Item: Volvo XC90 2015 - present
Rating: 4

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Plush, mature and packed full of usable technology, the second-generation Volvo XC90 arrived as a serious statement of intent back in 2015, delivering performance, practicality, style and efficiency in a way that made it the definitive all-rounder in a segment brimming with talent.

But it also landed at a tricky time for Volvo: the firm was still trying to find its feet after a takeover by Chinese car giant Geely, and any successor to the original XC90 needed to hit the ground running as the seven-seater had grown into one of the brand’s best-selling models.

Volvo didn’t hold back. The XC90 got an all-new platform, complete redesign, electronic overhaul and revamped line of engines, accompanied by an upmarket interior in a bid to outdo the likes of the BMW X5, Land Rover Discovery and Audi Q7.

The effort paid off, to such an extent that it’s still on sale today – albeit following some chunky updates over the past few years.

But while the starting price for the latest version is a heady £64,000, you can grab yourself an early car for as little as £14,000.

When we first road tested the XC90, we were impressed by its 222bhp four-cylinder turbo diesel.

While it was down 500cc over the old five-pot, the oil-burner had more than enough gusto and was at the front of the class for throttle response.

Acceleration was helped by the XC90 being leaner than cars like the Land Rover Discovery 4, which was 274kg heavier.

We felt the performance was a little at odds with the slightly sluggish gearbox, though.

In the main, it was easy to get along with, but when you asked for more oomph, the eight-speed gearbox was a little slow to respond.

The ride was a mixed bag too. The standard car was by no means uncomfortable: it was just stiffly sprung for a Volvo – a side effect of which was that it could carve corners like the more dynamically inclined BMW X5.

With air springs fitted, the XC90 was far more settled at higher speeds and soaked up lumps and bumps around town more confidently – more in keeping with the character you would expect.

There was also the T6, a four-cylinder petrol that made 316bhp, and the tax-busting T8 plug-in hybrid, which had 401bhp, a 0-62mph time of 5.9sec and an EV-only range of 24 miles.

If you don’t need the financial benefits of a plug-in, a diesel will deliver more than enough punch – especially the later 232bhp PowerPulse D5 – and reasonable fuel economy. You can expect around 36mpg.

Volvo rolled out the subtlest of facelifts in 2019, adjusting the engine line-up in the process. The D5 was replaced by the 232bhp B5 and the T6 was dropped for the 247bhp B5P, both mild hybrids.

Step inside and you were met with a cabin that was superbly crafted, well configured and easy to use, yet it was also plush and stayed true to Volvo’s minimalist Scandi-cool vibe.

Pleasingly, the central 9.0in touchscreen was simple to operate, and a selection of physical buttons for some of the secondary controls meant the XC90 scored well in terms of usability.

The rear of the cabin was impressively spacious, and the car’s boxy silhouette meant that third-row passengers had more than enough head room.

Throw in the XC90’s huge, 775-litre boot and endless cubbyholes, and it made for a highly compelling large SUV.

As premium seven-seaters go, the second-generation XC90 is right up there with the best, and now that the new model is on its way, you should be able to grab this crackerjack all-rounder for a reasonable price.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 8

Used Volvo XC90 2015 - present review

A very impressive all-rounder with its own distinctive appeal

Good

Genuine seven-seat cabin

Four-cylinder engine not overawed

Confidence inspiring and comfortable

Bad

Refinement could be better

Poor sat-nav usability

Undistinguished cabin plastics

RELIABILITY

Is the Volvo XC90 reliable?

The XC90 is a well-built family SUV that has a strong reliability record. In the What Car? reliability survey it finished fifth out of 12 cars in the seven-seater category.

The other good news is that Volvo has a wide dealer network which means that sourcing parts shouldn't be an issue.

Gearbox: Run the eight-speed automatic up through the gears quickly and feel for any jerky shifts or a slow throttle response.

Suspension: Make sure the air suspension is working normally as compressors can fail and are expensive to replace.

Otherwise, it’s standard big SUV fare: check all the rubbers and dampers for signs of excessive wear.

Brakes: Non-hybrid models are prone to excessive brake wear, so pads and discs have to be changed regularly. Check when they were last swapped and listen out for any brake squeal on a test drive.

Software: Ensure the car has the latest software update and keep an eye out for any quirks, like an errant headlight malfunction warning or a faulty start/stop system.

Interior: Sunroof drains can get blocked by leaves and dirt, causing a leak inside the car. Water can collect on top of the dashboard and headliner, so look out for any discolouration as an indication of previous leak repair.

Touchscreen: Central display can become inoperative, meaning you can’t use the sat-nav or climate controls, or can become laggy due to technical glitches. This is often resolved by turning the car on and off again. Look out for any latency issues.

An expert’s view

Richard Brooks, DMW Cars: “Petrol engines are the most reliable. Plug-ins are a law unto themselves, with issues relating to the hybrid components.

“With the hybrids, if a car is around four years old and it’s just gone outside of its warranty, Volvo may contribute to the cost of the repair as a gesture of goodwill. The electric rear drive axle is the weak part of the hybrid system, and if it packs up Volvo can sometimes pay 50% of the bill as it’s a £4000 repair.

“With diesels, we tend to see problems with the EGR or the AdBlue systems. I would stick with a basic petrol engine as they are typically the most reliable. The diesels are also hit with high road tax, but they tend to suit customers who cover big miles.”

Also worth knowing

Three trims were available from launch: Momentum, R-Design and Inscription, with the line-up later changing to Core, Ultimate and Plus to fall in line with the XC40.

We’d recommend Momentum trim, which gets you the important creature comforts, such as adaptive cruise control, LED headlights, leather seats, front and rear parking sensors and a powered bootlid.

Post-2020 cars are fitted with a more powerful operating system and, while not totally immune to software glitches, aren’t affected as much as pre-facelift cars.

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Chunky, handsome exterior

Lighter safer and bigger thanks to updated platform

Cons

Design didn't move XC90 on greatly

No five-cylinder or V8

Althought the second-gen XC90 was new in every conceivable way, it wasn't a dramatic visual departure from its predecessor.

It was essentially a tweaked translation of the original brief: a big, squarish and high-shouldered seven-seater in the Volvo mould.

With utilitarian good looks and neat touches like the standard ‘Thor hammer’ LED headlights, the Volvo did stand out against the the bland-athon that included everything from the Audi Q7 and the Kia Sorento.

The underpinnings were far more novel. The XC90 was the first car to sit on Volvo’s SPAR (Scaleable Product Architecture) modular platform.

This technology claimed to use a higher percentage of hot-formed boron steel than any other manufacturer and allowed the XC90 to be larger, lighter, safer and better balanced.

The platform also enabled shorter overhangs and a longer wheelbase, a layout helped by the engine bay’s need to be big enough for only four-cylinder engines.

Preservation of interior space and weight reduction also allowed for the use of a transverse composite leaf spring in the rear axle.

Volvo was adamant that its design, when incorporated into a multi-link suspension setup, meant it had less of an impact on third-row space.

Alternatively, you could have air suspension, which offered a range of driver settings that included the ability to raise the body by 40mm in off-road mode.

Although it was never intended for the muddy stuff, the XC90 was initially be four-wheel drive only.

Its on-demand system was based around a fifth-generation Haldex couplings that was capable of sending 100% of torque to the rear.

The hybrid T8 was different becuase its all-wheel abilty came from an 81bhp electric motor on the back axle.

Up front, the T8 used the same 317bhp petrol engine found in the T6.

Sharing an identical four-cylinder architecture with its diesel equivalent, the unit employed turbocharging and supercharging to improve on the output of its predecessor’s V8 while emitting just 179g/km CO2.

The diesel D5 went even further.

The unit developed 222bhp and 347lb ft of torque for CO2 of 149g/km, putting the two-tonne XC90 on a par with a two-wheel-drive BMW X5.

INTERIOR

Pros

Cavernous interior is roomy and practical

Uncluttered dashboard is functional and straightforward

Cons

Lower trims feel a little austere

Electrically operated back seats not standard

The challenge for Volvo here was even greater.

The XC90’s rivals included the cut-glass-cool Audi Q7 and a growing range of Land Rover products that had a firmer grip on modern British design than Sir Norman Foster.

The XC90’s cabin had already earned serious praise but, aesthetically speaking, at the lower trim level, it didn't quite scale the imagination of either.

Instead, in typically understated Swedish way, is made everything as pleasant to use and as thoughtfully positioned as it could possibly be – often with an idiosyncratic tweak that you wouldn't find anywhere else.

A large multimedia screen allowed the Swedes to follow their inclination for tidying and clean surfaces, the switchgear having been reduced almost to the legal requirement while leaving the basic media controls we all endlessly push.

The effect was as uncluttered and pleasing as an electric sauna heater and almost as simple.

Some features – not least the gear selector and huge steering wheel controls – felt like the requirement for function had overawed eye-pleasing design, but equally there didn't seem to be much you’ll complain about a year down the line.

The rear of the cabin was a similarly strong statement in common sense and far more spacious than, say, a Land Rover Discovery Sport.

Volvo’s devotion to boxiness payed off, particularly in the third row of seats, where adults could easily find a comfortable seating position.

A thinned-down design meant that the jump seats were the same as those in the second row, albeit without the adjustability.

The second row could slide and tilt, and everything folded flat to leave a pleasingly level load space.

Currently, it required a modicum of grunting and lever pulling to put everything back where it was (electrically operated back seats were an option for the future) and you’ll still have to climb in to remove the boot cover, but that was pretty much par for the course.

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

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Solid power and performance

Lighter than rivals

Cons

Clattery diesel engine

Languid auto gearbox

Even though the mk2 XC90 was it was down by a cylinder and almost half a litre of capacity, it still had the power, performance, fuel economy and emissions to enable it to compete with the best in the field.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel’s 222bhp was above average for the sector, in which about 200bhp is the norm.

And it was enough to give the Volvo a 0-60mph time of 8.3sec in our hands.

You can probably assume that the work of Volvo’s body engineers was coming to the fore here.

The XC90 tipped the scales at a respectable 2076kg – more than the 2009kg claimed but well below the Mercedes’ 2350kg and half a tonne less than a full-fat Land Rover Discovery.

That relative leanness meant the Volvo was one of the most alert cars in the class in response to the throttle.

It would accelerate from 30-70mph through the gears in only 8.3sec. The ML took more than a second longer.

That performance, though, was slightly at odds with the feel you got from the gearbox.

Mostly, the XC90’s eight-speed automatic was an easy thing to get along with.

But when asked for more than moderate performance, the gearbox could be a touch slow to respond unless you were extremely firm with your demands.

There’s no immediate ‘S’ alternative, so you have to head into the drive menus and ask for the car’s responses to be sharpened, by which time the opportunity to overtake or that short stretch of enjoyable road had probably passed.

It wasn't the quietest engine in the world, either. The Volvo’s note was more clattery than that of the X5 and Discovery, although it was well within the bounds of acceptability.

We had no complaints about the brakes, though. The XC90 stopped strongly, straight and true.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Excellent body control

Precise steering and good level of grip

Cons

Steel/coil sprung setup is firm

Ride unsettled by potholes and imperfections

It's ride and handling were a mixed bag. At times we were extremely impressed with the way the Volvo went about things.

Air suspension offered an improved high-speed ride as well as a better secondary town ride over the steel sprung model, which involvoed more patter than we’d have expected on a car in this class.

It wasn't uncomfortable – far from it – but when you consider the BMW X5 was the most dynamic and pseudo-sporting car in this class, it was unusual to find the Volvo could challenge it on a B-road for being the firmest and most intrusive car in the class at the time.

There was more body and ride isolation in a Discovery, by far.

The Volvo was rather more competitive when it came to body control. It felt like a large passenger car, rather than an out-and-out 4x4, absorbing bumps and crests without float or wallow.

It steered consistently and, at three turns lock to lock, had the kind of steering speed that those coming from an estate car – or an X5 – would be entirely familiar with. Its responses were consistent and linear as well.

Likewise, agility and handling would make those who arrived from a family car feel at home, and those who came from the old XC90 think it was a borderline revelation.

The XC90 gripped well and changed direction without fuss– but also without any great feedback. Nearer its limit, it was safe and predictable.

There was no great enjoyment to be had here, but there was plenty of security and maturity.

Just be sure you can live with the ride of the steel/composite-sprung car.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

The second-gen Volvo XC90 presented itself with far better owernship costs than its predecessor.

The entry-level diesel test car was beaten on CO2-derived company car tax liability only by BMW’s two-wheel-drive X5 sDrive25d.

It was considerably lighter on the pocket than most direct rivals.

In real-world conditions, the XC90 could average 36.5mpg, a commendable economy figure for a two-tonne seven-seater.

The Volvo was well priced against its rivals but also well equipped, getting all seven seats, four-wheel drive, LED headlights and Volvo’s excellent 9.0intouchscreen multimedia system as standard.

Nowadays, early models start from around £13,000, with post-2020 facelifted cars commanding a slight premium.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 8

Used Volvo XC90 2015 - present review

A very impressive all-rounder with its own distinctive appeal

Good

Genuine seven-seat cabin

Four-cylinder engine not overawed

Confidence inspiring and comfortable

Bad

Refinement could be better

Poor sat-nav usability

Undistinguished cabin plastics

The original XC90 catapulted Volvo’s brand values – safety, practicality, clear-headedness – into new territory. It worked because it made eminent sense and buyers grasped it immediately.

The second-generation car, for all the investment and tech push, won’t have them straining their imaginations, either.

One imagines Volvo’s modus operandi was roughly similar to Land Rover’s when it came to the new Range Rover: it needed to be the same, but better.

In that, Volvo had succeeded admirably. Sound judgement – in performance, spaciousness, efficiency, styling and cabin ambience – was as unmistakable as lacquer on pine.

There were niggles, certainly, but no more than you’d expect from a car developed briskly, on a budget and bulging with modern features.

Volvo, with quiet rationality and no little ambition, had nailed it.