Volvo XC90 review

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Spacious seven-seat SUV has been facelifted again. Is it still a must-have accessory for the well-heeled?

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We’re at a remarkable point in the Volvo XC90’s life. Back in 2015, when this second-generation car was first released, it was cutting-edge and Volvo was a company largely left to its own devices by parent company Geely.

Today, things have changed drastically. It's the electric Volvo EX90 that's the latest shiny new big SUV, while Geely has wormed its way into Volvo’s range with the EX30 and EM90, both of which are made in China and share platforms with other Geely products.

So, 2015 was a long time ago and the XC90 has changed considerably since. Diesel is now a no-no and you will find only mild-hybrid petrol and plug-in hybrid models.

A recent facelift has sharpened up the front end and given it a new infotainment system and some suspension changes too.

The market, too, has moved on a lot since 2015. The XC90, being a seven-seat SUV available with a 44-mile PHEV powertrain, has lots of competition. 

Seven-seat PHEV SUVs are pretty much limited to the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento. Seven-seat MPVs such as the Volkswagen Multivan are likely on similar shopping lists. And even electric SUVs such as the Kia EV9 and Volvo's own EX90 are likely to be cross-shopped. Good old fashioned seven-seat SUVs such as the Land Rover Discovery are also obvious rivals.

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DESIGN & STYLING

volvo xc90 005

This facelifted XC90 is essentially a tweaked translation of the original brief: a big, squarish and high-shouldered seven-seater in the Volvo mould.

Up front there’s a new grille and light signature, while inside drivers are treated to a new touchscreen, more of which can be read about in the interior section.

There’s a new passive suspension system too, which now includes frequency-selective damping (FSD) for the first time. This allows the shock absorber to vary its own damping, yet it's completely passive; there are no sensors. 

Alternatively, Volvo offers air suspension that does away with the leaf spring at the rear and the coil springs in the front wishbones and offers a range of driver settings that include the ability to raise the body by 40mm in off-road mode.

There are three trim levels to choose from (Core, Plus and Ultra) and mild-hybrid petrol (B5) or plug-in hybrid (T8) power. All three trim levels are available with both engine options. All XC90s come with four-wheel drive.

INTERIOR

volvo xc90 011

The XC90’s cabin is delightfully and typically understated and pleasant to use and is as thoughtfully positioned as it could possibly be.

The new 11.2in portrait touchscreen has allowed the Swedes to follow their inclination for tidy and clean surfaces.

It’s powered by Google, which means things such as Google Maps are inbuilt – although Apple CarPlay is available too. 

The portrait orientation is mostly fine, but when you’re following a map, the instructions are in landscape, meaning they only ever take up the top half of the screen and the bottom half looks a bit bare.

One physical shortcut button returns you to a home screen consisting of sat-nav, media, phone and economy tabs (with heating, ventilation and air-con controls a permanent fixture at the bottom).

Volvo’s devotion to boxiness pays off, particularly in the third row of seats, where all 5ft 8in of our modest-sized road tester was accommodated with room to spare (if impinging somewhat on the leg room of the passenger ahead) and in some comfort.

The second row slides and tilts and everything folds flat to leave a pleasingly level load space.

The tailgate, helpfully, is powered as standard and can be operated with a waggled foot beneath the bumper.

Boot space shrinks in the PHEV. The B5 offers 302 litres of space with all seven seats in place and 680 litres with the rear two seats stowed into the floor. With the T8 these figures shrink to 262 and 640 respectively. There’s not a massive amount in it, but it is worth bearing in mind if you regularly travel with seven people.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

volvo xc90 007

The B5 is a 2.0-litre mild-hybrid petrol with 247bhp and 267lb ft of torque. Officially, it will crack the 0-62mph test in less than 8.0sec.

It is fast enough. It pulls well from most speeds, but you would struggle to break traction in the dry.

It does sound very strained under hard acceleration, but apart from that it’s a solid choice.

The T8 combines a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to make a combined 461bhp. This offers a sub 5.5-second 0-62mph time, and it feels every bit as quick as the time suggests.

There’s a real surge when the two power sources combine and its overtaking ability, say from 30-70mph, is impressive.

It too sounds coarse, but it's broadly quieter than the B5, as the electric power often chivvies in to offer some assistance.

The performance, though, is slightly at odds with the feel you get from the gearbox. Mostly, the XC90’s eight-speed automatic is an easy thing to get along with: you stick it in ‘D’ and leave it at that.

But when you ask for more than moderate performance, the gearbox can be a touch slow to respond unless you’re extremely firm with your demands.

There are no complaints about the brakes, though. The XC90 always stops strongly, straight and true.

RIDE & HANDLING

volvo xc90 004

Volvo’s passive suspension has had a bit of a glow-up. The company felt the old set-up was too tight on the road, so it has softened the springs and tightened the damping.

It has worked wonders. The suspension is now very good and the car feels lighter on its feet. There’s less pitter-patter at low speed on loose surfaces and in general it just feels like a large car, rather than an out-and-out 4x4, absorbing bumps and crests without too much float or wallow.

Air suspension offers an improved high-speed ride as well as a better secondary ride in town. Isolation, in terms of feel and noise, is markedly better and it allows for different off-roading modes. This is the one to go for, money no option, but the difference between the two set-ups is nowhere near as stark as it once was.

If you would like to know quite how comfort-oriented the XC90 is, the firmness of the air suspension doesn’t change when you select the car’s most performance-oriented drive mode.

It steers consistently and, at three turns lock to lock, has the kind of steering speed that those coming from an estate car – or a BMW X5 – will be entirely familiar with. Its responses are consistent and linear as well.

The XC90 grips well and changes direction without fuss, if also without any great feedback.

Nearer its limit, it’s safe and predictable, exactly as a Volvo should be. There’s no great enjoyment to be had here, but there is plenty of security and maturity.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

volvo xc90 001

The T8’s 14.7kWh (usable) battery can be charged from 0-100% in three hours on a home charger and will officially offer 44 miles of electric range.

Official MPG figures aren’t in yet, but this should result in some good numbers - assuming that you actually charge the battery.

We’re yet to do any MPG testing with a flat battery, but previous experience from the pre-facelift XC90 proved that MPG figures as low as 20 were easily achievable. 

The B5’s WLTP score of 32.8mpg is hardly stellar, and we suspect it will be more like 30mpg in day-to-day driving.

VERDICT

volvo xc90 008

Volvo recently gave up on plans to go fully electric by 2030, and with the XC90 you can see why. 

Volvo XC90 news

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Top 10 best seven-seat cars: driven and ranked
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New petrol Volvo XC90 revealed as firm hints at ICE sales after 2030
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Volvo XC90 facelift to be unveiled on 4 September
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The best luxury SUVs - driven, rated and ranked

It truly is the car Volvo can’t afford to stop making. The improvements – especially the infotainment and passive suspension set-up – are well judged and it’s still, as ever, a supreme product.

There are niggles, though. The PHEV versions of the X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE offer longer electric range (more than 60 miles, compared with 43) and better fuel economy. Top-of-the-range PHEV XC90s are kicking on for £85,000, too, and that may well leave some people feeling short-changed when the engine is just a four-cylinder.

The XC90 is still the SUV of choice for the family car buyer with a minimalist design ethos. But ultimately some PHEV owners will look at the X5 and GLE and put their money there, while those looking at the B5 might choose to save a bit of money and go with the Land Rover Discovery.

Murray Scullion

Murray Scullion
Title: Digital editor

Murray has been a journalist for more than a decade. During that time he’s written for magazines, newspapers and websites, but he now finds himself as Autocar’s digital editor.

He leads the output of the website and contributes to all other digital aspects, including the social media channels, podcasts and videos. During his time he has reviewed cars ranging from £50 - £500,000, including Austin Allegros and Ferrari 812 Superfasts. He has also interviewed F1 megastars, knows his PCPs from his HPs and has written, researched and experimented with behavioural surplus and driverless technology.

Murray graduated from the University of Derby with a BA in Journalism in 2014 and has previously written for Classic Car Weekly, Modern Classics Magazine, buyacar.co.uk, parkers.co.uk and CAR Magazine, as well as carmagazine.co.uk.

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