Volvo XC90 T8 review: hybrid SUV blends luxury with practicality but shows its age on the road
THERE appears to have been a great deal of rethinking going on at Chez Volvo recently. Aside from snatching headlines about the ditching of diesel engines a while back and milking that 'clean' image for all it was worth, things have not exactly been going to plan in Gothenburg.
First up, there was the announcement that it would be an EV-only company from 2030, which had to be scrapped when market forces dictated that hybrid-engined cars would be produced by them for longer than expected.
And then, there was the surprise revelation earlier this year that CEO Jim Rowan was standing down and being replaced by Hakan Samuelsson, himself a former incumbent in the role. On top of that, there was news that falling profits and restructuring would see the company shed 3,000 jobs.
There was also something of a surprise when Volvo announced it was walking away from the Polestar project it had been so actively involved with, along with its Chinese owners, to focus instead on its core business.
So, it has not exactly been a quiet time for the Swedish outfit and while its best-laid plans have not exactly come to fruition, it still knows how to make cars — good cars — that appeal to a broad cross-section of the populace who can afford premium level equipment.
The XC90 is a good example, having been with us since 2002; like many accomplished past Volvos, it is probably something worth noting (for those who notice such things) how many older XC90s are still on the go on our roads. It was originally made with diesel and petrol engine options and, it seems, most of them are still happily purring around.
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The original was something of a blocky thing, but it did have an air about it that suggested both sophistication and premium-grade build quality. It was also practically bombproof and the fact there are still so many of them running contentedly is an indication of how well built they were and how robust the engines were too.
When Volvo announced some time back that the new XC90 would be electric-only, there were undoubtedly many disappointed punters left out there wondering why their manufacturer of choice had deserted them.
Volvo XC90 spacious interior
But relief was at hand; the EV-only version, the EX90 was unveiled in 2022 and residual diesel/petrol fans were left a little nonplussed. By 2024, however, when Volvo launched the second facelift of the second generation XC90 (which was first seen in 2015 — sorry, I know, it gets a bit confusing), it had changed tack and petrol was back, albeit in hybrid form.
In the zeitgeist of that moment, when EV popularity was plummeting Europe-wide, there was little other choice Volvo could have made, but it was still very welcome for a core of followers who were probably never going to be electric adoptees.
So, here we have it — the new XC90, but there is still a slight quirk about what's on offer. Although the B5 and B6 mild hybrids are offered in other markets, we will only get this week's tester (apart from the EV version), which is the XC90 T8 PHEV.
The main downside of that means this is not going to be a cheap car — the tester, in Ultra specification, costs over 110 big ones — and that may limit appeal somewhat, even though the pricing is in league with the car's primary opponents from BMW, Range Rover, and Mercedes.
Given the popularity of the car, it is understandable that Volvo didn't want to trick around too much with the winning formula and so, there has only really been a few minor tweaks to the exterior look, while the interior has come in for something of a major overhaul, which is in line with the car's originally intended raison d'etre as an EV only car.
One trick that the Volvo has up its sleeve is that it's a seven-seater and therefore something of a rarity. That said, the only real exterior changes are to the grille and the headlights. The new grille is an attractive design with opposing diagonal lines in its right and left halves.
The 'Thor's Hammer' front running lights have been a staple of the XC90 since the off and have now been updated to mirror everything else Volvo is making. The combination of the two new elements freshens up the look of the car overall.
On the inside, everything seemed vaguely familiar to these eyes but freshened to the point where you begin to wonder about the veracity of what your eyes are telling you. It is all very plush and there is also a new portrait touchscreen for the excellent infotainment system. Other than that, it seems that all the materials utilised have been burnished and/or upgraded.
All new Volvo XC90
You do get a curious mix of timbers, leathers and brushed aluminium throughout, but the contrasts they provide are upmarket and great to look at and touch. There's a real feel-good factor at hand here.
The seats are great too; fabulously comfortable and beautifully upholstered they continue a long-standing Volvo tradition in this area. Even the rearmost seats are comfortable for other than small people and they are easily accessed too.
All of that — the look of the car from the outside and the quality of the interior — mark this XC90 down as being close to best in class. Indeed the quality of the interior alone puts the Volvo ahead of anything else in a comparable price bracket.
Where it is not quite up to the standards of this premium segment is on the road. Sure there's 448 bhp on tap and the 0-100 km/h dash takes just 5.4 seconds, but top speed is limited to 180 km/h, which appears fine.
But to achieve those figures you have to thrash that four-cylinder engine and, to be honest, it doesn't like being thrashed. Sure the thing is effortless in many respects, but the age of the engine makes things seem a touch creaky.
Also, the claimed consumption rate of 1.2 l/100 km (235 mpg) is preposterous — as are the figures for most PHEVs — but realistically you'll be lucky if you get 9.8 l/100 km (30 mpg), especially if you're any way heavy-footed. The electric-only range too is rubbish — tops 70 km — which is only just close to useful.
It rides and handles well, though, boosted considerably by the air suspension and the 4WD system on offer here. For a big car, these factors, play a big part in making it as good as it is on the road.
Without doubt this is a massively attractive proposition, in terms of looks, specification and driving pleasure, but it is the latter that sees a gap opening between the XC90 and its principal rivals. For aficionados that will matter little, but for purists it makes all the difference.
This is a car which has aged well in many regards, but the fact that it has aged at all is probably down to the fact that Volvo was not really expecting to be making it still.
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