[Trevor Fox]

My local dealership has two 2021 R-Designs on the lot and I noticed they no longer have the "R" on the steering wheel, the R-Design embossed in the side rear pillars, or a badge on the rear of the car. Is this a documented change from Volvo for 2021? I can't find anything about it. Seems odd to remove anything and everything indicating the car is an R-Design.

 

[whitey]

I'm seeing 48V battery regen in the Owners Manuals for US/Canada. Do these vehicles have a Mild Hybrid system?

 

[RBEmerson]

My local dealership has two 2021 R-Designs on the lot and I noticed they no longer have the "R" on the steering wheel, the R-Design embossed in the side rear pillars, or a badge on the rear of the car. Is this a documented change from Volvo for 2021? I can't find anything about it. Seems odd to remove anything and everything indicating the car is an R-Design.

That's odd. If the RDesign badges are missing, unless someone tried to repaint a Momentum and call it an RDesign (<- joke), I guess Volvo made the change. Probably the "bean counters" got their way. Bummer.

 

[RBEmerson]

I'm seeing 48V battery regen in the Owners Manuals for US/Canada. Do these vehicles have a Mild Hybrid system?

Um... wrong thread.

 

[Trevor Fox]

That's odd. If the RDesign badges are missing, unless someone tried to repaint a Momentum and call it an RDesign (<- joke), I guess Volvo made the change. Probably the "bean counters" got their way. Bummer.

Yeah, I find it very odd. Obviously the car still has the contrasting black roof and the nubuck leather seats, but there is absolutely nothing anywhere on the vehicle to say it's an R-Design.

 

[MrPeabody]

My local dealership has two 2021 R-Designs on the lot and I noticed they no longer have the "R" on the steering wheel, the R-Design embossed in the side rear pillars, or a badge on the rear of the car. Is this a documented change from Volvo for 2021? I can't find anything about it. Seems odd to remove anything and everything indicating the car is an R-Design.

I saw one review on YouTube that mentioned both of those changes along with others such as the new rear bumper without chrome exhaust trim. Some things that were optional on the Momentum are apparently now standard like blindspot monitoring and leather seats. I believe the C-pillar badging is gone on all trims. Nothing really new for '21, mostly just a rearrangement of options.

 

[Ghost]

Yes, they did take those things away on the 2021's in addition to the chrome exhaust tips and automatic folding rear seats, via the buttons in the cargo area. They did add heated rear seats though. Now you just know it's an R-design based on the black roof.

 

[RBEmerson]

Swapping warm rear seats for the flopping headrests is, I guess, a tolerable exchange. For anyone who regularly puts someone in back. The most we put in back is whatever we don't want to put in the trunk. If I had a '21, I'd have to remember to leave the wine bottles on the floor. Along with the bag holding ice cream. [<- humor?]

Otherwise, removing the badge, etc. seems counter-intuitive. As I said, I think the bean counters have been busy.

 

[Ghost]

Swapping warm rear seats for the flopping headrests is, I guess, a tolerable exchange. For anyone who regularly puts someone in back. The most we put in back is whatever we don't want to put in the trunk. If I had a '21, I'd have to remember to leave the wine bottles on the floor. Along with the bag holding ice cream. [<- humor?]

Otherwise, removing the badge, etc. seems counter-intuitive. As I said, I think the bean counters have been busy.

Actually the flopping headrest is still there on the 2021. It's the automatic folding rear seats that are gone. That is strictly manual.

 

[RBEmerson]

??? Is there a feature I've missed? I've dropped the seats exactly twice, and assumed it was "pull tab, lower seat" each time. Is it "pull tab, watch magic happen"?

It's amazing how many "Easter eggs" I'm finding in this car. It is, however, missing one Easter egg, that Tesla added to its cars, for juveniles of all ages: changing the turnsignal click into the turnsignal fart noise. Dang! I want that, too. Click - click - click is sooooooooooo over. LOL

 

[whiteyjfm]

Actually the flopping headrest is still there on the 2021. It's the automatic folding rear seats that are gone. That is strictly manual.

The electric folding rear seats was dropped on the 2020 models already, it was only an option on 2019.

 

[RBEmerson]

That explains that mystery.

 

[Szeb]

The electric folding rear seats was dropped on the 2020 models already, it was only an option on 2019.

electric folding rear seats was dropped in 2020 with the removal of the button but still had the electric fold just had to pull the lever on the seats. now 2021 electric folding is completely gone. working at the plant that builds the seats i have a 2020 i just wired and installed the buttons into my 2020 so i have electric folding with the buttons in my 2020

 

[RBEmerson]

electric folding rear seats was dropped in 2020 with the removal of the button but still had the electric fold just had to pull the lever on the seats. now 2021 electric folding is completely gone. working at the plant that builds the seats i have a 2020 i just wired and installed the buttons into my 2020 so i have electric folding with the buttons in my 2020

Thanks for the explanation.
Very cool to hear from someone in Ghent(?)

Do you have any tips on keeping the RDesign seats looking "factory new"?

One of the persisting low-level "I wish they hadn't done that" items is the front seat headrests. Even with the lumbar support in place, my head is tilted forward just enough to be noticeable on long trips. Is there any way to adjust for that?

Another "I wish they, etc." items is finding some of these "Easter eggs" is just that, play with car and see what happens. Hunt long enough and there's another Easter egg - electric folding back seats. The business with the headrests is probably documented. But I don't know where. That's not a seat issue, of course.

 

[Szeb]

Thanks for the explanation.
Very cool to hear from someone in Ghent(?)

Do you have any tips on keeping the RDesign seats looking "factory new"?

One of the persisting low-level "I wish they hadn't done that" items is the front seat headrests. Even with the lumbar support in place, my head is tilted forward just enough to be noticeable on long trips. Is there any way to adjust for that?

Another "I wish they, etc." items is finding some of these "Easter eggs" is just that, play with car and see what happens. Hunt long enough and there's another Easter egg - electric folding back seats. The business with the headrests is probably documented. But I don't know where. That's not a seat issue, of course.

Nope I don't work for Volvo. I work for a global tier 1 supplier that builds and supplies seats for Volvo and a lot of other car manufacturers but our location is in the bay area of California but we have locations all across the world.

We don't build the trim at our location we receive it in and apply it to the foam and then build the complete seat. not sure if this is how Volvo wants customers to do it but this is how they want us to do it. Any crease on the leather we steam it out and also if we have a stain or mark on the trim we just use Rejuvenate to remove it.

 

[RBEmerson]

OK, not in Ghent.

I'm familiar with tier 1 suppliers as a concept.

Anyway, I get into the car and say "looks good!" Now I know who did it.

 

[RBEmerson]

Nope, no powered folding rear seat in my '20. No loss.

The headrest OTOH is becoming A Problem. I did 300+ miles today and my posture was miserable, not matter what I did with the seat back and lumbar pad. This is beginning to rise to "really???".