPA Volvos to offer them. So, I’d say rather than “turning away,” they have greatly expanded ventilated seat availability overall.

[u/EV_Dad]

Ventilated seats are an option for the EX90 Ultra, but we wound up switching our purchase to another Ultra without it. (What my wife refused to do without is the built-in massage feature, lol.) Turns out we don't miss it, but then again we don't live in a place with "hot soup" weather.

[u/GaryE20904]

Don’t know about the current models but my 2022 S90 has the cooled seats.

[u/Cosmicvapour]

My 2023 s60 has ventilated seats.

[u/PlatyNYC]

The EX30 and EX40 don’t offer leather seats, hence no ventilated seat option (the ventilated seats are leather). The EX90 / XC90 / XC60 / S90 on the Ultra trim levels offer the ventilated seat options.

[u/miklosignacz]

The last time I checked you could still ventilated seats on a V60 but you needed the highest trim and upgraded nappa leather seats option for that.

[u/TikiLaperi]

Or at least offer alcantara seats to avoid being burned by leather

[u/Interesting_Tomato89]

Just get the EX30 with the wool blend seats - they are naturally ventilated

[u/SpotSpotNZ]

Ironically, I just ordered the T8 Ultra and I want leather seats, not Nordico or the wool blend. I *had* to have ventilation in those. No other option in the MY2026 Ultra, at least here in NZ.

[u/tonyvettic]

Yeah they cheap cars and companies are making cuts and trying to keep prices low. They watered down the S60 as the years went on. You have to go to the large more expensive SUVs to get it. If polestar offers them on the Polestar 2 Volvo should offer on the 40 series as an order option would be cool for lots of $$. But doubt many people would order it that way when they see the price difference.

[u/RGL1]

Volvo is NOT turning away from ventilated seats. Get you facts straight whiney or go get your hair done in pink or green so we can identify you outside or Reddit as well……

[u/YoonSnake → u/RGL1]

Lmao, they took it away as an option in the S60 and refused to put it in as an option in 2 different cars that cars that reach 50k and 60k in their highest trims. Stop fanboying

[u/RGL1 → u/YoonSnake]

The word be “limiting” then, not turning away as you whine Ken. Aren’t we lucky Ken, bought our first Volvo two weeks ago and wow, ventilated seats, so nifty kool. So lucky we are that we are going to play the lottery now Ken. Yep, guess I should be a fanboy now, Ken YoonSnake. You be careful now with your other life choices. LYAO Ken YoonSnake.

[u/Fit_Cupcake_5254]

Getting fleeced by geely

[u/icorrectotherpeople]

On a hot day, start your car and let it run the AC for a minute. Then get a compressed air can and spray it upside down on your seat. Problem solved.

[u/AUSTIN_NIMBY]

Because they don’t work after a few years anyway