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

The XC90 is the first of Volvo’s latest and thus is committed to being clean and efficient as much as safe. The new Drive-E D5 twin-turbo diesel engine is a 1,969-cc four-pot that makes 225 PS and 470 Nm, more than adequate for this two-tonne luxury SUV. The i-ART injection uses high injection pressure with dedicated injectors per cylinder for maximum efficiency and power output. It manages 100 km/h from standstill within nine seconds and a top speed of over 200 km/h. What’s even better is the way it goes.

Keep the motor in the right band, at around 2,000 RPM, and the XC90 feels energetic, easily picking up and sprinting in any gear at any time. It sure doesn’t feel like a little 2.0-litre motor at all. The new eight-speed transmission with the latest all-wheel-drive coupling ensures good acceleration and traction, with good fuel efficiency too. We managed eight km/l in the city and 13 on the highway. Not bad at all.

It may look tall and massive (well, it is) but it doesn’t feel like it. Handling dynamics are enhanced by Volvo’s advanced gyro-sensor system which negates any roll and pitch with yaw also in control. Together with corner brake control and smart power distribution, the XC90 stays planted and sure-footed at all times. It corners very well and doesn’t feel like a big lug pretty much what you do with it. Whether munching miles on the open highway or making its way through winding hilly roads, there was not a single moment when I felt that I didn’t have complete control. It simply astonishes with the way it goes about any and all business. The adaptive air suspension, with five driving modes, makes for a plush ride no matter what the terrain.

One little downside is the cabin sound insulation. Hit a pot-hole and the thud heard in the cabin is a lot worse than what is actually felt. Thanks to India’s (off-)road network, that is something we just have to get used to. The air suspension at its lowest (for instance, in Eco mode) keeps the car 227 mm off the ground, with the maximum ride height of 267 mm reached in the Off-road mode. Furthermore, the air suspension automatically lowers when the car is switched off to facilitate ingress/egress and cargo loading.

The 368-litre boot allows for a variety of loads, and also includes a load-separator. Fold down the third row and the volume increases to 1,019 litres. Fold down the second row and it further increases to 1,868 litres. The load area, too, is wide and there’s no lip, so it’s easy-peasy. The power tail-gate opens one of four ways: the button on the dash, the key, the tail-gate, or via foot-gesture below the bumper. That last bit doesn’t work with the add-on styling kit.

So it has three rows of seats with the ability to hold seven full-size adults. It delivers turbo V6 power from a twin-turbo four, good fuel economy, and has, by far, the best safety, comfort and ergonomics in its class — and that’s a class that includes the new Audi Q7, the Land Rover Discovery, the Mercedes GL-Class and the BMW X5, big names all. It’s the only big, modern Scandinavian SUV, and it’s here, from Rs 64.9 lakh, making an impact in all the right ways. It’s modern inside and, now, outside too, and it does one more thing the old XC90 didn’t do as much: with Thor’s Hammer LED bringing the illumination, it turns heads wherever it goes.

For the comprehensive road test results, please refer to the January 2016 issue of Car India.

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