Volvo has a reputation for safety. When you see a Volvo vehicle from many years ago you see one that appears to be a square tank on wheels with all the increased safety features and protection but lacked any real design. The most recent lineups from Volvo offer a huge amount of style and design to give us looks that are exactly what we want to see in vehicles of this caliber. The new XC90 is a great example of the style ambition Volvo has brought forth and shows off with a complete rebuild from the ground up.
This new SUV is larger than its predecessor, but not by much at all, and gives a slightly roomier seven-passenger setup as a crossover SUV that employs the use of all-wheel drive for all of us to enjoy a fantastic ride. Of course, the XC90 will have a vast menu of safety features to take advantage of and offers an infotainment package that is being considered the leader in the class. The architecture used is the new Volvo scalable product architecture (SPA) which is made to be dynamic and aggressive. With all these benefits and a pair of extremely efficient engines, the XC90 is aimed to take market share from the other players in this class.
Even though the looks and build are something to be enjoyed, let’s take a look at these engines to see what we have powering this awesome new SUV. The base engine is coming to us as a 2.0-liter supercharged/turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine. This brings us 316 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque which is attached to an eight-speed automatic transmission and the ability to tow up to 5000 pounds.
The upgraded engine is the T8 Twin Engine which is a very interesting product of engineering. This is a 2.0-liter supercharged/turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine plus an electric motor. Basically this takes the first engine and adds an 80 horsepower electric motor that has 177 lb.-ft. of torque. This motor is rear mounted to allow it to put all of its force to the rear wheels and give a net output of 400 horsepower and 443 lb.-ft. of torque, giving us a powerful SUV that has an all-electric range of 25 miles.
The arrival of this great looking new SUV starts out at just below $50,000 for the XC90 T6 Momentum model and $55,500 for the Inscription trim which will be available in the summer. The R-Design will show up in the fall and have a beginning price of $54,000 while a fully loaded model will increase the price by up to $6,000. The fall will also see the unveiling of the T8 Twin Engine models that are expected to be offered with prices north of $60,000. Let’s take a look at what these prices will buy you in this awesome new SUV.
The outside of the XC90 shows up with a bolder design and more sophisticated look that can really be described as beefy-beautiful. The size increase helps and the overall design is well worth the price required to be in this class of SUV. A new grill and upgraded logo add to the attractive appearance and the LED headlights, running lights as well as the 19, 20 or 21-ich wheels give the XC90 a fantastic feeling of riding high and being able to be fitted with a great deal of different wheels to enjoy.
Once inside the XC90 you may not want to ever leave. This amazing cabin gives you a warm hug from the leather upholstery to the visually appealing aluminum and wood accents. The new Sensus touch interface offers a 12.3-inch digital instrument display. The second row of seats folds in a 40/20/40 fashion to make it easy to accommodate cargo in partnership with the 50/50 folding third row bench. This third row has excellent legroom to allow adults to sit in this row. The rear cargo area starts at 15.8 cubic feet and increases to a massive 85.7 cubic feet with all rear seats folded down to allow easy access for larger items through the rear hatch that has a hands-free activation system.
With such a great looking SUV that offers amazing room the XC90 shows up with a phenomenal list of great features to enjoy. The standard equipment starts with the Sensus touch-control interface with GPS navigation, a ten-speaker/330-watt audio system, four-zone climate control with a Clean Zone Air Quality System, a panoramic glass sunroof and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The XC90 also offers a plethora of protective safety systems including the City Safety System with Pedestrian & Cyclist Detection and Avoidance, Lane Departure Warning and the new Run-Off Road protection and automatic braking when the vehicle is inadvertently turned in front of an oncoming vehicle. Overall, the new XC90 does a masterful job of working to protect those passengers who are riding inside this new version of excellence from Volvo.
If the standard offerings are not enough, the XC90 shows up with a Climate, Convenience and Vision package each of which adds more appeal to this SUV. These packages bring in features such as Surround View Cameras, power retracting side view mirrors, heating controls for the windshield, headlight washer, Blind Spot/Cross Traffic warnings, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist and Parking Assist add to these packages to give even better safety features than before. Some stand-alone features include the Four-Corner Air Suspension, a 1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system, Head-Up Display, an Integrated 2nd row child booster seat, Contour Seats with Nappa Leather, carbon fiber accents and 22-inch wheels all add to the awesomeness of the XC90.
The Volvo XC90 takes another step forward for this manufacturer that has developed and prided itself on the awesome safety each vehicle in its lineup offers. With amazing style and a fantastic interior the XC90 is an easy SUV to love and drive for anyone ready to head off road for an adventure or to use as the daily driver that may be called upon to carry a team to their sporting event.
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