23’ Volvo XC90 T8 Recharge

[XC904ME]

Hi everyone!
Great to be here. Such a wealth of information on this site.
Our family purchased a new 23’ Volvo XC90 T8 Recharge Ultimate 7 seater in December.
We now have 5k miles on the car. We traded in a 2016 Honda Pilot Elite…which had 80k miles on it with two engines, and 3 transmissions later. I’ve had multiple Honda’s in my life with great luck but our Pilot was an absolute piece of junk. Never again.

So far our impressions of the new XC90 are good. Overall, we are happy. As with any vehicle there are pluses and minus’ and I thought I would share my observations. Here goes…

PROS:
1. Overall vehicle style. I like the exterior and interior design of the XC90 and think it’s still very modern while retaining simple, clean lines.
2. Power. The T8 has plenty of power. The acceleration is fantastic and smooth.
3. The Bowers & Wilkins stereo is mind boggling. The best I’ve heard in a vehicle.
4. Quiet interior. Road noise is very low…at least compared to our Honda Pilot.
5. Air suspension. I like the leveling and stability.

CONS:
1. Apple Car Play. I don’t like that you can’t see CarPlay on the instrument cluster along with the infotainment screen. You can only see CarPlay functionality on the infotainment screen. Should also be wireless…and it’s not.
2. Headlights. I’m not a fan of the low beam performance. They are not bright. Nothing like my 2021 Toyota Corolla, our old Honda Pilot or even our 2007 Tundra. They are fantastic headlights in broad illumination but not distance or the road below. They are also fantastic on high beams. The low beams…simply suck.
3. Sunroof rattle. We’ve had an annoying rattle from the sunroof since day one. I have an appointment with our dealer next month to look into this.
4. Tow hitch bumper cutout. Every dealer that has to cut the rear bumper for the tow hitch has done an amateur job. It’s janky that the dealer has to jigsaw a cutout for the tow hitch to be used.
5. Gas gauge. Sporadic readouts at best. You never know an actual/real range.
6. Key Fob. Why can’t I lock the doors with the key fob like any other car out there?

This is about all I wanted to say at this point. Again, overall we are very happy with the vehicle and hope it lasts a very long time.

 

[Ducksauce]

Hi everyone!
Great to be here. Such a wealth of information on this site.
Our family purchased a new 23’ Volvo XC90 T8 Recharge Ultimate 7 seater in December.
We now have 5k miles on the car. We traded in a 2016 Honda Pilot Elite…which had 80k miles on it with two engines, and 3 transmissions later. I’ve had multiple Honda’s in my life with great luck but our Pilot was an absolute piece of junk. Never again.

So far our impressions of the new XC90 are good. Overall, we are happy. As with any vehicle there are pluses and minus’ and I thought I would share my observations. Here goes…

PROS:
1. Overall vehicle style. I like the exterior and interior design of the XC90 and think it’s still very modern while retaining simple, clean lines.
2. Power. The T8 has plenty of power. The acceleration is fantastic and smooth.
3. The Bowers & Wilkins stereo is mind boggling. The best I’ve heard in a vehicle.
4. Quiet interior. Road noise is very low…at least compared to our Honda Pilot.
5. Air suspension. I like the leveling and stability.

CONS:
1. Apple Car Play. I don’t like that you can’t see CarPlay on the instrument cluster along with the infotainment screen. You can only see CarPlay functionality on the infotainment screen. Should also be wireless…and it’s not.
2. Headlights. I’m not a fan of the low beam performance. They are not bright. Nothing like my 2021 Toyota Corolla, our old Honda Pilot or even our 2007 Tundra. They are fantastic headlights in broad illumination but not distance or the road below. They are also fantastic on high beams. The low beams…simply suck.
3. Sunroof rattle. We’ve had an annoying rattle from the sunroof since day one. I have an appointment with our dealer next month to look into this.
4. Tow hitch bumper cutout. Every dealer that has to cut the rear bumper for the tow hitch has done an amateur job. It’s janky that the dealer has to jigsaw a cutout for the tow hitch to be used.
5. Gas gauge. Sporadic readouts at best. You never know an actual/real range.
6. Key Fob. Why can’t I lock the doors with the key fob like any other car out there?

This is about all I wanted to say at this point. Again, overall we are very happy with the vehicle and hope it lasts a very long time.

Hello, I agree with your Pros/Cons. I have the same model and wanted to ask about your headlights. On the headlight arm, there is a button for the front fog lamps. When I press this button, there are no fog lights that come on. I just wanted to see if the same happens with you. I don't see front fog lamps as an option for the XC90 recharge. Also, when I press the button for the rear fog lamp, there is only a single red light that comes on which is located on the driver side rear. I would of thought the rear would have a red lamp on both the left and ride side. Just wanted to see what other drivers experience. Also to note, I am able to lock the doors with the key fob. Thanks!

 

[XC904ME]

Hi Ducksauce!
Yes, my Recharge is the same. The front fog lamp button on the stalk is "fake". It's used for other XC90's with fog lamps. I was told by my dealership (and through a lot of research) that the 23 Recharge cannot have fog lights due to lack of room in the front bumper due to extra cooling equipment for the hybrid powertrain. I wish we could order fog lights! I need the extra lighting.
As for the rear fog lamp...yes, it is only one lamp that is brighter. Kind of weird...but I was told this setup is normal in Europe.
I should have clarified the key fob con that I mentioned above. I too can lock the door with the key fob. However, I do wish it was auto locking when you walk away from the vehicle. A very common feature on my most cars (or at least the option to do so).

 

[Ducksauce]

Hi Ducksauce!
Yes, my Recharge is the same. The front fog lamp button on the stalk is "fake". It's used for other XC90's with fog lamps. I was told by my dealership (and through a lot of research) that the 23 Recharge cannot have fog lights due to lack of room in the front bumper due to extra cooling equipment for the hybrid powertrain. I wish we could order fog lights! I need the extra lighting.
As for the rear fog lamp...yes, it is only one lamp that is brighter. Kind of weird...but I was told this setup is normal in Europe.
I should have clarified the key fob con that I mentioned above. I too can lock the door with the key fob. However, I do wish it was auto locking when you walk away from the vehicle. A very common feature on my most cars (or at least the option to do so).

I appreciate your feedback! It’s great to learn more about this car and confirm these features with others. I wish the fog lights were an option like in previous XC90’s. I think the lights are good but wish they were brighter. I have noticed on the lower portion of the headlight that not all the round lenses illuminate. I’m not sure if these are bulbs or reflectors, but it seems like only the top portion of the headlamp is illuminated.

 

[gurganus]

Hello, @XC904ME and Everyone!

In my 2023 XC90 Recharge Ultimate, also purchased in December, I am also experiencing a sun roof rattle. Was your service able to fix it and if so, what was the fix? So far, our service folks have "not been able to duplicate the issue." I've noticed if I put pressure between the "panes", then the rattle stops.

In addition, the Google Maps display in the driver's console (adjacent to the speedometer), occasionally resets and spins horizontally. It's like the old TVs that lose picture sync. The service department replaced the "infotainment module", but it didn't fix the problem.

I've also had a 2017 XC90 Inscription T8 and a 2018 XC60 Inscription T8. While I definitely like the Google Maps and Google voice assistant, the overall feature set has really taken a step backward compared to previous model years.
- I want the automatic parking features back! (Was I the only one who used these features?)
- I want better integration with Amazon Music
- I want better integration with Apple Music.
- I want the Volvo App features back -- like being able to directly send a destination to the car.

I really hope Volvo increases the pace of restoring the above features, else the car will not be competitive from a technology perspective.

What do others think of the XC90 2023 changes?