--- title: "Volvo Dumbed-Down Seat Adjustment Knobs And I Actually Really Like It" date: "2026-10-27" modified: "2026-10-27" authors: - name: "Andrew P. Collins" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/andrew-p-collins.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/volvo-dumbed-down-seat-adjustment-knobs-and-i-actually-really-like-it" categories: - "Car Tech" - "Electric Vehicles" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Volvo News" tags: - "Volvo" --- # Volvo Dumbed-Down Seat Adjustment Knobs And I Actually Really Like It ![Testing the EX90's seat.]() *\Andrew P. Collins\* A week of testing a [2026 Volvo EX90]() left me with mixed feelings; more on that later. But one piece of the human-machine interface that stood out to me was the switch used for seat adjustments. This is one area of HMI where I’m actually on board with the idea of “less is more.” On most luxury cars, you get a bunch of seat-adjustment buttons. At a minimum, there are usually two perpendicular switches (shaped vaguely like a seat) that let you move the bottom and back independently to make yourself comfortable. In the EX90, Volvo simply put the up/down and forward/back functions on one square physical switch. A button in the middle acts like a “shift” key: tap it, and the control’s function changes to tilt and lumbar (with massage menu options popping up on the main screen, if your car is so equipped). ![]() ![]() ![]() I’ve driven hundreds of cars and adjusted as many seats, and the EX90’s setup is currently at the top of my list for ergonomic excellence. It feels very natural. And while it may have been devised in the name of cost-cutting (fewer buttons means cheaper construction), I found the user experience quite good. On the other hand, the EX90 uses a similar system for the window controls, and I absolutely hated it. It, too, is an example of manufacturing efficiency packaged as minimalism. You get two window switches, despite the car having four power windows, and you have to toggle the switches between front and back. I think this one-button, multiple-jobs setup works for the seats but not the windows because seats are a “set it and forget it” deal, whereas I’m constantly rolling windows up and down. I only let Bramble the dog stick her snout out below about 35 mph, and since I live in a rural area with a bunch of 30-mph roads and a few central 55-mph ones, my back windows go up and down at least twice almost every time we leave the house. ![]() *We also tested Volvo's OEM dog seatbelts, which are extremely robust. More on that later, too. *Andrew P. Collins** Anyway, I’m not convinced Volvo’s minimalist approach is yielding a good overall automotive experience. But credit where it’s due: This seat switch is my favorite in a while. *Got a story tip? Drop us a line at tips@thedrive.com.* ## Author As Executive Editor, Andrew touches everything on the site from daily news coverage to feature stories, sponsored content, product reviews, road testing vehicles, ecommerce, and more. He's held pretty much every role there is to have at an automotive news site and has been with The Drive's publisher Recurrent since 2020. Andrew's a lifetime gearhead and longtime writer with a particularly strong penchant for road trips, off-road adventures, and archaic vehicles. His passions outside of the automotive world include skiing, obsolete video games, and his dog Bramble who occationally helps review cars. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() ## More - [How Volvo Plans To Make the Upcoming EX90 EV ‘the Safest Volvo’ Ever]() - [Software Issue Strands Volvo’s New XC40 Recharge EV at Cargo Ports]() - [The 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge Heralds a New Age of Online-Only EV Sales]() - [Days After US Delay, Volvo Is Refunding EX30 Owners for Broken Software]() - [Volvo EX30 Delayed in US to 2025 As Chinese EV Tariffs Take Effect]() - [How Volvo Is Reimagining Scandinavian Design for the Electric Era]() - [2020 Volvo XC40 Recharge: Brand’s First EV Packs 408 Horsepower, Over 249-Mile Range]() - [XC40 Will Be First All-Electric Volvo, Executive Says]()