Volvo’s XC90 SUV, made for adventures

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Setting out to prove that SUV’s shouldn’t be trapped in the city, the Volvo XC90 R-Design (82,863) was packed up not once but twice during this test with all the gear you could possibly need for adventure. The first trip started with fitting a baby seat and said baby just after his nap. Usually the best way to travel with kids is while they’re asleep, but this time, it wasn’t an option.

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No problem for the Volvo, as visibility out of the windows is great for children on the rear bench (one of two rear benches in the 7 seater XC90) with plenty to see. And if it’s a hot one, there are shades to pull up on the laminated side windows (€1,491) and across the panoramic sunroof (€2,402). Comfort for passengers is at a premium, with the Nappa/Nubuck Contour Sport seats in RB0R Charcoal cutting a handsome interior trim and one that’s likely to last if you plan on taking it for many many adventures.

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The seats are easy to maneuver too, with controls within reach and simple to use. The rearmost bench on the 7 seat version folds flat quickly with easy to access clips. And the rear bench with headrests, has a lovely way of folding in the headrests and sitting flush with the floor to create an even bigger load space. With a flat load bay, it makes loading gear/luggage a breeze. Boot space is 680 litres with five seats in place and it’s more than enough to take a family of four away for a week or more.

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There are parts of the Volvo that strike me as very ‘SAAB’. From the Start/Stop switch (as opposed to a push, you switch right), to the instrument panel on the dash through which you access most of the functions. Thankfully they’ve left the stereo switches as external analogue buttons on the dash for quick reference. The infotainment works well, with a swoosh you can access a multitude of safety features and options. More than once, while attempting to access the Map guidance, it swooshed into the Radio which was a slight annoyance and one which took a few more swooshes to revert. The guidance works well and is easily readable on the dash as well as the driver binnacle, where you can access limited trip readings and see your average mpg.

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The auto lever in the middle of the transmission tunnel takes two forward clicks to access Drive or two to access Reverse, Neutral is the reason for the two clicks and would benefit being moved (I’m no engineer but I’m sure it’s an expensive reason that it’s placed where it is), even if it was just for the sake of saving a couple of clicks for the driver. This may sound a little fussy, if you’re going to be in your XC90 a lot, saving time on a couple of clicks equates to thousands over the course of a year of driving. Park is strangely located as a standalone button alongside the gear shift. Not sure why, maybe to save clicks perhaps.

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Gothenburg has done an excellent job on the ride and comfort of the XC90, it easily swallows motorway kilometers as well as it handles windy narrow country roads. The Pilot Assist feature works brilliantly on motorways, following the curves of the road, taking the strain from the steering/accelerator combo while using cruise control. Tested at night, the steering makes a few too many slight adjustments for comfort while you’re holding the wheel and is better left off, not that manually steering is any great strain to begin with.

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The engine only sounds coarse when in start/stop traffic, eliciting a ‘gas guzzler’ (which it’s not) look from nearby pedestrians as you pull away. And if you’re that way inclined you can always pump up the Harmon Kardon stereo (€1,336). One of the stereo settings makes it sound like you’re in the cinema listening to that THX intro, it makes everything sound like it’s overly produced. I liked it.

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The XC90 is adept at camping too, belying the R-Design city slicker exterior, this SUV is most definitely made to live it’s life outside the city. As easy as it is to manoeuvre using the excellent 360′ Surround View parking camera (€828) which takes a few goes to get used to, especially while reversing, as the view, the old saying goes is: ‘objects in the rear mirror may appear closer than they seem’. It is still a big vehicle and really shows it’s best side when out on the open road. It handles rough country access routes with ease and without the risk of spilling your decaf mocha latte with oat milk.

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If you’re on the slightly quirkier side of corporate, then this is the Audi beater for you. It’s still got respect in the corporate car park but should really be unleashed in the countryside for maximum value for money. Which you’re going to want as it’s not cheap with a starting price of €84,189 for the R-Design B5 AWD version and it’s volume of optional (and well executed) extras are expensive too. You can turn on/off the optional safety features (lane assist) and they stay off, which is a god send.

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Special mention : The way Volvo has designed the space and access to the rear is commendable. All 7 seats fold flush, easily and importantly without damage to your hands. There are a number of 12v charging points around the cabin, which lends itself increasingly to the outdoor lifestyle. It even has an option to select a 3 pin plug for the rear passengers.

Needs work :  A few more USB’s wouldn’t go amiss about the cabin. The infotainment could do with a little re-work, making priority menu’s at the top level and ensuring fewer accidental menu selections. The remaining diesel range varies wildy. From not moving at all on a 200km trip to indicating 100km of fuel was used in less than 6km distance *engine was still heating up but it wasn’t accurate until after 40 mins of driving.

Specs:

Max Power 232bhp Diesel / Auto 8 Speed
0-100 km/h in 7.6 seconds Road Tax €750
Starting price XC90 €77,970

Model as specc’d approx €94,517

Boot 451 / 680 / 1,951 litres