Volvo’s a Swede su
Volvo XC90 is smarter, more high-tech and very sophisticated
VOLVO’S chronically minimalist interior vehicle designs, while functional in the best Scandinavian tradition, haven’t tended to radiate a particularly classy look and feel. To me, Volvo cabins have always felt a little plasticky and low-rent compared to the German brands.
So it was an unexpected surprise when I slid my backside into the cabin of the new XC90 and found that the obligatory Swedish minimalism was presented in a more appealing and upmarket execution. It’s a thing of more substance, without the spartan look that makes as if something’s missing.
Good- quality materials, with double-stitched leather seats and stylish metallic accents, give Volvo’s new SUV a smarter and more sophisticated air, making the inner sanctum more inviting and better in line with a vehicle in the 900-grand price range.
It’s also gone very high tech, with an all- digital instrument panel and a tablet-style infotainment interface. There’s no iDrive- style control knob. All the car’s navigation, entertainment and computer functions are bundled into the touchscreen, where you swipe to select different menus, making it intuitive and quick to learn if you’re familiar with using tablets or smarphones.
The swankier new cabin is large and practical, and four or five full sized adults will happily fit inside the XC90, while there are two foldup kiddie seats in the boot to turn it into an occasional seven-seater. The boot’s a spacious 692 litres (there’s only a space-saver spare wheel, though), and increases to a cargo-gulping 1 057 litres with the seats folded. Even with all seven seats in use there’s a fairly useful 314 litres of luggage space.
Middle-row passengers are well looked after; they get their own climate controls as well as seats with adjustable backrests.
On a styling level the understated new XC90 avoids any shock value. It’s a conservative design that won’t offend Volvo acolytes, although the ‘Thor’s hammer’ LED headlights do add a dash of playfulness.
All XC90s are now powered by 2litre four-cylinder engines, in either diesel or petrol. Two XC90 derivatives are currently available in South Africa – the biturbo D5 diesel with outputs of 165kW and 470Nm, and the supercharged and turbocharged T6 petrol with 235kW and 400Nm. These will be followed late this year by the entry-level D4 diesel (140kW/400Nm) and the high- pressure turbo T5 petrol (187kW/350Nm) and, in the first half of 2016, by the flagship T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid (300kW and 640Nm).
On test here is the petrol-engined T6 Momentum model selling for R867 000.
A 2-litre four-cylinder engine might seem undernourished for a vehicle this size but, in the inter-