VOLVO XC90
Swedish seven-seater offers an appealing take on the large SUV theme. Mark Pearson explores its manifest charms
Volvo may have pulled off many splendid tricks with this secondgeneration XC90 – notably its impressive refinement, amazing practicality, sybaritic luxury and seven wholesome and very usable seats – but the trick for which it should really be applauded is how it makes this artlessly slabsided but space-maximising luxury SUV look so devilishly handsome. The first-generation XC90 was a bit of a peach to look at, too: all fruity and softly rounded. This later one is a larger, more purposeful and muscular four-square chariot clearly intent on doing whatever it takes to barge the likes of the Audi Q7 out of the arena. The XC90 also pulls off the trick of being properly aspirational and desirable, despite never offering any more than a four-cylinder engine under its imperious bonnet. Buy an older one and it makes for a terrific used buy, too, with prices way under half what you would pay for a new one. And there’s plenty of justification for doing so. On the road, all of those four-pot engines are smooth and offer decent performance. Delivering plenty of low-rev pull, the diesel (D5 or B5) is an impressive performer. It picks up quickly, and getting up to motorway speeds is an effortless experience. The T8 hybrid has plenty of shove too. The only flaw in its otherwise admirable comfort is that larger imperfections can be felt at lower speeds, even on XC90S equipped with air suspension. It’s worth pointing out that versions with smaller wheels tend to ride better than those with the larger wheel option. It’s perhaps not surprising that the XC90 can’t match the sportier BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne for outright handling finesse, but it’s on a par with the Audi Q7 and much
OUR TOP SPEC MOMENTUM
Go for Momentum trim, which gives you all the equipment you’ll need (and more) while being the cheapest on the used car forecourts.