Does the Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum make you feel like an intelligent person?

Is the Volvo XC90 the kind of car which, when you drive it, makes you feel like an intelligent person?

Created through intelligent decisions

This car seems to have been created through a series of all the right intelligent decisions.

As Volvo pages back through its corporate album, it notices some key identities, like the square solid look of its estate cars, from years when only very few companies made SUVs, seeing how these estates (look at the Volvo 850 wagon) were not only very spacious, but had stature.  Further key identities include unique solutions and approaches on how to create a car, and, crucially, an understated yet distinctive design outside, inside and under the skin.

The Volvo XC90 is a prime example of how to take on the luxury SUV segment, by going full-on with a prestige substitute of the luxury SUV.  Is it the discerning buyer’s choice?

With one quantum leap, Volvo has jumped back into the minds and hearts of car buyers, thanks to innovative unique cars like the V40, and thanks to a car inspired by its history (those square solid Volvo estates) while at the same time being as modern and pure as possible, as seen clearly in the new XC90 – Volvo has become a desirable car brand again.

Design so right

Not usually going into much time spent on a car’s design in reviews, because you can see the car’s design for yourself… this one, though, is worth it.

Volvo got the physical design so right.  Wherever the test Volvo XC90 was driven, it drew attention, getting visual and verbal compliments on its instantly-recognisable and approving “that’s a Volvo” design.

Volvo took its good time to introduce a follow-up to the company’s first full-size SUV – the XC90 – originally launched here in 2003.  12 years is a very long time on the shelf for any car these years.  So now it is ready to take on the competitive other SUVs in the boardroom, on the field, and at home.  And looking fitter than ever.

The outer skin design is elegant and bold, without being flamboyant.  Purity reigns.  The headlights have everyone talking – did you see those T-lines?  It is apparently a Thor’s hammer design, which, OK, is in the shape of a hammer (the T) and a simple solution on how to create a light signature that has not been done before, through use of a simple horizontal LED light rod that splits the headlight visuals, book-ended by a vertical shorter bright white light.  Brilliant, in both senses of the word.

At first glance, the design inside and out is so simple and pure, one wonders, if it is so simple, how it is so distinctive… only with time and attention does one notice, then appreciate, the subtle yet well-thought-out touches.  Look at the grille – it is the trademark traditional Volvo grille with the diagonal bar and Volvo logo, but its outline is shaped very precisely (trace the line) being perfectly straight at the top, but with the subtlest of bends at the lower part.  The grille is pulled right forward – so much so that there is no front outer bumper as such (but don’t worry, modern cars’ actual bumpers are tucked away underneath the bumper cover anyway).  Look down low, and you’ll see the front fog lamps, almost hidden from sight, in their own intricate appearance.  The bonnet – plain at first sight – but see what happens above the headlights?  Lines form carved recesses along the sides.

In profile, it traces the same silhouette as its predecessor, which is a good thing, keeping the familiar identity and the upright look.  You’ll also notice how almost flat the bonnet is, which helps keep the Volvo XC90 look, and gives more space between engine and bonnet for pedestrian protection (so a person does not hit their head on the engine) and when parking, the driver can actually see the corners of the car, which is often out of sight in many of today’s sloped cars.

Move round the back, and the familiar sight of the long upright taillights bring comfortable familiarity (first seen on the 850 wagon, which became an instant Volvo identifier).  But something is new on these Volvo trademark lights – still the same roof to bumper edge lights, but with a kink in the middle section, where the tailgate folds into.

Finally, the tailgate – not just any old tailgate – has a new pedestal inset at the lower edge of the rear glass to promote the Volvo nameplate.  The tailgate metal panel is not just a flat old uncreative piece, but mirrors the front grille – a straight upper line, and the super-subtle flattened lower line with the outer quarters turned upwards, meeting the taillights.

The design elements all integrate so well.  Like a new haircut:  the same hair, but styled differently, for a fresh look.

That smart-device screen installation

Open the big yet perfectly-weighted driver’s door, and you are welcomed into a place that a Swedish interior decorator must have designed.

As soon as you are seated, you cannot help first noticing that screen.  Rather than go the ill-fitting afterthought-looking computer-tablet style screen installed on top of the dashboard (German designers are guilty here – look inside a Mercedes A/B/C-Class or late-model BMW or Audi) the Volvo interior decorator chose to go bold and modern:  the screen is the biggest we have seen in any car, and its like they took a complete smart-phone/large-screen tablet and did a neat installation into the dashboard.

The screen works so well, as you have an expanse of an upright touch-screen which is able to show you 6 menu items at the same time, like time, navigation, media, phone, car status, and climate controls – a bold new way of presenting the menu.  Just tap on any of these neat clear menu items to enter it.

At the bottom of this screen, you have the climate control menu – when you touch the temperature, either for right or left, a pop-up menu appears on the screen, showing an upright bar with temperature options from LO, 17 through 27, HI.  This means you can instantly tap your desired temperature setting.  If you missed the familiar Volvo figured man icon to adjust airflow (head, upper body, legs and feet) he is now digital, sitting inside this menu. 

Aha, and the intelligence comes in:  just like you’ll find on some modern smartphones/tablets, you have a tab at the top of the screen to access a drop-down menu to access settings:  My Car, navigation, down to System.  Not seen before on any other touch-screen in a car is the function to swipe sideways – the Volvo’s screen will even show instructions “Scroll horizontally to access side panes”.  Here you will be presented with the list of Applications, from audio/media, messages, car status, remote updates and Volvo ID, all the way to local search and weather.  And just like your smart handheld device, the screen shows 3 dots at the top, showing you there are other screens to swipe to for other menus.

The screen is clear and visible even in direct sunlight.  The only negative, especially if you are the perfectionist personality type who will likely choose this car to own, is the finger marks on the screen.  The screen background is black, so as soon as even a dry finger touches the screen, a fingerprint or streak will be visible.  A soft cloth for wiping clean needs to be carried with you.

In navigation menu, you don’t need to scroll through to enter a name of your destination.  You can write on the screen (rather than on an awkward little touch-pad next to the gear lever in other cars).  It has hand-writing recognition, which is safe, quick, easy… and a lovely entertainment piece for your passengers.

The final smart device similarity is the home button – a physical button located at the bottom of the screen, to take you back to the home screen (main menu).

This screen is the best menu user interface experience yet encountered on a car.

Smart interior design

The centre console is another delight.  No button on the dashboard to start the engine – behind the gear selector, you will find a switch which you rotate to the right to start the XC90.  But not just any switch – it is detailed in a ridged wave pattern, making it pleasant to look at, and with a nice tactile click to it – an engine start switch as piece of mechanical jewellery.  Unfortunately the special stubby jewel-like gear selector is reserved for the flagship T8 hybrid model.

The same ridged wave pattern is used for the Drive Mode switch, which you roll to bring up the menu on the screen, and for the console-mounted audio volume control.

The centre horizontal console also has a sliding cover… but this one got the designer’s touch.  It is in 2 parts, with the front pushing forward for a small neat container for small items like coins or keys, while the rear part is a good forearm long, covering the another square storage space and 2 cupholders.

Some intelligence applied here, too:  where other cars with rear climate controls usually have small round switches and un-ergonomic vertical air vents, the Volvo XC90 does not get neglected little switches, as rear passengers get their own digital menu above the rear centre air vents, and this menu and air vents air angled, mounted on a high console, making them easy to reach and adjust.  Clever.

The instrument display is fully digital, so it adapts to show a variety of driver information, very well presented.  If you have entered a destination on your navigation, the instrument cluster will display your map with directions right in front of you, between the speedometer and rev counter, which have both shifted sideways to make some space.

The steering wheel also has the straight-top curved-lower design, and manages to look both classic and modern.  The steering wheel switches are flush-fitting (unlike most other cars where these are buttons which stand out) and look good in gloss black, but the flush-fitting also means the driver, when turning the steering wheel at parking speeds, can unintentionally touch any of these switches to inadvertently call up voice control or unmute/adjust the audio.  The switches offer you safe hands-on driving while adjusting items like the optional adaptive cruise control, menu call-up on instrument display, and the usual audio.

This car has so many surprise&delight features.  The electric window switches are so well damped, you can feel these were carefully engineered to have the right feel and resistance.  What at first may seem like slow electric windows quickly make sense – the speed of the initial few centimetres are slowed down, so the window winding action is smooth rather than sudden… anything to add that sophisticated luxury touch.  The cubby lid doesn’t open by a handle, but by a switch on the console.  Great for convenience and show-off – not so great should the battery run flat and you want to retrieve a document or important personal item.

The front and rear seats retain their typical Volvo design in their shape, headrest shape, and leather seat lines.  A small flag of Sweden is tagged onto the driver’s seat.  The Volvo XC90 is a 7-seater, with 2 ample size rearmost seats.

The sliding luggage cover slides out the way, but the rear safety belts are dragged along with the cover, without their own space to be hooked out of the way.  Oh dear.

The boot is generous, with those 6th and 7th seats stowing neat and flat out the way.  The squareness of the body also helps give a generous 692 litre load area.

The Volvo XC90 also comes with the latest impress-your-friends feature.  It has a hands-free electric tailgate, meaning you don’t need to release a switch to open or close the tailgate – just swing a foot under the bumper, and the sensors will open or close the tailgate.  This seems brilliant, but there is a practical flaw:  when on test, a computer had to taken to a shop.  Arrived at the shop, parked in the bay, touched the door handle to lock, swiped a foot under the bumper to open the tailgate, lifted out the computer with both hands, swiped a foot again to close the tailgate (how the audience awed) and went to the shop.  Upon returning, the car is unlocked?  What?!  Yes, when you open the tailgate, all the doors unlock, and when you foot-close the tailgate, the car doesn’t lock itself again.  So ideally this hands-free method is only good (and very handy if you have handsful of parcels) when you arrive at the car to load something into it.

The front passenger airbag off switch is on the side panel of the dashboard.  This does not need the car’s key to turn, as it has a pull-turn switch.  Unfortunately, someone had already pulled too hard, braking the retaining clips, so the whole switch housing was hanging out.  A sturdier solution needed here.

Also, the parking assist did not work as expected.  Visiting a dealer to look at a car, it could not detect the 2 open parallel bays, instead insisting on parking itself in the open lane… which is actually a small intersection – embarrassing (and the family on-board, of course).  Well, it correctly sensed that there was an open space and no car, but human intervention was needed.  Also, it is supposed to have an exit function, which will automatically drive the car out of your parking bay… but only an on-screen failure message appeared.

What did work really well is the side alerts.  When moving out of a parking bay, the driver needs be mindful of the car next to and objects surrounding you, or that pesky pole that wasn’t there earlier – this Volvo has side sensors to also warn you if you are close to objects on the side (rather than just the front and rear corners) and will beep and display a graphic inlay on the screen to warn you.  Very smart.

What engine… sorry, repeat that?

SUVs are too heavy on fuel, right?  Maximising efficiency to minimise exhaust emissions are important, so another solution Volvo uses is the Drive-E range of modular petrol and diesel engines.  The Volvo XC90 is offered in D4 or D5 diesel, T5 or T6 petrol, or T8.  2.0-litre engine size with turbo for D4/D5/T5, turbo + supercharged T6 (as tested here) or turbo + supercharged + electric hybrid for the T8 Twin Engine.

What engine… sorry, repeat that?  Expect to hear this often.  Yes, all new Volvo XC90 use a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine, boosted by turbo, supercharger, electric or combination thereof.

What does the T6 badge stand for?  Not 6-cylinder.  For some time now Volvo has stopped using the number to denote number of cylinders, instead just indicating its output status within a range.  Yes, the T6 is also a 4-cylinder, but a very smooth one.  Still, a 6-cylinder would have been smoother and better sounding… although not as efficient.  When driving, the T6 Drive-E makes you forget what a relatively small engine it is, as you have a whole 235kW available, helped by 400Nm right across 2200 to 5400 revs.  0-100 km/h comes up in 6.5 seconds, but flooring to quickly get over an orange traffic light, for example, is where you’ll appreciate the power.  Not convinced about the efficiency bit, though – around town and some highway saw average fuel consumption in the high 10s.  Claimed is 8.0 average, but this will need serious restrain.

Ride, handling and drivetrain have been engineered to create a sophisticated and refined ride, with a sense of precision and comfort.

Market look

Compared to other executive SUVs, you are up against BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover Sport, Audi Q7, Lexus RX, Infiniti QX70, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Porsche Cayenne.  Of these, is the Volvo XC90 the most elegant design?  It is the one without any negative brand connotations or perceptions, free to impress all.

The model tested came in “basic” Momentum spec, while the Inscription is the more elite one, with the vertical chrome slats in the grille, an “Inscription” silver engraving into the front door chrome moulding, the elegant multi-spoke wheel design, smart-looking rectangular integrated exhaust outlets, plus more equipment as standard.  Really worth the extra R40k.  If you like sporty, the R-Design package will suit you. 

The range starts at R 804 000 for the D4 Momentum front-wheel drive, topping out at the XC90 T8 Twin Engine AWD R-Design for R 1 066 400.

The Volvo XC90 T6 AWD Momentum costs R 867 000, putting it right into this segment with its fresh design.  Be careful with that options list temptation, though, if you want to keep pricing at a limit – the test car had R100k+ in options.

Does the Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum make you feel like an intelligent person?

The overall design and execution is so good that one can forgive it its few negatives. 

Whether standing and admiring the outside of the Volvo XC90 or sitting inside the car, the elegance of line, that smart screen, the attention to detail and the elite feeling of how intelligent the people who took painstaking design time to build their executive SUV must be makes you feel like an intelligent person.  You are smart for having chosen this car, and appreciate the finer things in life.  This is the car for those people who have everything in their lives sorted out.  Intelligent, sophisticated, elite people.