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FIRST DRIVE Volvo XC90 D5 AWD SE Lux 4 The Sunday Times MOTORING FEBRUARY 19, 2012 T he XC90 is 10 years old this year and, despite not having changed all that much, it looks none the worse for the time gone by. It is Volvo’s most successful model, responsible for £3.8 billion (€4.58 billion) of revenue worldwide in its most successful year in pro- duction. For 2012 it has been fresh- ened up ahead of a completely new replacement scheduled for 2014, so what better way to test it than to take it for a very long drive. Active types – sailors and the like – are more likely to own a Volvo than any other brand of car, according to Volvo’s own research. Over the years, sales figures have indirectly pared the XC90 range down to just one engine. More were offered for some years but the vast majority of people never looked past the D5 diesel so these days that’s all you can have. Nobody seems to mind. e latest version is smooth, quiet and refined, although since this one is as new to the world as a tiny lamb in spring, its full per- formance and efficiency will take a while to show. With so few miles under its belt it’s quite obviously a bit tight. What’s most impressive about the XC90 is the almost complete lack of wind noise. For such a big car with hardly inconspicuous frontal dimensions, it is a real sur- prise how quietly it cuts through the air. But all things considered the car is really very comfortable for cruis- ing. Even on German motorways where the speed limit is just a rec- ommendation, anything up to 90 mph feels almost perfectly relaxed. Only almost, though, because parts of the XC90 are showing their age. e six-speed automatic gear- box simply doesn’t have a tall enough top gear, and 70 mph equates to well over 2,000 rpm. It always feels like there should be an extra gear or two. e handbrake is another bug- bear. You press a lever with your foot to engage it, and then pull a separate one with your hand to re- lease it. But when you do the latter, the loud thunk as the foot-oper- ated lever flings back to its original position is pretty unnecessary. e practicality on offer is more impressive. e seven seats and extremely flexible config- uration mean that the seating arrangements can be set up just how you most need them to be. A split tailgate provides a perch for sitting, and the buttons on the dashboard are all big, chunky and robust so you can use them even with thick gloves on. e SE Lux model I drove had a very handy feature for driving on the continent, which alters the di- rection of the headlights to suit driving on the right. It sums up how well the XC90 has been thought out and developed over time. On detours through London and Ingolstadt, the XC90’s relatively slow-reacting steering is obvious, but that only encourages the kind of slower, more relaxed driving that suits family life. It is in no way sporty, though. It is not as obviously stylised, as extrovert or perhaps as fashion- able as some of the other options out there, but it definitely makes some of its rivals look more than a little overpriced. e engine is generally bullet- proof after so long in existence, and I cannot think of any location or situation where the XC90 would look out of place. It has a kind of understated, inoffensive class that tends to inspire respect and appre- ciation, rather than automatically getting people’s backs up as so many large 4x4s do. e XC90 showed what it is all about. It’s not as flashy as some, but it still looks great and it copes with all aspects of life at least as well as anything else on the road. MATT KIMBERLEY Still looks great TOP SPEED 127mph. 0-100km 10.3 seconds. ECONOMY 34mpg. C0 2 219g/km. ENGINE 2.4-litre turbo- diesel producing 197 bhp and 310 lb.ft. TRANSMISSION Six-speed automatic gearbox driving all four wheels. AT A GLANCE
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TOP SPEED ENGINE 4 The Sunday Times MOTORING FEBRUARY 19, 2012 MATT KIMBERLEY C0 2 Six-speed automatic gearbox driving all four wheels. 2.4-litre turbo- diesel producing 197 bhp and 310 lb.ft. foot to engage it, and then pull a separate one with your hand to re- lease it. But when you do the latter, the loud thunk as the foot-oper- ated lever flings back to its original position is pretty unnecessary. The practicality on offer is more impressive. The seven seats and 127mph. 34mpg. 219g/km.
Transcript of 004
FIRST DRIVE Volvo XC90 D5 AWD SE Lux
4 The Sunday Times MOTORING FEBRUARY 19, 2012
The XC90 is 10 years oldthis year and, despitenot having changed allthat much, it looksnone the worse for the
time gone by.It is Volvo’s most successful
model, responsible for £3.8 billion(€4.58 billion) of revenue worldwidein its most successful year in pro-duction. For 2012 it has been fresh-ened up ahead of a completely newreplacement scheduled for 2014, sowhat better way to test it than to takeit for a very long drive.
Active types – sailors and thelike – are more likely to own aVolvo than any other brand ofcar, according to Volvo’s ownresearch.
Over the years, sales figureshave indirectly pared the XC90range down to just one engine.More were offered for some yearsbut the vast majority of peoplenever looked past the D5 diesel sothese days that’s all you can have.Nobody seems to mind.
The latest version is smooth,quiet and refined, although sincethis one is as new to the world as atiny lamb in spring, its full per-formance and efficiency will take awhile to show. With so few milesunder its belt it’s quite obviously abit tight.
What’s most impressive aboutthe XC90 is the almost completelack of wind noise. For such a bigcar with hardly inconspicuousfrontal dimensions, it is a real sur-prise how quietly it cuts throughthe air.
But all things considered the caris really very comfortable for cruis-ing. Even on German motorwayswhere the speed limit is just a rec-ommendation, anything up to 90mph feels almost perfectly relaxed.
Only almost, though, becauseparts of the XC90 are showing theirage. The six-speed automatic gear-box simply doesn’t have a tallenough top gear, and 70 mphequates to well over 2,000 rpm. Italways feels like there should be anextra gear or two.
The handbrake is another bug-bear. You press a lever with your
foot to engage it, and then pull aseparate one with your hand to re-lease it. But when you do the latter,the loud thunk as the foot-oper-ated lever flings back to its originalposition is pretty unnecessary.
The practicality on offer is moreimpressive. The seven seats and
extremely flexible config-uration mean that theseating arrangements canbe set up just how youmost need them to be.
A split tailgate provides aperch for sitting, and the
buttons on the dashboard are allbig, chunky and robust so you canuse them even with thick gloves on.
The SE Lux model I drove had avery handy feature for driving onthe continent, which alters the di-rection of the headlights to suitdriving on the right. It sums up
how well the XC90 has beenthought out and developed overtime.
On detours through London andIngolstadt, the XC90’s relativelyslow-reacting steering is obvious,but that only encourages the kindof slower, more relaxed drivingthat suits family life. It is in no waysporty, though.
It is not as obviously stylised, asextrovert or perhaps as fashion-able as some of the other optionsout there, but it definitely makessome of its rivals look more than alittle overpriced.
The engine is generally bullet-proof after so long in existence,and I cannot think of any locationor situation where the XC90 wouldlook out of place. It has a kind ofunderstated, inoffensive class thattends to inspire respect and appre-ciation, rather than automaticallygetting people’s backs up as somany large 4x4s do.
The XC90 showed what it is allabout. It’s not as flashy as some,but it still looks great and it copeswith all aspects of life at least aswell as anything else on the road.
MATT KIMBERLEY
Still looks great
TOP SPEED127mph.
0-100km10.3 seconds.
ECONOMY34mpg.
C02219g/km.
ENGINE2.4-litre turbo-diesel producing197 bhp and 310lb.ft.
TRANSMISSIONSix-speedautomatic gearboxdriving all fourwheels.
AT AGLANCE
