Volvo XC90

For the Malaysian market, Volvo has made the XC90 available with a dual-tone interior theme of black with walnut brown including brushed aluminium and wood inserts, which undoubtedly is an old school yet extremely premium layout.

The Volvo XC90 now gets the latest in-trend 12.3-inch full TFT instrument console which does bring some futuristic appeal to the otherwise simple cabin. Another major highlight of the cabin is the vertically stacked 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system at the centre, which also houses controls for the music system and automatic climate control.

Other salient features of this seven-seater SUV are Nappa leather upholstery, powered front seats with memory function, panoramic sunroof, 10-speaker Bowers and Wilkins music system and many more. The space in the first and second rows are good, however, the same cannot be said about the third row.

The Volvo XC90 hits the sweet spot between youthful and mature appeal levels when it comes to its design. While the overall exterior design has an essence of simplicity to it, there are some features that make it a strong case when compared to the SUVs of the latest generation.

At the front, the Volvo XC 90 has got the traditional rounded rectangular chrome grille with vertical chrome slats. The horizontally laid full LED headlamps with Thor’s hammer-like daytime running LED lamps within them do give the frontal look a starry appeal.

The Volvo XC90 does look too simple when viewed from the sides, but it is nowhere close to boring, as the heightened stance, prominent bulge towards rear, door-mounted rearview mirrors and large 20-inch alloy wheels do give a prominent look.

At the rear, much like all the Volvo SUVs till date, the XC 90 continues to get Christmas tree themed full LED tail lamps on the outer edges of the boot lid. The chrome garnish on the lower edge of the boot lid and dual exhaust ports do lend that final premium touch to it.

The Volvo XC90 might not be a spirited vehicle to drive, however, the SUV is blessed with active chassis with four-corner air suspension, the cushy setup of which allows the inner occupants to be seated comfortably. The all-wheel-drive system works flawlessly with varying drive modes, which gives an equal prowess on and off the road.

The Volvo XC 90 is powered by a single 2.0-litre petrol engine that is available in two versions – standard, and plug-in. While the standard version produces 254 PS of maximum power output and 350 Nm of peak torque output, the plug-in version is coupled to a motor at the rear, the combination of which belts out 407 PS of power and 640 Nm of torque. Both the engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and offer all-wheel drive as standard fitment.

The Volvo XC90 has set up high standards when it comes to safety features, with the SUV featuring front, side, curtain, and knee airbags, hill start assist, hill descent control, ABS with EBD and brake assist, electric stability control, collision avoidance, and mitigation with intersection support pedestrian, cyclist, and large animal detection, front and rear collision warning, driver alert control, lane keep assist, run off-road mitigation, oncoming lane mitigation, cross-traffic alert with auto brake.

The Volvo XC90 has an understated appeal to itself – while it is not dramatic in the way it looks, it has that snob value one expects in a full-size luxury SUV. It is luxurious, it drives well and it is loaded with all the essential equipment at places, thus fulfilling all the prerequisites of a luxury SUV.