Car: Volvo XC90 3.2
Prices: £36,453-£46,525 - on the road
Insurance Group: 16
Emissions: 281g/km
Performance: Max Speed 130mph / 0-60mph 8.9s
Fuel Consumption: [Geartronic] (urban) 16.8mpg / (extra urban) 31.7mpg /(combined) 23.9mpg
Safety: Front & side airbags / ABS / SIPS / WHIPS
Dimensions: Length/Width/Heightmm 4733/1860/1562mm
PETROLEUM SPIRIT
Our Rating: 7.4 / 10
A big offroader with powerful petrol power will be a turn-off for cost-conscious buyers but give Volvo’s XC90 3.2-litre a chance and you might like it. Steve Walker reports…
Diesel is fast becoming the default fuel for buyers of large family 4x4s in this country, particularly for those who aren’t blessed with a bank account of the bottomless variety. The superior fuel economy along with the lower CO2 emissions and the improving refinement of modern oil-burning engines all play their part but where does all this leave petrol? It’s true that petrol engines deliver better performance but do we really want performance in a big family-orientated offroader? Volvo obviously think some of us do and their plush XC90 4x4 is better equipped than most to handle it. That’s why they offer the latest model with a sweet 3.2-litre straight-six petrol engine.
Volvo’s XC90 occupies a curious position in the large 4x4 arena. Its pricing, equipment levels and interior quality match it squarely up against luxury 4x4 models like BMW’s X5 and the Mercedes M-Class but the Volvo also offers seven seats mounted in a versatile interior that’s more MPV than 4x4. Its off road ability is best described a patchy but on the tarmac it displays a high degree of composure and refinement that’s on a par with many executive saloons. It’s a hard one to nail down and no mistake but this unorthodox collection of abilities has won the XC90 a large and loyal following in the UK.
The 3.2-litre petrol engine sits slap bang in the middle of the XC90 engine range, above the big selling D5 diesel and below the 4.4-litre V8 that was introduced to give the car added impetus at the very top end of the luxury 4x4 segment. The majority of buyers will discount the V8 straight off the bat, or at least as soon as they get their heads around the 20mpg combined fuel economy. The 3.2-litre is more economical but not by much, posting an average in the region of 24mpg compared to the 34mpg you should expect from the diesel. Emissions may be another sticking point, with the 3.2 engine producing 281g/km of CO2 and the D5 pumping out 219g/km. Also counting against the V8 is the hefty premium of nearly £8,000 that it commands over the 3.2-litre but with the 3.2 requiring only an extra £1,000 in addition to the oil-burner’s asking price, buyers are presented with an interesting conundrum.
With 235bhp on tap, this straight-six engine is not lacking in power, which it deploys through Volvo’s ‘Geartronic’ automatic transmission (there’s no manual option). It will get the XC90 to 60mph in 8.9s before running out of puff at 130mph. The 182bhp D5 diesel requires 10.3s to hit the 60mph barrier and eventually achieves a 121mph top speed so the additional £1,000 outlay gets you a whole lot of extra capability.
Unlike many large 4x4 vehicles, the XC90 is well equipped to take full advantage of its engines’ power output. It can’t quite match the BMW X5 which is widely regarded as the class benchmark for on-road handling but it isn’t too far off. The car is not averse to being hurried down a fast B-road, although twistier sections unsettle it a tad, but its key strengths are ride and refinement. The 3.2-litre engine is smooth in its power delivery and pleasantly hushed when cruising, while the XC90’s suspension does a great job of ironing-out the road surface to keep passengers comfortable.
With the XC90’s entry-level S trim reserved for the cost-effective D5 diesel engine, the 3.2-litre straight-six powerplant enters the equation at the SE trim level priced from £36,435. Here there’s leather faced seats with electric adjustment for the driver’s seat and a 6 CD autochanger in addition to the generous standard specification. 18" alloys also feature to boost the exterior appearance. Above the SE sits the SE Sport with its sharper responses and more dynamic appearance. Next comes the SE Lux with its full leather upholstery, heated front seats, Bi-Xenon headlamps and various cosmetic titbits, then you have the Executive which really is crammed with high-tech features.
The XC90’s cabin really is excellent, the most versatile of any large 4x4. The rearmost row of seats is really only suitable for kids but leg and headroom elsewhere is plentiful. That rear row can be folded down so that it completely disappears under the floor leaving an extensive load area, whil
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