Volvo XC90 Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Volvo XC90 range
Prices: £32,845-£54,550 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 15-18
Emissions: 219-322g/km
Performance: (V8) Max Speed 149mph / 0-60mph 6.8s
Fuel Consumption: (D5 Geartronic) (urban) 23.7mpg / (extra urban) 37.7mpg /(combined) 31.0mpg
Safety: Front & side airbags / ABS / SIPS / WHIPS
Dimensions: Length/Width/Heightmm 4733/1860/1562mm

XC BEAST

Our Rating: 7.6 / 10

The Volvo XC90 has been steadily evolved since its introduction in 2002. Andy Enright checks out the latest version

Volvo, it seems, takes exception to the maxim that you don’t mess with a winning formula. The XC90 has been the Swedish company’s biggest recent success, with demand way outstripping supply, but it’s also a product that debuted in 2002, aeons ago in the motoring world. Since that time, we’ve seen all manner of new entrants in the luxury 4x4 market and Volvo has tinkered with the basic package in an attempt to keep the XC90 fresh.

It’s still a seven seater. And it still isn’t really designed for heavy off road work. A few years back, there was a facelift, both inside and out. For the latest model year, the improvements are more subtle. There’s a lower CO2 figure for the D5 Geartronic diesel variant that most customers buy, the introduction of the sports-inspired R-DESIGN trim level, plus a wider palate of exterior colours, alloy wheels and options giving buyers more choice.  

Engines in the luxury 4x4 sector have a lot to contend with but Volvo feels that the XC90s are well up to the challenge. The 183bhp D5 diesel stalwart continues in the latest model with its muscular 400Nm torque rating. This unit boasts a CO2 figure of 219g/km and now in automatic ‘Geartronic’ form, it puts out just 224g/km. This means that the XC90 is the only premium standard 7-seat SUV available which achieves a sub 225g/km figure in both manual and automatic transmissions.

This CO2 figure means the D5 Geartronic engine falls below the key Band G threshold for Vehicle Excise Duty, saving new Volvo XC90 owners £570 in Vehicle Excise Duty over three years.  This model will now also avoid the daily £25 London Emissions Related Congestion Charge (ERCC), saving owners around the Capital several hundreds of pounds in annual congestion charges as well as qualifying for the 90% discount for London residents.

Want a petrol model? The entry-level petrol unit is a 236bhp 3.2-litre straight six powerplant, built at Bridgend in Wales. Largely constructed of aluminium, this lightweight yet punchy engine is smaller than the old five-cylinder lump and thanks to Variable Cam Timing and Cam Profile Switching, it’s a good deal more efficient. The 0-60mph sprint takes 8.9s but if you need more speed. Volvo has also unleashed a big hitter in the form of a 311bhp 4.4-litre V8 engine. It can hit 60mph form standstill in under seven seconds with a hefty 440Nm of torque chiming in nicely at 3,900rpm.

Volvo’s first V8, the XC90’s flagship engine is something rather special. Its narrow V-configuration means that it’s possible – as with all Volvo engines – for it to be mounted transversely and still offer excellent crash protection space in the front crumple zone. With the block and the head cast in aluminium, this engine weighs in at just 190kg. Low weight means better handling, sharper acceleration, improved fuel economy and lower emissions.

While it may seem a little counter to Volvo’s tree-hugging image to sell a brash V8 ‘SUV’, this XC90 has a social conscience of sorts. One of the cleanest V8 engines on general release, it meets stringent American ULEV II (Ultra Low Emission Vehicles II) standards thanks to four catalytic converters, a lean air/fuel mix for cold starting and a higher idling speed at cold start. Volvo’s engineers had identified that the first 15-20 seconds after starting was when the majority of harmful emissions were created and have w