Best In Range
by David Finlay (18 Nov 06)

We have Volvo Car UK Limited to thank for the introduction of the XC90 SE Sport. The Brits managed to persuade their bosses in Sweden that a more driver-friendly version of the popular SUV would be a good idea, and a development programme was duly started on UK roads (or, to be more accurate, replicas of UK roads built on a Swedish test ground). The results are not a whit less than astonishing.

First, a brief explanation of what was done. Don't worry, this won't take long. Some of the modifications relate to control systems (the self-levelling and the steering assistance have both been fine-tuned), but the bulk of the effort concerns the good old mechanical suspension components. If you don't get those right, no amount of electronic trickery is going to save the car's handling.

Volvo's engineers have done a fine job with them. They have fitted stiffer anti-roll bars at both ends, more so at the rear than at the front; compared with other XC90s, the SE Sport therefore not only leans less in corners, it also has slightly more of a grip bias towards the front. Turn-in is improved, and the chances of understeer are reduced.

The other significant alteration has as much to do with ride as with handling. The shock absorbers are stiffer in rebound, which means that they restrict the upward movement of the car more than is the case on non-Sport models. The most obvious effect is that the tendency - characteristic of most large, heavy SUVs - to float in a slightly worrying fashion over crests in the road is almost completely eliminated.

In combination, these changes make an enormous difference to the driving experience. The car tested here is the D5, with the 2.4-litre turbo diesel engine which is so impressive in smaller Volvos but has a tough job to push the XC90 along quickly in a straight line. It doesn't have much performance to speak of, but in all other respects it is a wonder. It feels more secure than the other cars in its family under acceleration, it's impressively stable under hard braking, and it requires just one steering input to get into a corner and another to straighten it up afterwards, with no nervous twitching at the wheel between the two (though the way the steering weights up as you apply more lock isn't its best feature).

More . . .

More Volvo XC90 Photos
Volvo Gallery
Back to Volvo Road Test index
Back to main Road Test index