by Anthony Fongaro - 08/14/2021
When you think of Volvo, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Probably safety, right? Well, I think the same way. Throughout the years, Volvo has worked tirelessly to make their cars safe. To some, that’s code for boring. To me, it’s highly appreciated. One of the first things that people look for in a car is just how safe their possible new car is. The thing is, there is something else that people look for... Aesthetics and Volvo also has that in spades. Case in point: the Volvo XC90.
The original Volvo XC90 had a clean design both inside and out, but it was on the market since 2002. Volvo had a lot on their hands to design the next generation and I’d say they have. Even though the majority of the second generation looks the same as it first came out in 2015, it’s continued to be a very handsome SUV. There was a multitude of changes, but the most controversial was under the hood. Volvo decided to give all XC90s and subsequently all other Volvos a 2.0-liter inline-four with various modifications. So, can an SUV go along with looks, or does the XC90 have the substance for a family hauler?
Let’s look at the exterior. I still think that the XC90 and all Volvos have a handsome and clean design. Since the XC90 was the first vehicle for this renaissance, Volvo didn’t pull any punches. New for 2021, the front grill has a slightly different design when it comes to the emblem. The slanted bar that goes across the Volvo logo is now behind it instead of through it. Otherwise, that’s it. You still get the “Thor’s Hammer” headlights which is such a cool name for headlights. My XC90 had Denim Blue Metallic and 21-inch 8-Multi Spoke Black Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels. Translation: it’s a great combination with the paint.
The Recharge has a little white badge that says “T8 Recharge AWD” quickly looking at the rear-end. You also get some great-looking taillights and some fake exhausts. They’re not necessary for a PHEV but it’s not really a negative. Inside, you’ll see some more Swedish minimalism with Amber Perforated Nappa Leather. If you’re wondering, yes, the seats are heated, ventilated, and there’s a massage function. Sitting in the driver’s seat, you have the heated multi-function steering wheel for Volvo’s Pro Pilot safety systems I’ll talk about later. There are some digital dials, but they aren’t very customizable. There was a nice heads-up display but I couldn’t place it in my line of sight.
Looking to the right, you’ll see a speaker popping out: the Bowers & Wilkins Premium Sound system. It’s a great sound system with 19 speakers and 1,400 W output. That’s what we call pretty impressive. Below that is the 9.3-inch Sensus infotainment system and it seems massive. This is central control which, while standing still, is quite easy to use. All you have to do is swipe some menus and there’s a large home button. When you drive, it’s difficult to use. It took me a few days to modify the climate control because it’s integrated on the bottom of the screen. The stubby little shifter has quite the name: Crystal Geartronic gear shifter by Orrefors. Basically, it’s made of solid crystal by Orrefors. It looks expensive and posh.
Continuing inside, you don’t have a push-button start but get a little switch and a wheel for the Drive Modes. The rear seats are also heated and have their own climate control. Not surprising, the back two seats are only for people you don’t like or kids. There are a few USB ports scattered around, but the ones up-front are in the center counsel. All in all, it’s a great-looking SUV. It’s very minimal and Swedish which you’ll instantly know by the little Swedish flags on the seats. I didn’t try the heated seats because it was in the 90s, so I used the ventilated seats and the massage feature. Although the extremely comfortable seats have a lot of adjustment, I didn’t feel the ventilation or the seat getting colder, but the massaging seats were nice if a little weak.
Now for why the name for this XC90 is what it is. Like I said, it used a 2.0-liter inline-four with lots of additions to the engine. There are two parts to this engine. First off, the engine is both supercharged and turbocharged. Second, you have the PHEV components with about 20 miles of usable electricity. When you combine everything and to the math, this XC90 produces 400-horsepower and 472 lb-ft. Coming all-wheel-drive with an 8-speed auto, the XC90 Recharge reaches 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. It definitely has power but like most PHEVs, if you don’t charge it, you have the regular engine that produces 313-horsepower and 295 lb-ft. Thankfully, it doesn’t take too long to charge but there’s an odd cover for the charge point which is unnecessary. The Recharge has an EV range of 20 miles and I’m sure I got pretty close to that.
On the road, the XC90 is fully silent until you have to use the gas engine. After that, you’re going to hear the engine drone. Although it sounds silly to have this complicated of an engine, it does work. There are a few drive modes for Constant AWD, Pure, Power, and Individual. Put the XC90 in Power and it really picks up. Pure is the mode for EV driving but it didn’t last long until the gas engine started up. I promise I don’t have that much of a lead foot. That’s not the point of the XC90, especially with this configuration. You activate the Pilot Assist and cruise. This is not a sporty SUV at all with a lot of understeer and body lean. Almost all Volvos are made more for comfort and style over performance. One caveat: to use the gear shifter, you have to press down on it twice to go into reverse and drive which was odd. Although I averaged 25 MPG, I had the ventilated and massaging seats on with the air blasting.
Should you get the XC90 with the Recharge configuration and Inscription trim? That really depends on what you want. Those that can’t charge their XC90 should step down to the T6 Inscription. It has the same engine but no PHEV additional power. The Inscription starts at $64,500 before you add options and this one was fully loaded. The Climate package adds the heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, and heated windshield wiper blades. The second package with a 360-degree camera and head-up display. I constantly used the camera to get the XC90 to barely fit in my garage. Finally, there’s the Lounge package for $1,700 with the headliner being Nubuck along with the backrest massage system. The paint costs $700 while the wheels are $800. All of this adds up to around $82,000.
When I look at Volvos, I always think that the Inscription trim is the best because it adds more elegance. For my recommendation, I’d actually stick with the XC90 I drove. Yes, the options come out to almost $20,000, but they help make the XC90 feel even posher. There really weren’t any red flags for the XC90 apart from a learning curve for the infotainment system. All in all, I liked the XC90. I still think it’s one of the most handsome SUVs on sale today. Volvo is going to be all-electric before we know it, so this PHEV won’t last long. Before they do switch to being EVs only, check out the Volvo XC90 Recharge Inscription.
Some Nerdalicious Stats
_websize.jpg)
