BY THE HAMMER OF THOR: Volvo XC90 D5 AWD Road Test

A series of firsts, global accolades, and 1,927 First Editions selling out online within a day-and-a-half — we put the all-important second generation of the much-loved XC90 to the test. Does it truly raise the bar?

Story: Jim Gorde
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

Citius. Altius. Fortius. While that may sound Latin to many, it’s because that’s exactly what it is. Faster, higher and stronger, that’s what it translates into. It has been the motto of the Olympics and for good reason. When your focus is to simply become better than you were yesterday, it’s easy to improve and become something much greater. This stands particularly true for the all-new Volvo XC90. Since the first-generation model arrived in 2002, it redefined practicality for many. Add to that the strong build, impeccable safety and electronic aids, and the fact that it actually feels like a car to drive. For Volvo, 13 years is a long time, and, with the new XC90, they’ve shown the world that they have indeed been listening.

The all-new XC90 has definitely met, nay, even exceeded, the expectations of many. While it continues to amass awards globally, from the big names in the automobile and gadget spheres alike, it finally comes to us for a proper test. We’ve already driven the car in Spain and in India, and were impressed by its many improvements, especially in the styling, interior, equipment and ride quality departments; that’s saying a lot. The new tablet layout, reduction of buttons, several new cutting-edge features and the sheer extent of function controls handed to you via an easy and intuitive touch interface will be appreciated by many in this day and age.

What else will most definitely be appreciated is the design. The front end with that new grille and Thor’s Hammer LED headlamps looks absolutely cutting-edge, and it is too. Couple those elements to the size, and it sure makes its presence felt. The side profile may not be as exciting to look at as the front or the rear, but it does indeed make itself identifiable as belonging to a large five-metre luxury SUV: the big glass panes, neat lines, and those wheels. Those big 20″ wheels with 275/45 rubber don’t just offer good ride quality but also grip extremely well indeed. The rear end is also a neat layout complete with Volvo signature LED tail-lamps.

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