► Welcoming the Volvo XC90 to the fleet
► SUV couldn’t be more different than TTS
► Exhuasted options list mounts to £16k
I’ve been exchanging goods from the chalk and cheese aisles of the car supermarket this month – bidding farewell to the sporting Audi TT opposite and settling into life with a more family-focused SUV, the towering presence of the Volvo XC90.
The pair couldn’t be more different. The Audi is all low-slung panache, with the emphasis on kerbside posing and corner carving. The XC90, meanwhile, will slot into kiddy-carrying duties, with its seven seats, huge 451/1102/1951-litre boot (depending on how many seats you have in action) and lashings of cabin space thanks to the upright shape.
There are a few similarities. Both use downsized 2.0-litre engines, blown upon by forced induction to keep up with the Joneses. We’ve picked a D5 Volvo, with 222bhp and 361lb ft of torque to keep this 2009kg behemoth going. With prices from £46,250, we judged the diesel to be the sweet spot in the XC90 range: the £60,455 T8 hybrid is pricey and less economical in the real world, the £49,700 T6 petrol a rare-groove purchase in this carbon-crunched age.
Like the Audi, the XC90 has permanent four-wheel drive, to keep us going when the going gets slippery, especially with the standard all-seasons Pirelli Scorpion Verde tyres. The wheels are 21-inch, eight-spoke diamond-cut alloys – a £1450 option. This excess-all-areas vibe percolates throughout; to avoid a long wait for XC90s off the production line, we plumped for a car already specced by Volvo. Hence the price has been swollen by an obscene £16,440.
With a bit of haggling, you could buy a Fiesta ST for that! We have four options packs: Intellisafe Pro for £1500 (radar cruise control, lane-keeping tech, blindspot information and lazy-boy traffic-jam driving); the £575 Winter Pack (heated seats, wheel, washer nozzles and – joy! – windscreen); the bargain £275 Family Pack (Volvo’s classic built-in booster cushion, rear-door sunblinds, powered child locks and a loadcover); and the £900 Seven Seat Comfort option (bundling rear climate control and powered rear headrests).
We’ll be reporting on the wisdom of such spec overload throughout this year and you can read the full spec of our XC90 on our website. What we can reveal already is that we love the Twilight Bronze paintjob, a metallic costing £700. It’s distinctive, on trend and lends the huge XC90 an understated elegance that suits its lofty stance.
And you really do feel high up once ensconced in the light and airy cabin. The blond soft Nappa leather seats are everything you’d hope for in a Volvo, prioritising comfort and pamper over the TT’s sporting grip. Both cars have elevated the art of cabin design to new highs: I struggle to think of a better exemplar of mainstream automotive design making motorists feel better about life.
But there the similarities end. Stay tuned as we get used to living with a Scandinavian model every day. We’ve a feeling it’ll be a rather happier relationship than with our ex, Volvo’s V60 Plug-in Hybrid.
The spec
Retractable towbar: We have the £995 electric towbar that drops down automatically. A neat solution
Air suspension: A must-have for XC90s: it’s a punchy £2150, but makes the ride so much more bearable
Inscription trim: Our trim adds digital dials, leather seats and dash, 20in alloys, extra chrome detailing and roof rails
Mega sound system: Our Sensus Connect infotainment system comes with Bowers & Wilkins upgrade… for £3000!
Logbook: Volvo XC90 D5 AWD Inscription
Engine: 1969cc 16v 4cyl turbodiesel, 222bhp @ 4250rpm, 361lb ft @ 1750-2500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Stats: 7.4sec 0-60mph, 137mph, 152g/km CO2
Price: £50,185
As tested: £66,625
Miles this month: 325
Total miles: 1850
Our mpg: 29.3
Official mpg: 48.7
Fuel this month: £40.03
Extra costs: £0
Read more from the May 2016 issue of CAR magazine