1. Luxurious Interior
As if the older model didn’t already have a luxurious interior, the refreshed model just got better. The XC90 is said to have the most luxurious interior ever designed for a Volvo.
One of the most striking features in the XC90 is the tablet-like touch screen control console, which forms the heart of the in-car control system. This system is virtually button free and represents an innovative way for drivers to control their car and access a range of Internet-based products and services. It also helps create an interior that is modern and spacious.
Inside the cabin, you will also find a mix of material such as soft leather and wood with handcrafted details. There is a gear lever made of crystal glass from Orrefors (famous Swedish glassmaker) on the T8 Inscription and diamond-cut controls for the start/stop button and volume control. The award-winning interior design now includes two USB ports as standard as well as a telematics unit with a P-Sim card slot. You can also opt for a slate grey upholstery and there are new décor inlays to choose from.
There is also plenty of space for all passengers. The 2020 XC90 can be ordered with a range of different seating configurations that will allow for a seven-seat configuration or the new six-seat configuration. Boot space allows up to 1 856 litres of space.
Related: Shop now: The best official Volvo XC90 offers advertised on AutoTrader
2. Top Sound System
The refreshed XC90 features one of the top audio systems available in the automotive world. Volvo Cars audio experts joined forces with their counterparts at the renowned British audio equipment company Bowers & Wilkins to bring a top-of-the-line system to the XC90.
The XC90 features a 1 476-Watt Class D amplifier and 19 Bowers & Wilkins speakers. The subwoofer – a Fresh Air™ design – is integrated in the car, which means that the volume of the passenger compartment is used as a resonance chamber. The subwoofer is located in the right rear wheel well and the air for the speaker element is taken from the wheel well. In practice, the passengers are sitting inside a speaker enclosure. Using this design, a speaker does not need to take up so much space within the car.
This sound system will speak to any music lover's soul and even has three room modes:
- "Studio" for an excellent, dry and precise listening experience,
- "Individual Stage" that allows you to control the acoustics and create your own sound using the centre display, and
- "Gothenburg Concert Hall" which recreates the amazing acoustic experience of this legendary concert hall.
3. Impeccable safety credentials
There is not a single Volvo model known to not have great safety features and the XC90 has been at the forefront of SUV safety ever since the first-generation model was launched in 2002. It was the first SUV in the world to be fitted with Roll Stability Control, which measures the car's roll angle in extreme manoeuvres and activates the stability control system to reduce the risk of a rollover accident.
The second-generation XC90, launched in 2015, came with two world-first safety aids: Run-off Road Protection and automatic emergency braking at junctions. Should the car inadvertently leave the road, Run-off Road Protection automatically tightens the front seatbelts to keep occupants in the safest possible position. To help prevent spinal injuries, a collapsible energy-absorbing section between the front seats and seat frame cushions the vertical forces that can occur if the car lands on a hard surface.
The XC90 was also the first car in the world to feature automatic emergency braking that activates if the driver turns into the path of an oncoming vehicle at a junction.
The 2020 XC90 comes with even more safety features that include:
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Distance Alert
- Lane Keeping Aid
- Run-Off Road Mitigation/Protection
- Driver Alert Control
- Road Sign Information
- Electronic Stability Control
- Emergency Brake Light
- Brakes with Hill Start Assist and Automatic Hold
- Automatic braking after a collision
- Roll-Over Protection System
- Roll Stability Control
- Reinforced passenger compartment
- SIPS™ side impact protection system
- Collapsible steering column
- Side and dual-stage airbags (for the driver and front passenger)
- Inflatable curtain
- WHIPS™ whiplash injury protection system
- City Safety with Autobrake (which recognizes pedestrians, cyclists and large animals)
Related: Volvo is offering a year's worth of free electricity to new XC90 T8 buyers
4. Volvo On Call
The 2020 XC90 comes standard with Volvo On Call, an innovative app-based service that helps motorists to communicate with their cars. Volvo On Call comes free of charge for five years. Thereafter, it can be extended for a fee.
This app allows its owners to perform a multitude of tasks such as locating your vehicle, locking or unlocking the doors to your car, checking the fuel level and cool or heat their car prior to getting in. Moreover, this can be done via their smartphone, smartwatch, tablet or desktop.
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