The Drive Report: Volvo XC90

The XC90 is Volvo's flagship SUV in India.

The Volvo XC90 has held its own against other European luxury SUVs while still managing to fly under the radar. Such is its modest, minimalist exterior that it finds favour among those who want top-shelf creature comforts such as air-suspension and ventilated seats but not the overly-muscular, comically butch presence of an SUV. However, in its tenth year, the XC90 remains largely unchanged, which can set it back given the cut-throat space it occupies.

What’s new?

To be fair, the XC90 does get a new face. The front grille is wider and flatter with a criss-cross pattern enmeshed with the logo. The headlamps are narrower, while still retaining the Thor’s hammer LED signature and the bumper is more clutter-free than before. It’s all in-keeping with the clutter and crease-free designs that have become the norm, except in the case of the XC90 – it suits its character more. Pretty much everywhere, except with the new 20-inch wheels, Volvo has followed the “don’t fix what isn’t broken” formula, so in profile the XC90 is practically indiscernible from its immediate predecessor.

Volvo XC90

On the inside you get a larger 11.2-inch touchscreen infotainment unit instead of the old 9-inch one. Volvo was among the first to offer a vertically mounted, iPad-sized touchscreen when the XC90 debuted, making its cabin a sensation. Today however, it seems a tad more commonplace although the faux wooden trim on the dash, along with the cabin’s other USPs remain intact. The latest Android OS is far more ergonomic to use than the previous one. Prominently sized virtual hotkeys make it easy to navigate key functions and quick drop-down menus make it easier to browse the menu.

Volvo XC90

The crystalline gear knob, the air filter, the panoramic sunroof – it has it all, except the latter’s a tad inconvenient and unintuitive to use as it keeps popping-open the sunroof lid with any input other than the lightest of touches. There is however, one aspect of the vehicle that works particularly well, it’s the ADAS on the car.

Volvo XC90

Adaptive Cruise Control, lane departure warning etc work seamlessly and unintrusively. In fact, Adaptive Cruise Control continues to operate even after you press the throttle. It only cancels upon pressing the brakes. On roads with clearly marked lanes, it actually makes driving the XC90 a remarkably hassle-free experience. Nappa leather, a fantastic 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system, (with its trademark “Concert” mode intact) and a great 360-degree camera remain intact and the front seats offer ventilation and massage functions as standard.

Volvo XC90

Drawbacks

On most days, a solid, four-pot, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol is all you really need for both inner-city and highway driving. And this is true for the Volvo, most of the time. However it doesn’t quite keep-up with its German rivals and the power deficit is palpable under hard acceleration. It’s a bit noisy and the 8-speed automatic isn’t the quickest on the draw. The engine also gets a 48v mild-hybrid system dialling up the total power to 250hp with a good 360Nm of torque. It’s the sort of unit that’s quite pleasurable when pottering about in the city. It works fairly well on the highway too, but doesn’t like sudden bursts of acceleration.

The other issue is that even though the cabin is fabulously appointed, the absence of features like wireless Apple CarPlay really dates its infotainment system. For a car that costs Rs 1.3 crore, it’s hard to overlook such a faux pas.

Volvo XC90

Strengths

The Volvo XC90 rides quite well over most kinds of terrain. It isn’t as sublime as you’d expect an air-suspension equipped luxury SUV to be, and there is some firmness to the ride. But under light-to-moderate acceleration it’s still a very refined experience. It continues to be a very understated-yet-sophisticated machine with plush interiors and a no-fuss, clean-cut upright exterior. Although driving modes do alter the experience, the XC90 treads a fine line between sporty and luxury and finds its place somewhere in between. Stately and serene, if not outrightly seductive, the XC90 continues to meet and then exceed the expectations we all keep from a modern luxury SUV. But its minimal changes indicate that Volvo’s chief focus is now its EVs.