’22 Volvo XC90 Recharge does many things well, others not so much
2022 Volvo XC90 Recharge T8 eAWD R-Design: Gas-saving safety box?
Price: $80,900 as tested. Climate package adds heated rear seats and steering wheel and headlight cleaners for $750; Advanced package adds graphical coolness for $1,650; summer tires on 22-inch wheels, $1,100; morenoted throughout.
Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver likes that it “looks like an upper-class SUV, roomy and richly appointed interior, plug-in hybrid’s hasty acceleration,” but not that “gas engines make uncouth noises, uneven roads produce a bumpy ride, rival plug-in hybrids are more efficient.”
Marketer’s pitch: “For life. The plug-in hybrid SUV you trust to protect your family, now protects their future.”
Reality: Depends on your idea of “safe”and “gas saving.”
What’s new: Last tested in Driver’s Seat for the 2020 model year, the XC90 now features just a few packaging changes over the 2021 modelyear.
The brand continues to rack up IIHSsafety awards again and again.
Now, the Recharge also gets a new Extended Range version that almost doubles the pure electric range from 18 to 35 miles. We tested the boring, old18-mile ranger.
Up to speed: The 2.0-liter superand turbo-charged four cylinder engine with a plug-in hybrid provides combined 400 horsepower. The XC90 hits 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, according to a 2021 test on a site I’ve avoided referencing up till now, newcartestdrive.com.
The Extended Range also ups the horsepowerto 455.
Shifty: The 8-speed transmission does its job quietly and without drawingmuch attention to itself.
On the road: Looking back, two yearsago Mr, Driver’s Seat found the XC90 to be rough on the highways. Thistime around, on a couple of trips into Philadelphia, the large SUV handled fairly well and was not at all rough on bumps or road seams. I’m sure this is because of the $1,800 4cornerair suspension.
Though the XC90 sports five drive modes, Constant AWD seemed the bestat first for steady handling.
But after a few days I found Sport mode made the XC90 a delight. It feels like it’s on rails on narrow curvy roads, more than almost any three-row SUV I can recall. And the exhaust note adds a pleasant tone to theride.
Hybrid mode saves the fuel, of course,but it can be a little balky. Not much,but enough to notice.
Sadly, the silver rolly bar that controlled the drive mode seems to have gone, and this is only nested inside the screen now. Not as cumbersome asone might think, but a downgrade.
Driver’s Seat: Aaah, it’s a Volvo. The leather-covered seat cradles the driver and provides a happy home. Last time around we had massage seats, though, but “we” “paid” $6,000 more.
Still,the black dashboard is attractive and luxurious, as are the silver controls and, well, everything. Volvo knowshow to make a cockpit.
Friends and stuff: Middle-row passengers should be reasonably happy in the corners. The seat is comfortable and supportive, and leg, foot and headroom and all wonderful. The seats are a tad narrow and theseatback fairly straight.
The middle passenger won’t be so delighted, suffering a small removable seat, a tall floor hump and an intrusive console. At least the whole rowshifts forward and backward.
That won’t help the third-row passengers much. The accommodations back there feature tight legroom, headroom,foot room and knee room, although the seat itself is as soft as theothers.
The XC90 does require extrastrength operators, though. While standing in the Ikea parking lot — side note: did you ever try finding a dark blue Volvo XC90 in an Ikea parking lot? They’re, like, every other car — I found folding, moving and adjusting the seats took some force.
In back, you’ll find room for 12.6 cubic feet, 35.6 behind the second row, and 65.5 for flatpack furniture behindthe first.
Play some tunes: Volvoremains committed to its vertical, iPad-looking infotainment center. Among touchscreen-based systems, it’s one ofthe most intuitive to operate.
Eitherit’s getting better or I am, as I had less trouble than usual swiping through choices without accidentallypicking something.
The $3,200 Bowers and Wilkins Premium Sound system is listed as a separate line item over the Harman Kardon Premium Sound that’s included with the R-Design packaging. Whether all four of those great names had a hand in things or whether two of them elbow out the others (personally, I’d root for Harman Wilkins at this point), sound is excellent, about an A-, with all manner of equalizer adjustments and concert hall settings.
Keeping warm and cool: It’s all touchscreenfor these controls, so not too easy to follow along while driving.
Fuel economy: Mr. Driver’s Seat averaged about 24 mpg with a couple of trips to Philadelphia, mostly highway but with some stop-and-go and countryroad driving.
Where it’s built: Gothenburg, Sweden
How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the XC90 reliability to bea 1 out of 5.
In the end: It’s hard to consider something a safe choice when the reliability rating is this low. Too bad, because it’s a beautiful, comfortable vehicle, although the electro-sippinessis also suspect.
Maybe the Extended Range will solvethat problem.