Volvo XC90 D5 R-Design Premium
by Mike Grundon (12 February 2009)
"Good Lord, it's huge in here." My eyes adjusted to the distance as I looked in through the back door and down the central aisle. Row after row after row of seats stretched into the middle distance, but away down there at the front I could just make out a Volvo badge. I lugged my suitcase into the boot, closed up and down the two halves of the split tailgate and began the long march around to the driver's door.
Volvo's biggest SUV is a tank by anyone's standards, with the possible exception of a genuine tank driver. It's got seven seats in three rows, it's almost five metres long, it's over two metres wide and it tips the scales at two and a quarter tonnes. Despite that, it's capable of reaching 60mph about 11 seconds after take-off, running on to a top speed of 118mph, and comfortably towing more than its own weight on a braked trailer.
The XC90 is a mile-eater. The seats are as comfortable and supportive as any I've ever tried in any car, the cabin is roomy and lit with jolly colours in the dials, and dialling up the ideal temperature is a doddle. The satnav is controlled through buttons on the steering wheel and, once you're used to it, it's an easy process.
Out of the motorway madness and into the land of corners, cows and combine-harvesters, the pro aspects outshine the cons. Clear views of each corner combined with that light steering mean manoeuvring through tight-cornered Cornish fishing villages or squeezing past oncoming traffic on single track roads between granite walls is confidence-inspiring and doubt-free.
One minor issue is with the rollerblind cargo-hold cover. When you put up the rear two seats, you have to remove the contraption and there's nowhere in the boot big enough to stow it. It's fine if you're planning ahead so you can leave it at home, but not if you suddenly find yourself with a car-full.
I never went seriously bog-splashing or dune-hopping but I did run it along some steep, rubbly and rutted tracks, twisting it up a little over the stones and slopping through mud and gutter. I was very impressed by the way the car kept going and the way it remained unflustered.
So in conclusion, the big Volvo is still a serious contender, despite the continuing rise in the popularity of big 4x4s. It's got a universe of useable space inside, it has an engine that's reasonably economical and torquey enough, and it has enough presence for you to be proud of it. Looked after properly, evidence suggests it should go on and on with minimal fuss for years.
Add new comment