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Ten Second Review

Volvo's second generation XC90 is a seven-seat luxury SUV that has given key rivals like Audi's Q7 and the Land Rover Discovery a lot to think about. Safe, efficient, clever, practical and stylish, it has re-established this Swedish maker as a credibly prestigious automotive brand. This significantly revised version offers slightly smarter styling and a more up-to-date cabin. It's well worth a look.

Background

In well over two decades on sale, Volvo's XC90 has created a niche for itself that rivals have struggled to penetrate. It's never been particularly sporty or SUV-like. Instead, its cool, laid-back Swedish vibe hit the perfect note with many families who weren't bothered about either of those two extremes in choosing a big seven-seat crossover. So much so that the original MK1 model hung around for absolutely ages, launched in 2002 and sold right up to 2014. This MK2 version could have an even longer production run. Originally launched in 2015, then updated in 2019, you might think a full replacement would be on the cards by now, but even with huge Chinese Geely backing, Volvo simply doesn't have the funds to drliver that at the same time as developing similarly-sized full-EV models like the EX90. So what we're got instead is another light second generation XC90 update, which has brought a sharper look and updated cabin screen tech.

Driving Experience

Mild hybrid tech is retained for the mainstream B5 petrol version of this model, which mates the usual 2.0-litre four cylinder Volvo engine with a 48-volt battery, a 'KERS' kinetic energy recovery system and an 'ISG' integrated starter-generator. This AWD powertrain puts out 250hp with 360Nm of torque - and 62mph from rest occupies 7.7s en route to the 112mph top speed that all Volvos share. As usual with an XC90, the alternative is the brand's rather sophisticated T8 Plug-in hybrid powertrain. As before, this T8 engine is both turbocharged and supercharged and combines 310hp of engine output with a 145hp electric motor to deliver a total 455hp output, with a thumping 709Nm of torque. This allows 62mph from rest to be dispatched in just 5.4s, though the 2,295kg kerb weight rather blunts the urgency of that performance. We'd hoped for a bigger PHEV battery as part of this update to give this T8 an EV drive range closer to Plug-in hybrid rivals in this segment from Mercedes and BMW, but the same 18.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack remains, offering up to 44.1 miles of EAER-rated pure electric driving range when fully charged. There are no changes to handling dynamics as part of this update - apart from a set of tweaks made to soften the passive suspension set-up. Which few customers will appreciate because above base trim, that set-up's ditched in favour of the far superior 'Active Four-C Chassis' package, which gives you four-corner adaptive dampers and electronic air suspension. We'd say that this set-up is almost a must-have with an XC90, noticeably improving ride quality. And complementing excellent cruising refinement, which easily meets the required executive standard despite this Volvo's use of four cylinders in a segment where six cylinders are the norm. A standard 'Pilot Assist' system offers a degree of highway-orientated autonomous driving technology. There's the potential for a mild amount of off road prowess, but obviously your off piste ambitions are going to be limited by the 231mm ride height and this T8 model won't even be able to wade through water if it goes above the bottom of the sills. More importantly perhaps, towing capacity for both variants is rated at 2,400kg.

Design and Build

If you're familiar with this second generation XC90 design, you'll immediately spot the revised front end of this updated model, which features a smarter grille flanked by redesigned 'Thor's hammer' LED headlights. In addition, there's a more sculpted bonnet, revised front wings and a cleaner, simpler lower front bumper. There are smarter wheel designs too (sizes between 20 and 22-inches), plus darkened rear tail lights and a fresh look for the charging port. Inside, the biggest change you'll notice will be the more horizontal design to a totally redesigned dash which now incorporates a new central touchscreen. This has grown from 9 to 11.2-inches in size, is more responsive, higher-resolution and borrows its Google software from the system used in the EX90, enabling over-the-air updates. There's an easier-to-access screen operating system too. In addition, the centre console has been redesigned and now features a '2+1' cup holder (with room for an extra slim drinks can), plus there's a new wireless smartphone charger which is more conveniently accessible. The ambient lighting system and 360-degree camera system have both been enhanced, but the 12.3-inch digital driver's display remains as before. As before, this genuine seven seater features innovatively designed seats that also free up interior space for passengers in both the second and third seat rows. Even the third row can seat an adult up to 170cm tall. Inevitably, capacity is going to be a little restricted with all seven seats in place, though even in this configuration, there's 244-litres of luggage space in this T8 PHEV model - or 247-litres if you opt for the B5 mild hybrid version. Most of the time though of course, you'll probably be running the car with these third row chairs folded down. Unlike in a Q7 or a Discovery, the folding process isn't power-operated, but it's easy to do with one hand. Flattening these rear-most seats in this T8 model frees up 650-litres of space to the window line - it's 653-litres with the B5. Getting more room of course means folding the middle row. On this T8 model, that frees up 1,130-litres up to the window line - it's 1,139-litres in the B5. All these figures are very class-competitive.

Market and Model

All XC90 variants still come with 7 seats, automatic transmission and AWD and at the time of our test in Summer 2025, prices started from around £65,500 for the 250hp mild hybrid B5 petrol model. There's a choice of three core trim levels - 'Core', 'Plus' and 'Ultra'. Many UK buyers will want the Recharge T8 petrol/electric Plug-in hybrid variant, offered with all three trim levels and priced from around £73,000. Standard kit across the range includes Matrix LED headlamps, a heated windscreen and an anti-theft alarm. Inside all XC90s, the tablet-like 11.2-inch touchscreen in the centre console drives the minor controls and a whole host of Internet-based products and services. And there's a 12.3-inch 'Progressive Drivers Display' for the instruments. Plus heat for the front seats and steering wheel and a rear view camera. Many customers will choose mid-range 'Plus' trim, which includes the brand's 'Active Four-C Chassis' (adaptive damping and air suspension); plus a panoramic glass roof, a 360-degree camera system and a 13-speaker 600-watt Harmon Kardon sound system. Top 'Ultra'-spec gets you larger 21-inch wheels, a Head-up display, front seat massaging, nappa leather perforated upholstery, integrated rear side blinds and an 18-speaker 1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins sound system. Across the range, XC90 safety gear includes a run off-road protection package which tightens seatbelts and activates energy-absorbing technology in the seats when the car detects challenging terrain ahead. Another system is the auto-braking feature, which cuts in if a driver pulls out in front of oncoming traffic.

Cost of Ownership

Volvo recently abandoned plans to go fully-electric by 2030 and you can see why. The mild hybrid and PHEV versions of this XC90 offer as much electrification in this segment as many family folk want for the time being. With the mild hybrid B5, the brand claims that the advanced kinetic energy-recovery braking system introduced with this revised XC90 offers drivers up to 15 per cent fuel savings and emission reductions in real-world driving. This brake-by-wire system interacts with the energy-recovery system and reduces fuel consumption and emissions by recovering kinetic energy under braking. As for the WLTP-rated figures, well with the B5 petrol version, expect up to 32.8mpg and up to 193g/km. The efficiency figures for the T8 Plug-in hybrid model see it deliver up to 30g/km of CO2, 235.1mpg on the combined cycle and up to 44.1 EAER-rated miles of pure electric driving range. That's some way off what you'd get with rival PHEV versions of the BMW X5 and the Mercedes GLE, but they are only five-seaters and this Volvo's PHEV's range figure is at least enough to mean that theoretically, you could use it every day without ever visiting a fuel station, unless you needed to undertake a longer trip. That's assuming of course that you keep the lithium-ion battery fully charged. Owners can buy a wallbox from Volvo that will charge their cars on 16-amp power in about three hours but with 6.4kW charging and a typical home wallbox, you're going to need about five hours for a full charge from empty. Connecting up to a normal domestic three-pin 6-amp supply will take eight hours.

Summary

This XC90 is aging impressively well. You'd expect that after a decade on sale, it would be feeling a bit yesteryear compared to key rivals; the fact that it isn't is a tribute to the fundamental completeness of this MK2 model's original design. Volvo hasn't really done much to it as part of this second update, but all that really needed improving was the cabin screen tech - and that's now noticeably better. We'd like to have seen an enhancement in the T8 PHEV model's EV driving range too - but that doesn't matter so much because the only segment rivals that can better it can't offer seven seats. Of course, this Volvo's not perfect. There are still sharper-handling choices and more capable off roaders in this sector. In balancing these virtues though, this XC90 sets its own class standard and in doing so, continues to establish a family benchmark amongst luxury SUVs that rivals struggle to match. Company founders Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson would have liked this car. More importantly though, if you're shopping in this segment, we think you still will too.