Does the 2019 Volvo XC60 Have a CD Player? Options & Retrofits Explained
The 2019 Volvo XC60 does not come equipped with a standard dashboard CD player. In designing the second-generation SPA platform, Volvo eliminated the center dash disc slot in favor of a portrait 9-inch touchscreen and digital media streaming. However, Volvo offered a factory optional single-disc CD player (Option Code 501 / Part Number 31454556) mounted neatly inside the upper shelf of the glove compartment. Owners can also play uncompressed CD-quality music via USB flash drives or external optical drives.
No Center CD Slot
Glove Compartment Single-CD Unit
USB Lossless FLAC / WAV (24-bit)
Harman Kardon / Bowers & Wilkins
Where Did the CD Player Go in the 2019 Volvo XC60?
When the second-generation Volvo XC60 arrived for the 2018 model year and matured into 2019, buyers accustomed to traditional luxury vehicles were startled to find a dashboard entirely devoid of a circular disc slot. Volvo’s elegant, uncluttered Scandinavian dashboard—dominated by an iPad-style vertical 9-inch touchscreen and open-pore linear walnut inlays—has zero space for a mechanical CD loading slit.
For music lovers with extensive collections of physical compact discs, this raised immediate concerns. Fortunately, Volvo did not abandon optical media enthusiasts entirely. In this guide, we explore the official factory glovebox CD player option, third-party solutions, and how to convert your CD library into pristine, bit-perfect digital files that sound even better than a spinning disc.
Calculate how many physical CDs you can store on a single USB flash drive for your 2019 XC60, and compare acoustic bitrates against factory optical media.
~160 Full CD Albums
~2,100 Uncompressed Tracks
1,411 kbps (100% CD Match)
Full Embedded ID3 Support
The Official Volvo Factory Glovebox CD Player (Option Code 501)
For the 2019 model year, Volvo offered a dedicated single-disc CD player as an official factory option or dealer-installed accessory (Part Number 31454556):
- Physical Location: Rather than occupying valuable center dashboard real estate, the CD drive is installed inside the glove compartment, recessed into a specialized upper tray.
- Disc Compatibility: Plays standard Red Book Audio CDs, CD-R, and CD-RW discs containing MP3 and WMA audio files.
- Touchscreen Integration: When equipped, inserting a disc activates a dedicated CD Media Tile on the 9-inch Sensus touchscreen. The system retrieves Gracenote metadata to display track names, album titles, and cover art. Full steering wheel buttons allow you to skip tracks and adjust volume effortlessly.
- Retrofit Cost: If your 2019 XC60 was not ordered with Option 501 from the factory, your local Volvo dealership can retrofit the unit. The hardware costs approximately $450–$550, and requires roughly one hour of shop labor plus a software download via Volvo’s VIDA diagnostic system.
Comparison Matrix: Optical CD vs Modern Media Options
| Audio Playback Option | Hardware Required | Maximum Audio Bitrate | Steering Wheel Control | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glovebox CD Player (OEM) | Volvo Option 501 / Part 31454556 | 1,411 kbps (Red Book Audio CD) | Full track skip, shuffle, scan | $550–$800 (Parts + VIDA labor) |
| USB Lossless (FLAC/WAV) | Standard USB flash drive (FAT32) | Up to 4,608 kbps (24-bit/96kHz) | Full album art, artist & genre search | $15–$30 (USB drive only) |
| Apple CarPlay / Android Auto | MFi USB cable + Smartphone | Lossless via Apple Music / Tidal | Voice command (Siri/Google), steering | $0 (Included with vehicle) |
| Bluetooth Audio (A2DP) | Smartphone Bluetooth 4.2 | ~320 kbps (AAC/SBC compression) | Track skip & volume only | $0 (Included with vehicle) |
Bowers & Wilkins and Harman Kardon Acoustic Performance
The 2019 XC60 offered two world-class audio upgrades: a 600-watt, 14-speaker Harman Kardon Premium Sound system, and the flagship 1,100-watt, 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins High Fidelity system featuring a carbon-fiber cone midrange and the iconic dashboard Tweeter-on-Top.
These audio systems feature incredible resolution and low distortion. Standard Bluetooth streaming from YouTube or Spotify uses compressed lossy codecs (SBC/AAC) capped around 256–320 kbps, which discards high-frequency detail and softens bass impact. Playing an uncompressed CD or a 24-bit FLAC file from USB unlocks the true acoustic capability of these speakers, providing breathtaking instrument separation that mimics sitting inside Gothenburg’s Concert Hall.
Summary Verdict: Modern Flexibility Without Sacrificing CD Fidelity
While the 2019 Volvo XC60 does not feature a dashboard CD player, traditionalists can easily install the genuine Volvo glovebox CD player for tactile disc playback. However, for most audiophile owners, copying your albums onto a compact USB thumb drive in FLAC format provides the ultimate combination of bit-perfect CD sound quality, instant touchscreen search, and zero physical clutter.
Why Volvo Phased Out the Physical CD Player on the SPA Platform
When Volvo unveiled the second-generation XC60 for the 2018 model year (riding on the modern Scalable Product Architecture), automotive audio purists were surprised to find the sleek dashboard completely devoid of a compact disc slot. The elimination of the CD drive was driven by three specific engineering and design mandates:
- Center Console Packaging: The SPA platform accommodates a high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack inside the central transmission tunnel for T8 Plug-in Hybrid models. To maintain identical interior dimensions across gas (T5/T6) and hybrid variants, engineers had to eliminate bulky in-dash 6-disc changers and slot-loading optical mechanisms.
- Sensus Touchscreen Integration: The vertically oriented 9.0-inch tablet-style Sensus display required central mounting depth behind the dashboard binnacle, occupying the physical cavity historically reserved for DIN-sized CD transport units.
- Solid-State Transition: High-resolution solid-state flash storage, lossless streaming codecs, and digital USB interfaces offer immunity to road shock, physical disc scratching, and optical laser degradation.
The Rare Factory Solution: The Single-CD Glovebox Optical Drive
Many 2019 XC60 owners remain unaware that Volvo actually engineered an official dealer-installed single-disc CD player accessory (Volvo OEM Part # 31499596). This unit is installed inside the upper compartment of the passenger glovebox, occupying roughly 30% of the upper shelf.
The glovebox optical drive connects directly to the vehicle’s Infotainment Head Unit via a shielded optical bus and dedicated power harness. Once installed, an authorized Volvo dealership must flash software application patch Part # 31499597 via VIDA. This enables a native ‘CD’ tile on the 9-inch Sensus touchscreen, displaying CD-Text track titles, artist metadata, and full steering wheel control integration.
The Audiophile Alternative: Ripping CDs to Lossless FLAC for High-Res USB Audio
For music lovers who own extensive physical CD collections and wish to experience the full acoustic potential of the optional 14-speaker Harman Kardon (600W) or 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins (1,100W) sound systems, converting physical CDs to lossless digital files provides superior fidelity without sacrificing glovebox space.
Optimal CD Ripping Workflow for Volvo Sensus:
- Ripping Software: Use Exact Audio Copy (EAC for Windows) or X Lossless Decoder (XLD for Mac) with AccurateRip calibration to ensure bit-perfect error correction.
- Audio Format: Select FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) at 16-bit / 44.1 kHz. Volvo Sensus natively decodes FLAC, WAV, and WMA Lossless without any digital compression or frequency roll-off.
- Drive Formatting: Format a low-profile miniature USB 3.0 flash drive (such as the SanDisk Ultra Fit 64GB or 128GB) in FAT32 or exFAT.
- Directory Structure: Organize files into folders by
Artist / Album Year - Album Title / TrackNumber - TrackTitle.flac. Sensus automatically reads embedded ID3v2 tags and displays high-resolution embedded album cover art directly on the 9-inch vertical screen.
Supported Lossless Audio Codecs & Flash Drive Partitioning
For music lovers using the XC60’s USB ports for high-resolution audio:
Volvo Sensus natively decodes FLAC, ALAC (Apple Lossless), WAV, and WMA Lossless files at resolutions up to 24-bit / 96 kHz. For seamless indexing, format your USB flash drive as exFAT with a 32KB cluster size. Avoid drives larger than 256GB, as Sensus media indexing databases can experience slight lag when cataloging libraries exceeding 10,000 individual audio tracks.
Optical Laser Lens Maintenance & Disc Care
If your XC60 is optioned with the factory glovebox CD drive, keeping the optical transport clean prevents skipping: use a commercial dry microfiber laser lens cleaning disc every 6 months. Never use wet solvent cleaner discs that can leave residue on the anti-reflective laser optic prism.
Frequently Asked Questions
