Enough Is Not the Same It Was Before: Volvo XC90

On the outside, the new XC90 is larger and more elegant to look at. There are some thoroughly modern styling touches, like the Mjölnir-inspired LED headlamps, which Volvo refer to as Thor’s Hammer. Not only are they extremely eye-catching to look at, they are incredibly effective at night. Being of the active bending variety means a spread of daylight-quality white light ahead, which changes direction in harmony with the steering wheel, allowing one to see even better where they’re headed. During the day, the hammer-shaped split-sections function as daytime running-lights, while also fulfilling the function of the turn indicators. Even the LED fog-lamps are corner-friendly, illuminating as the car takes to a corner. The design on the side, however, is very subtle, and, as is typical of Volvo, understated. The rear, on the other hand, gets completely overhauled. Gone is the split-tailgate, and a powered one-piece unit appears, flanked by those gorgeous Volvo-signature tail-lamp clusters leaving as distinct a mark as a phoenix flying past in a dark night’s sky.

There are a plethora of additions to the all-new XC90’s safety kitty, chief among which is the City Safety suite of autonomous preventive safety technology. The automatic braking functionality now uses radar-based signals to identify vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, both during the day and at night, moving on from the earlier laser-assisted system that needed reflections to confirm obstructions. It also has a higher speed of operation: 50 km/h as opposed to 30 km/h of the previous-generation system. The collision warning system now alerts the driver when there is a possible collision up front or even from the rear. There’s the ParkAssist Pilot, which helps find a parking spot fit for the XC90 and even helps park it without risk. Unfortunately for India, the use of certain radar frequencies is not permitted in passenger vehicles, so the XC90s sold in India, while still capable of using these features, will have them blocked until the government relaxes norms and permits the use of radar-based systems to enhance road safety.

Having a camera up front, at the rear and on either side allows for 360º vision, letting the driver see with ease what is around them without having to adjust mirrors or look out of the window. The Blind-spot Information System (BLIS) also features a more prominent display in the wing-mirrors. Then, of course, there are the specific additions to the XC90 which are world-first offerings, including the run-off-road crash protection system, which protects occupants by tightening their seat-belts and preparing for a crash when it detects that the car has left the road surface. Front occupants benefit from having a deformation unit in the seat-mount which helps cushion vertical forces and prevent spinal injury.

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