The 2025 Volvo XC90 Does not Mess With Success: First Drive Assessment

The present onslaught of larger, angrier, pointier, extra aggressive… er, automobiles, will be each entertaining and extremely tiresome. Ever sharper angles and energy bumps to shave valuable seconds off your commute could nicely trigger the individuals on the bar to show envious, however, 9 tailpipes barking a fetid symphony at six in the morning will do little greater than piss off your neighbours and offer you listening to harm.

There are some individuals on the market who don’t take care of such issues. In truth, fairly the other. They like peace, serenity, and nice issues. For them, the Volvo XC90 exists, and it’s simply been given a brand new lease on life.

First launched in 2002, the XC90 was Volvo’s first ‘correct’ SUV—and it was aimed squarely at the US. With chunky seems to be, a raft of powertrains, and Volvo’s hallmark eye on holding you and your kin secure, it discovered a market and ran with it. The second-generation XC90 launched with a cleaner look and a little neat tech in 2015, and, simply shy of a decade on, it’s nonetheless with us.

The 2025 XC90 isn’t an all-new automobile—it’s primarily based on the identical platform because the 2015 mannequin and nearly all of the physique are identical. The brand new EX90-aping entrance finish is neat although, as are its new taillights. Inside there’s a brand new model of the previous automobile’s Google-powered infotainment system to assist carry it in keeping with the agency’s EV choices, and a few shiny new supplies to maintain issues contemporary. There’ll be three trim ranges—Core, Plus, and Extremely—which can web you a various number of packages.

Individuals will get three powertrain choices: The B5 and B6 gentle hybrids, and the top-tier T8 plug-in hybrid. The B5 and B6 combine an a2.0-litre fuel engine with a turbocharger, whereas the T8 provides an 18.8-kilowatt-hour battery (14.7 kilowatt-hours usable) and a 145-horsepower electrical motor to a boosted 2.0-litre fuel with 310 horsepower. Every spinoff sends energy to all 4 wheels through an eight-speed automated gearbox.

The brand-new XC90 will get a selection of two suspension setups. The primary is FSD, which, in this case, isn’t a still-in-beta experiment on the lots. It stands for ‘Frequency Selective Damping.’ This setup makes use of specifically designed dampers to maintain the trip decently tender up high while ensuring the automobile will get over the tough stuff. The opposite choice is tremendous plush air suspension for ‘using on a cloud’ vibes.

Making an attempt out the B5 and T8 around Sweden, neither motor appeared to prefer it might do with extra grunt. The B5, although at a major energy drawback to its greater brother, wafted alongside neatly. After I wanted to make progress there was sufficient faucet to get me the place I wanted to go. The B5’s 250 hp did sound like a contact laboured once I gave it a prod, however as soon as it was up to the mark, it was high-quality. The eight-speed gearbox modified ratios rapidly, and easily. Volvo says it ought to get between 25. -and 27.6 MPG on the mixed EPA cycle, however, I noticed 29.4 MPG in blended driving.

Professionals: New Face Appears to be like Glorious, It is Refined As They Come, It is Enormous

The T8’s further energy is greater than ample, too. With easy electrical help popping up as and when wanted to assist issues alongside. Volvo says you’ll be able to journey on electrical energy alone for 33 miles at freeway speeds, so in case your commute is brief otherwise you’ve acquired charging at work and residential, you could possibly theoretically go weeks without having to fill the tank. The spec sheet says it might handle over 58 MPGe on a mixed run, however,r I noticed 35.3 MPG whereas out and about within the Swedish countryside (greater than its 27 MPG mixed EPA score).

It comes with a handful of drive modes, however until you’re going off-road and wish it primed for a splash of mud right here and there, you’re best leaving it in ‘Hybrid’ and going about what you are promoting. There’s a setting for giving it the beans, nevertheless, it doesn’t actually match the vibe of the automobile. The vibe shouldn’t be considered one of pleasure. Fairly the other, frankly.

Regardless of which powertrain you’ve got, it’s an enormous, wafty, quiet automobile. There are no fingertip-tingling suggestions by way of the wheel. It received bellows at you beneath l d. The corners aren’t taken flat. With both suspension setups, it’ll roll and wallow a bit—although the air is barely squishier than the metal—and that’s simply high-quality.

As you’re gliding to your vacation spot, you’ll be able to admire Volvo’s use of wood, how the ambient lights gently glow and make the cabin really feel such as you’re in a cell hygge hut. You’re snug in your environment and make mild progress. You’ll get out of the XC90 after an extended drive and haven’t any recollection of its tertiary trip, steering really feel, or how the load switch on the air suspension feels a contact indifferent from the steering in speedier corners.

Cons: Not An Fans’ Automotive, PHEV Can Be Noisy, It is Enormous

As a substitute, you’ll bear in mind how snug your passengers (as much as six, relying on spec) had been as they listened to the fantastic Bowers and Wilkins stereo (a $3,200 on the Extremely mannequin), and the way insulated you had been from the surface world because of improved sound deadening. You’ll be dazzled by how sensible the Google voice assistant is—it will get contextual instructions, so you’ll be able to inform it you’re scorching and it’ll flip the A/C down, or you’ll be able to ask it a query like, ‘Was Bauhaus a band within the Eighties?’ and it’ll discover out the reply for you. (Sure they had been, and no their music was not wonderful).

Volvo’s tweaked UI makes navigating its numerous menus straightforward, although returning to the Map display after digging around was time one thing of a faff. That didn’t matter an excessive amount although, as a result, instructions are spoken at you, proven on the digital instrument binnacle, and through a sleek head-up show. For those who nonetheless get misplaced, you might be without hope. You’ll take pleasure in the brand-new wi-fi charging telephone cradle within the heart console. And, clearly, you’ll take pleasure in attending to your vacation spot unscathed as a result because the XC90 is a Volvo, it’s all about energetic security tech.

After a decade kicking around, the time is true for the XC90 to have a contemporary face. The design is fantastic and it’ll preserve it trying shiny for years to come back, and the drive is—in case you can bear in mind okay. It’ll do all the pieces you need solely fuss-free, and it doesn’t irritate the Dan and Carol subsequent door once you depart for work at an ungodly hour.

No drama, in this case, is an excellent factor certainly.