Volvo XC90

Distinctive Volvo front end.

Eamonn Wall gets behind the wheel of the diesel B5 version of Volvos largest vehicle.

HIGH FIVE!

The B5 is a slightly enhanced version of the superseded D5 4-cylinder 2-litre diesel engine previously available in the XC90 and some other Volvos too. Confusingly, it is also available in petrol version. So, you really now have a B5(D) and a B5(P), and a petrol plug-in hybrid – the T8.

The XC90 has been a great success for Volvo, and this second version replaced the original model a few years ago and will itself be replaced next year. It is the second-best selling Volvo vehicle attracting around 80,000 customers annually worldwide. The smaller, or less large, I should say, XC60 is its best seller.

Prices for the XC90 start off at £57,485 for the B5(P) and £61,535 for the slightly higher spec B5(D). The model I was given to test was a top-of-the-range Inscription Pro version priced at £66,385 and £72,895 including extras.

The updated B5 diesel engine comes with mild hybrid assistance which you don’t really notice but helps the engine provide a healthy 235bhp and 480 newton metres of torque. It is certainly a fast car sprinting to 60mph in 7.1 seconds with a top speed of 112mph. A few years ago Volvo decided that it would limit its cars’ top speed to 112 mph which seems a good idea. The fuel tank holds 71 litres, and the Ad blue tank 11.7 litres. My land Rover Discovery uses about one litre of Ad blue per thousand miles. Fuel consumption varies naturally but averaged about 35 mpg in my hands. Automatic gearbox and automatic 4WD come as standard.

Ground clearance at 217mm is 6mm higher than the smaller XC60 but the long wheel base of the longer XC90 will limit its off road capabilities. I think it is best treated as a tough estate car rather than an off roader, which it is not. You would not take it off road in the same manner as the useful Discovery. It weighs in at 2101kg and can tow up to 2700kg for a braked trailer.

The XC90 is 4953mm long and 2140mm wide, so it is a large vehicle. Its exterior design is very well executed and hides its large size to some extent. It is one on the better-looking vehicles on the market today. All XC90s come with three rows of seating and thus appeals to folk carting about large numbers of large kids. In some ways it feels like a minibus when driving it, as it is so large. The boot is huge and becomes vast when all the seats are folded. When the third row of seats are erected, the boot obviously reduces in volume and would not be large enough to accommodate the luggage of seven people.

Volvo interior design has been very well executed since the times of the first V70. The current design introduced on the second generation of the XC90 has been rolled out in all Volvo’s vehicles since which include XC60, XC40, V90 and V60. On the model tested here, the interior is sumptuous but I felt the door card was over designed. There are few dash buttons with all functions accessed via the large LED screen. I would prefer a few more easy accessible buttons for the heating and ventilation. However, overall it is a lovely interior.

The XC90 drives very well and rides a little firmer than expected. This does enhance the handling and so the vehicle can be easily driven briskly on a twisting road unlike its forbear which lost composure pretty quickly. The engine noise is subdued and better insulated than on the XC60 where it can be a bit whinny. Visibility out is good, but I did find it a little compromised in that it was not always easy to place the vehicle in tight spots. Overall, it is a very comfortable vehicle to spend time with as long as the off roading is mild.

Yes indeed the XC90 is a great looking vehicle and a very useful people carrier and tough 4wd estate car. Its size will be its attraction but for me it is perhaps too big for the UK. Nice car!

Eamonn Wall is a forestry and arboricultural consultant and managing director of Eamonn Walll & Co.

Large boot for sure

Comfortable interior

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