“MUMSNET on wheels,” was the way one critic dismissed the XC90. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t supposed to be a product endorsement, but I reckon he might have been onto something.
If you have a growing family of ankle-biters and you can afford the (admittedly) steep asking price why wouldn’t you want to drive an XC90?
It’s packed with state-of-the-art safety kit, has the penthouse-view which SUV drivers like so much, a cabin big enough for seven and a truly amazing amount of tech. Volvo says its new flagship is the first in a new generation of intelligent cars - a motor for the connected world we live in - and it’s not kidding.
Starting with a clean sheet has allowed Volvo’s engineers to create a car that’s as smart as the iPhone in your pocket. In fact, boffins from Apple had a hand in the cabin.
The result is a technological tour de force - albeit a car so packed with innovations that it may be days, or even weeks, before you discover everything it is capable of.
I wasn’t surprised to learn that in America,when a magazine reviews the XC90 Volvo insists on sending a man along to explain all the gadgetry on board.
ON THE ROAD:
The XC90 is a new beginning. It’s also a taste of the future. The first Volvo designed under Chinese ownership it’s built on the company’s new scalable product architecture which means that, even if you can’t afford to buy one now, most of the technology will eventually trickle down to other (cheaper) Volvos spun off the same platform.
First impressions are that it’s huge, especially from the front where the deep imposing grille and T-shaped running lights (supposedly modelled on Thor’s hammer) reminded me of a Rolls Royce. It retains Volvo’s trad boxy proportions in profile, and the wheels look a bit lost in the hulking arches, but overall this is a very impressive piece of work.
From the driver’s seat it doesn’t feel quite so big. The sensible proportions, hefty mirrors and large glass house make it easy to see the XC’s extremities and, anyway, the body has more radar systems than Fylingdales so reversing is a doddle.
Volvo sent the D5 diesel along for testing - there’s very different between it and the T6 petrol in the real world and the diesel’s a lot easier on the old go-juice - because it will account for the lion’s share of UK sales.
The tester was also fitted with Volvo’s optional air suspension. This offers plenty of tinkering potential with user-selectable Eco, Comfort, Off-Road and Dynamic modes. A comfort setting is best for cruising, when the engine is very quiet, but if you want to have fun dynamic mode sharpens the throttle response and tidies up the handling enough to make the XC90 a surprisingly keen steer on tricky B-roads when the car serves up impressive grip and composure. I’m not sure anyone would buy an XC with this kind of thing in mind, but it’s comforting to know the chassis has such deep reserves all the same.
ON THE INSIDE:
It’s been a very long time since I saw a cabin with as great a sense of theatre as this. The seats, crafted from soft leather with movable airbags, wings and buttresses, wouldn’t look out of place on the starship Enterprise, the ignition ‘switch’ is a crystal-cut knob on the centre console and the fascia is dominated by a massive tablet-style touchscreen which takes the place of most of the buttons.
The latter features Apple CarPlay operating system which can mirror your iPhone’s screen and integrates with your favourite online apps, like Spotify and Podcasts. The iPhone’s gimmicky Siri voice control comes into its own in the XC. It can control the music system, read out text messages and even allows you to dictate a reply without taking your hands off the wheel. The touch-screen uses light to register a touch which means it can be operated by someone wearing gloves - handy in the depths of a Swedish winter.
WHAT DO YOU GET:
As well as all the usual (electric everything, sat nav, premium infotainment) the XC90 takes online communication to new heights. For instance, the system can connect to your home wi-fi and update apps in the background. When you visit a Volvo dealer it will connect to the showroom’s network and send the staff a message to say you have arrived - so they can get the red carpet out in good time.
The optional Bowers and Wilkins 19-speaker/ 12-channel audio set-up sounds better than my home hi-fi (which is no slouch in the sound stakes) and the sat nav looks great on the big nine-inch high-res screen.
HOW PRACTICAL IS IT?
Like its predecessor the XC90 is a seven-seater. When you don’t need the third row they fold flat into the floor. Each row is mounted slightly higher than the one in front so everyone gets a good view of the road ahead and the second row seats slide and tilt individually. Volvo uses a sophisticated leaf-spring setup on the rear axle because it frees up more boot space and the fuel tank is mounted as low as possible for the same reason.
And I haven’t the space to describe the safety kit which reaches new heights - such as the accident detection which tightens your seat belt, retracts the brake pedals and compresses the seat to mitigate spinal injuries in the milliseconds before an accident or the automatic brake camera which can stop the car if a dozy passenger walks out in front of you.
RUNNING COSTS:
It’s not cheap to buy but, given the size and performance, the XC90’s day-to-day running costs are impressive: nearly 50mpg and a £180 road tax bill won’t break the bank.
VERDICT:
The cheapest XC90 costs 45 grand and the model tested here is a cool £50,185 before all the costly options (like the 19-speaker sound system). That is a lot of money by anyone’s standards and it pitches the Volvo against some formidable rivals. The old XC90 would have been seriously outclassed in the company of Range Rover, Audi and BMW but this new one is more than capable of standing comparison with other premium brands. Volvo says it has invested $11 billion to renew its model range. If the XC90 is typical I can’t wait to see what else is in store.
Price: £55,185
SPEC: Engine: 1969cc/4-cyl Max power: 225bhp/4250rpm Max torque: 470Nm Top speed: 137mph 0-62mph: 7.8 seconds Fuel consumption: 48.7mpg (official combined) CO2: 152g/km VED: £180
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here