They say familiarity breeds contempt, but the Volvo XC90 very much flies in the face of this old adage. Rather than contempt, it has elicited a steady stream of sales since its introduction to driveways in 2002. The XC90 is a very Volvo take on the luxury SUV concept. It’s not brash nor ostentatious. It’s very much a Volvo at heart; steady, safe and comfortable. These are traits that many people clearly admire. It’s difficult not to get drawn in, in all honesty. The Volvo XC90 possesses the presence and space of a luxury SUV, without attracting any of the unwanted attention. It both stands out and blends into the background. A curious trick, but one the Volvo XC90 nails.
Since its 2002 inception, not a great deal has changed. The designers have massaged the existing infrastructure, very much subscribing to the evolution rather than revolution approach. It being a Volvo, there’s no need to sully the Volvo XC90 with flared wheel arches and other such aesthetic abominations to accommodate a super-SUV. What we’re left with is a very clean, approachable car that comes across as deliberately understated. It’s rather handsome in its own right.
Yet the model tested, the Volvo XC90 Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T8 AWD Plus (we’ll stick with Volvo XC90 from hereon out) packs a couple of surprises. You can breeze around silently in pure electric mode, or you can select Power and call upon 455hp and 400Nm of torque. 0-60mph takes 5.1secs. You can switch from polite and refined to outright aggression at the flick of a switch. In a Volvo. The underpinnings from sister company’s Polestar 1 are apparent, in a very good way.
I loved the Polestar 1 and was wondering whether the Volvo XC90 might share some traits with it. Not in terms of performance or approach, one being a GT the other a monolithic SUV, but in terms of power delivery and hybrid utilisation. The Polestar 1 is a great hybrid, arriving at a time when such a thing didn’t exist. Sitting under the same umbrella in the Geely family, it made sense that Volvo would deploy hybridisation in a similar way. Thankfully, they have.
So how does this translate to the driving experience? It automatically starts up in hybrid. Power, Pure and AWD are also available. You can further request the holding of battery charge, or the charging of the battery from the engine. Perhaps not the eco-friendliest approach, but it facilitates charging on long motorway stints to then utilise electric only in town.
In the interests of serious journalism, I went to visit a friend in Worthing, a 50-mile trip down the A24. On the way there, I put it in Power and requested it hold the battery charge. This would leave a full charge for the return journey. The outward journey was what one might describe as spirited. The Volvo XC90 really is a surprisingly fast car. It picks up well from higher speeds, too, even without the battery to call upon. That supercharged and turbo-charged 2.0-litre engine (another familiarity from the Polestar 1) really does a great job of keeping this 2.3-tonne car moving. Dare I say I enjoyed myself?
That journey returned 21.4mpg. So, what about the way back? A full battery charge offering a stated range of 35 miles, plus plenty of unleaded. In no rush, I tickled the Volvo XC90 home, achieving 312.5mpg.
Obviously those are two extremes, but what the Volvo XC90 does well is work with the integrated Google Maps to make intelligent use of the battery. It requires plugging in at home. As you can see from the outward journey, lugging the weight of the battery around doesn’t help your mpg if you’re not going to be using it.
And yet… even with a depleted battery the Volvo XC90 continues on its intelligent path. I commuted into West London with 0% battery available and still achieved 35.6mpg. Under braking, the Volvo XC90 rather quickly replenishes it battery, putting the available power to good use in stop-start conditions. I was pleasantly surprised with 35.6mpg in such conditions, rendering the Volvo XC90 as rather good as a self-charging hybrid, let alone a plug in one. If you can charge it at home, you will certainly see 35 miles of pure electric travelling, which is great.
Away from the powertrain, the interior of the Volvo XC90 continues the understatement of the exterior styling. The one weak spot is perhaps the infotainment, which is starting to show its age. It works well enough but lacks the clarity and wow factor of most competitors. It also doesn’t support Android Auto, which seems odd in a car that has Google Maps as standard. You can set Bluetooth up easily enough though, and it’s easy to navigate.
The rest of the interior hits the mark. The Volvo XC90 as tested was fitted with a tailored wool blend for the seats, and they were great. Really comfortable and with plenty of adjustability. The cabin is quiet and entirely befitting of a £79,740 car.
The Volvo XC90 starts at £62,000 for the D5 diesel. The model tested is the Plus range, additionally featuring a retractable towbar (£1,250), 21” wheels (£750), tinted windows (£500) and Silver Dawn metallic paint (£715). Plus brings Harmon/Kardon audio, panoramic roof and interior illumination for an extra £5,500. Ultimate adds £15,500, bringing with it Bowers & Wilkins Premium Audio, plus ventilated and massage seats. There’s plenty of competition at that price point, but the Volvo XC90 more than holds its own. I can see why it has been so popular for so long.
The Volvo XC90 Recharge T8 also packs a pleasant performance surprise. Sure, you’re not going to sniff out brilliant B-roads to bend to the Volvo XC90 to your will along, but I feel like you already knew that. It’s a Volvo XC90 and one of its greatest assets is not trying to be something it’s not.
Which makes 0-60 in 5.1secs somewhat surprising. Volvo don’t shout about this, because of course they don’t, but there’s more than enough power in reserve to surprise one or two people when you need to.
Add to that being able to cruise silently around with a useful real-world electric range and there’s really not much to fault. The Volvo XC90 is comfortable, quiet and refined. Our roads in the UK are appalling at the moment so it makes judging ride quality tricky at times, since crashes and bangs are inevitable in every car. The Volvo XC90 irons out all but the worst.
Ultimately, however, the Volvo XC90 in Recharge guise is a brilliant hybrid. There aren’t too many of those around. If you need a hybrid for personal or business use, and also need a seven-seat SUV, the Volvo XC90 is arguably the standout choice.
