xc40 Audio System - A Backward Step?

[topofthestack]

After ten years of enjoying playing our iPods in our 2014 Volvo XC60 D5, my wife and I decided to trade it in a couple of months ago for a smaller XC40 B4.
Lovely car to drive with some interesting features but we were shocked to find out that our iPods, both classic and Nano, can’t be played through the ‘new’ Google based system; a feature that’s been available on Volvo ‘Sensus’ systems for many years has been discarded! Not only that but I’ve had to fork out a load of money to convert my USB connectors to USB ‘C’ cables or buy a device to plug into the car to give me ‘old style’ USB inputs. Shame on you Volvo and Google!

I raised this with Volvo Support whilst trying to find a solution and it was suggested that I downloaded ‘Audio Wagon’. Useful suggestion but the only problem there is that, to quote the developer (‘Mole Man’), it doesn’t support the iPod!

Now the XC40 system also seems to rely on Bluetooth devices and searching around Amazon, I found a IBLU Bluetooth transmitter that was designed especially for the iPod. Great result I thought, only to find after buying and trying one that the XC40 system software doesn’t recognise this device!
I’d love to think that someone Volvo would urgently tackle this problem so us ‘ancient technology’ owners could list to their ‘old fashioned’ 60s to 90s music again, but, from experience of trying to get Volvo to change the mispronunciation of important towns in the ‘old’ Sensus navigation system over many years, I’m not very hopeful.

Regards,

TG