The Volvo XC90 T5 all-wheel drive Inscription
Volvo XC90: Lots of Tech, Lots of Combos
In the interest of complete transparency, I’ve owned a couple of Volvos. One was a nightmare first-gen S40, and it was plagued with so many problems I ditched it. After swearing I’d never own another, several years later I bought a clunker V70 out of desperation while a poor student. It was a much better experience. There’s a piece of me which still misses that wagon and its surprisingly good winter driving chops.
Getting to know the Volvo XC90
I have mixed feelings about the Volvo brand. Still, it’s been great to see Volvo come to life after leaving Ford, thanks to some Chinese funding via Geely. Leading the charge has been the Volvo XC90, which I recently got around to testing.
The Transformation
With a complete overhaul for the 2016 model year, the Volvo XC90 has been transformed into a different kind of SUV. A healthy dose of high-end materials, excellent craftsmanship and cutting-edge amenities make it a vehicle which can legitimately hold its own against competitors.
To call this turnaround anything less than impressive wouldn’t be honest. Just a few years ago, people were talking about Volvo circling the drain like Saab. Today, that kind of negative talk is gone, replaced with awe at the Swedish brand’s transformation.
Configurations
Volvo sells the 2017 XC90 in 10 different combinations. To start off, there’s a four-cylinder turbocharged engine called the T5. Next up is a supercharged and turbocharged version of the four-banger, called the T6. Then there’s the T8 or hybrid, which uses the same setup as the T6, adding an electric motor and battery pack.
An eight-speed automatic is standard across the board. All-wheel drive is optional with the T5, but standard with the other two powertrains.
You have a Momentum base trim for T5 and T6 models, R-Design for all three, and Inscription for T6 and T8 models. Finally, there’s a ridiculously luxurious Excellence trim for the T8. It’s loaded with so many luxuries, you probably wouldn’t believe it.
MSRP for the T5 starts at $45,750, but climbs to $47,750 when you add all-wheel drive. The T6 raises it yet again to $52,250. Then there’s the T8 plug-in hybrid, which starts at a much steeper $67,800, but is arguably much nicer and more prestigious.
Finally, the Volvo XC90 Excellence has an MSRP of $104,900, making it the most expensive Volvo ever sold. Ridiculous? Maybe, but there wasn’t one available for me to even sit in, so I can’t say for sure.
Interior Comforts
I’m not going to lie: sitting in an XC90 Inscription really puts me at ease. Like the exterior, the cabin has a simple design which looks great. Volvo nails the beauty of simplicity, like true Scandinavians. I hate center stacks littered with controls too complex to find and use while driving, but the exact opposite is true about the XC90.
Like in my old Volvos, the front seats are some of the most comfortable on the market. If you don’t believe me, go to a Volvo dealer and try them out for yourself. I could drive for hours in the XC90 without experiencing back pain, but instead feel refreshed.
Second-row space isn’t great, but it isn’t awful either, compared to most options in its class. The third row is a little more cramped, which sadly again puts the SUV toward the top of its class. I should mention the base T5 trim doesn’t come with a third row, so if that’s a deal breaker, take note.
Cargo is excellent, with the third row folded down. If you’re only needing two or three rear seats, but occasionally need more, you’ll love how much you can fit in the back. With the third row up, it’s good enough for small grocery runs, but golf bags could prove tricky to fit. There’s only 15.8 cubic feet of space behind the third row, and there are full-size sedans with trunks larger than that.
Driving Impressions
I won’t lie, driving the 2017 Volvo XC90 won’t make you gleeful. It handles well enough for a three-row SUV, but that’s just it: it handles like a three-row SUV. If you’re looking for sporty, you just won’t find it here. Try out the Audi Q7.
Same goes for acceleration, no matter the powertrain. In all honesty, the T5 engine is too small and underpowered for such a large vehicle. The T6 strikes a better balance, but it’s not exactly lively. You might think the hybrid with over 400 peak-system horsepower turns the SUV into a beast, but it doesn’t. That extra power is soaked up by the heavy battery and other hybrid bits, which add over 400 pounds to the curb weight. Sure, you can feel good about burning up less dinosaur juice, but it doesn’t come with a performance upswing.
Even with the lower curb weight, the T5 and T6 engines still don’t make the XC90 feel inspiring to drive. Yes, they boast a decent peak output at 250 horsepower and 316 horsepower respectively, but throttle response is sluggish and gearing doesn’t truly reward pushing down on the pedal hard. It’s not the vehicle you want when passing on a busy two-lane highway, let me put it that way.
As for the suspension, it does a great job of soaking up bumps in the road, so passengers will love it. I learned that pushing the SUV hard on a turn brings the thing to its limit in a hurry. Normally, the Volvo XC90 feels surefooted, but even with all-wheel drive it gets skittish when pushed through turns. T8 models are even worse, because they just feel like they’re slogging down the road, lumbering over bumps.
Loads of Technology
If having cutting-edge tech is your thing, you might think Teslas are the only show in town. Give the Volvo XC90 a try, because the touchscreen in the center stack feels every bit as nice as the one in the Model X, and navigation is simple enough. On top of that, you won’t have automatic doors that whack into small children or shear cucumbers when they close.
You also get 3G mobile WiFi, which can be nice for long trips, or if you spend a lot of time in your car. This feature is becoming more common in vehicles these days, but it’s still a nice perk. I did note there’s only one USB port in the vehicle, which is odd to say the least, and makes charging devices interesting without a USB splitter.
Much of the onboard technologies go toward preventing accidents and protecting people during a crash. The SUV has a lot of the same systems you find on other cars, like blindspot monitoring and forward collision alert, but in my experience they seem to be more intuitive to use and work more reliably. I’ve tested cars where blindspot warnings come sporadically, so you might have another car hidden from view without any alert. I love technology, when it actually enriches life. Innovation for the sake of innovation is not really my thing.
If I were in the market for a family-oriented luxury SUV, would I consider the 2017 Volvo XC90? Sure, but I’d know it’s not an exciting vehicle by any means. Comfortable? Definitely. Safe? Oh yes. Loaded with tech? Absolutely. Exhilarating? Not hardly. You have to be the one to decide if that’s a good or bad thing.
