| Week at the Wheel | Volvo XC90 D5 SE Lux |
Key Facts
Model tested: Volvo XC90 D5 SE Lux
Pricing: £42,175 (£43,670 as tested)
Engine: 2.4-litre turbocharged five-cylinder diesel
Transmission: six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Body style: five-door SUV
Rivals: Audi Q7, Land Rover Discovery, Volkswagen Touareg
CO2 emissions: 219g/km
Combined economy: 34.0mpg
Top speed: 127mph
0-62mph: 9.7 seconds
Power: 200hp at 3,900rpm
Torque: 420Nm at 2,000rpm
Inside & Out:
The Volvo XC90 received a facelift just last year, and from the outside at least it still looks fairly contemporary. There's the strong Volvo shoulder line, tall taillights and a bold grille proudly wearing the firm's motif. You can specify the car in sporty R-Design trim, but our car's SE Lux specification is much more subtle - and in our eyes all the better for it.
It's the cabin that really gives away this car's age though (the XC90 was launched in 2003). It still has a familiar Volvo layout for the controls, but the quality of both the switchgear and the material surrounding them is distinctly dated. And despite recent updates to the satnav the controls remain less than intuitive. At least the seats are comfortable, front or back, and with the clever folding system for the middle and rear rows it's easy to see why the big Volvo has remained a hit with family buyers.
Ride & Handling:
There's no disguising the fact that the XC90 is an old-school SUV here as it rolls with the best of them. To be fair, compared to some of the taller-riding SUVs, it manages to resist understeer relatively well - but this certainly doesn't try to offer sports car reactions in a 4x4 body. You do have to slow for the more aggressive corners, but sweeping A-roads prove little trouble for the SUV.
And the bonus of such soft suspension is a ride quality, especially over Britain's broken motorway surfaces, that many rivals struggle to match. As a comfortable cruiser in fact, the XC90 is hard to beat and it's easy to see why owners claim they emerge from a long drive feeling relaxed and refreshed.
The driving position isn't perfect (we'd have preferred the seat to adjust a little lower), and the large A-pillars do restrict the view - especially at roundabouts and junctions. And though the steering is well-weighted, it is lacking in both sharpness and feel, while the soft suspension means the XC90 pitches and dives under hard acceleration and braking.
Engine & Transmission:
Like the car itself the 2.4-litre five-cylinder diesel engine is a little dated, not quite matching rivals for power. However, it sounds absolutely glorious and one prod of the accelerator is almost enough to forgive its lack of cutting edge technology.
On paper the Volvo can sprint from 0-62mph in less than ten seconds, and while we'd never refute that claim, the relaxed nature of the car means it never feels quite as urgent as you'd expect. Still, once at your chosen speed it remains quiet and refined, once again reinforcing this car's credibility as a motorway cruiser.
The same can't be said of the gearbox. While many of the newer Volvos are treated to the firm's excellent Powershift automatics, the XC90 makes do with an old GearTronic system. At low throttle inputs the shifts are quite smooth, but cog swapping becomes much jerkier with any increase in pace - while the lack of steering wheel paddles for manual shifting is frustrating.
Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:
Just over £40,000 buys you a lot of SUV these days and the Volvo faces stiff competition from the Land Rover Discovery in particular - and don't forget that the Porsche Cayenne diesel isn't far off financially. At least the Volvo is well equipped, with leather, a decent stereo, electric everything and standard fit satnav - even if it isn't the best OEM unit on the market. With such a loyal following residuals should be strong though, and while economy is nothing to write home about the CO
2 emissions mean annual road tax is only £270.
