2016 Volvo XC90: First Drive

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What is it? 2016 Volvo XC90 seven-passenger SUV

Price range: $48,900 to $71,600

Competitors: Acura MDX, Audi Q7, BMW X5, Infiniti QX60, Mercedes GL-Class, Porsche Cayenne

Alternatives: Honda Pilot, Buick Enclave, loaded minivans

Pros: Slick design, uncluttered dash, innovative infotainment system.

Cons: Infotainment system has a steep learning curve, troubled visibility and low range.

Would I buy it with my own money? Probably not; even accounting for the technology, it?s pricey for a full-size family truckster, and yet cargo space is limited. Your style may vary.

Volvo was late to the sport utility party when its first example, the XC90, rolled off the production line in 2002. Even so, the vehicle helped set the standard by which all seven-seat luxury utility vehicles were judged in those days. It was plush, provided a sporty yet comfortable ride, and had decent power. It even drove more like a wagon than a big bulky truck, as one might expect from a Volvo.

But while the competition kept evolving, improving over the years, Volvo?s biggest family truckster remained unchanged and grew stale in the company?s corporate turmoil. That changes now.

The 2016 XC90 is a whole new beast. It?s the first vehicle to employ Volvo?s Scalable Product Architecture. In this application, it makes the XC90 feel much smaller and lighter ? which goes along with Volvo?s decision to power all of their vehicles with four-cylinder engines. The XC90 boasts two configurations: the T6 features a turbo- and supercharged four-cylinder engine that develops 316 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, while the T8 is a twin-engined plug-in hybrid that makes a combined 400 horsepower (313 horses from the same four-cylinder gas engine as the T6 and another 87 from the rear-axle mounted electric motor) and 472 lb-ft of torque.

Using both a supercharger and turbocharger seems like a belt-and-suspenders miscue, but Volvo has a theory. Superchargers add extra air immediately to an engine, since they?re powered by the crankshaft, but they add strain. Turbochargers produce boost from the exhaust; they don?t add to engine loads, but also don?t deliver power until the engine spins up.

In the XC90, the belt-driven supercharger provides the extra air under 3,500 rpms. Once the engine revs beyond that, the supercharger decouples using a special clutch, and the turbocharger comes online. The result is that a relatively small 2-liter engine can propel the hefty XC90 from zero to 62 mph in 6.1 seconds in the T6, while delivering 20 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway, netting a combined rating of 22 mpg on premium gas ? besting Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Yet because of a smaller gas tank, the XC90 has a far shorter range ? 414 miles, versus 475 for the Audi and 502 for a gas-powered Mercedes GL450.

The T8 Hybrid is more interesting under the hood. All XC90s are all-wheel-drive; unlike the T6, there is no mechanical link between the front and rear axles. The front wheels take orders from the 2-liter four along with a starter-generator, sandwiched between the engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 34-kW water-cooled electric motor adds 103 lb-ft of torque to the mix, and recharges the hybrid battery pack. The vehicle?s rear wheels are driven by another 65-kW electric motor, providing 177 lb-ft of instant torque at launch.

While the T8 and T6 have the same top speed (130 mph), the T8 catapults from zero to 62 mph in almost a second less (5.3 seconds). It can also run on battery power alone (at speeds up to 80 mph) for about 17 miles, and is expected to return more than 59 MPGe.

The XC90?s fa?ade can only be described as understated elegance. The Swedes say the new design has little in common with the outgoing model but I disagree. True, the wedge shape is gone. Lines are crisper and more fluid. But even at a quick glance, you can?t mistake this machine for anything other than an XC90. It has the same wagon-like silhouette common to Volvo SUVs.

Inside, the elegance is not so understated. The cabin simply oozes luxury, coming across as elegant and modern without being overdone. The leather-wrapped seats are comfortable and supportive. Surprisingly, the second row offers generous head- and legroom, and the seats are individually adjustable. The third row is comfortable as well, but tiny. If you?re under five-foot, six-inches tall, you?re fine, but seating and access get tougher at any other dimension.

The dash is possibly the most impressive thing of all, a thing of minimalist beauty, primarily thanks to the all-new Sensus Connect infotainment system. Instead of cluttering the dash with dozens of buttons, switches, and knobs to operate the radio, HVAC, navigation and telephones, Volvo switches to a 9.7-inch LCD touchscreen, mounted portrait-style at the top of the center stack.

It looks and operates like an iPad. All you have to do is swipe a finger to get to the feature/submenu you want. Unlike the iPad though, the Sensus uses infrared technology. Simply put: It?s not so much touch that allows you to navigate through the LCD?s menus and find the controls you desire, but the motion of your fingers. In fact, you never have to touch the screen.

In theory.

In practice, the screen was rather imprecise or too sensitive, depending on the situation. Wipe your fingers too far from the screen, and nothing happens. Too close (or hit a bump in the road causing your finger to move) and every button you pass gets triggered. It?s a pain in the ass at first, and it attracts fingerprints like flies to honey. But when you do get the hang of it, the system is highly innovative and comprehensive.

On the road, both the T6 and T8 performed admirably. The instant-on torque from the electric motors in the T8 tossed me back in my seat every time I stomped on the accelerator, and the twin-engine never complained once, no matter how much load was put on it. It also transitioned from electric-only operation to both electric and gas power almost undetectably.

Though a Performance mode is available via the toggle switch on the XC90?s center console, it didn?t seem to do much for either vehicle. The XC90 is far more at home cruising than being pushed hard, though I tried. There?s a bit more body roll than I like, but it was acceptable, and the optional air suspension absorbed bumps with aplomb. Like almost every other electric power steering system on the market, feedback from the front wheels was non-existent. But control was spot on and responsive.

And as expected in a Volvo, its safety features are exemplary, and high tech. XC90 models are equipped with radar and infrared cameras to ensure that pedestrian- and cycle-detecting systems work whatever the hour of the day. The car monitors the driver, with alerts for drowsiness, rear collision and lane departure, and full auto braking when turning across intersections.

Volvo?s new Pilot Assist is also available. It tracks not only the car in front but the road markings to follow traffic at up to 30 mph without any inpput from the driver until absolutely necessary, sort of like Traffic Jam Assist in the Audi A7. Sadly, the lane-keeping feature that is part of the system didn?t work over 45 mph.

The XC90 is an impressive beast. It looks good, the cabin is spectacular, technology state of the art and two impressive motivators are available. If it lives up to first impressions, the competition will be scratching to catch up.
 


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