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Motor Trend
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
2025.5 Volvo XC90 T8 AWD First Test: Simpler, Swifter, Better
Pros B transmission mode a great quasi-one-pedal option Ample EV power for around-town cruising Reasonable day-trip range and overnight recharging Cons Abrupt engine engagement in Hybrid mode Front-biased power challenges traction Laggy screens We've heaped a ton of praise on the second-gen Volvo XC90 luxury three-row SUV, from crowning it our 2016 SUV of the Year to marveling at its continued viability nine years later, when it was ostensibly meant to be replaced by the all-electric EX90. Well, it's still here, we've driven all its variants, tested the midgrade B6 trim, and now strapped our gear to the range-topping T8 plug-in hybrid version. Have we found a hole in this SUV's armor this time around? 0:00 / 0:00 Simpler Not really. This 2025.5 model is the automotive epitome of working smarter, not harder. Its powertrain is vastly simplified and at the same time measurably better at its job. When we first praised the T8, its powertrain comprised a four-cylinder engine that was assisted by not just a turbocharger and belt-driven supercharger, but also a mild hybrid helper motor sitting just ahead of the transmission, with a more powerful second motor powering the rear wheels. Nowadays, that same basic 2.0-liter turbo makes about the same output sans supercharger. And despite ditching its 46-hp/111-lb-ft helper motor, swapping in a 143-hp/228-lb-ft motor in the rear (replacing an 87-hp/177-lb-ft unit), and roughly doubling the size of its battery, total system power jumps from 400 hp and 442 lb-ft to 455 hp and 523 lb-ft. Gotta love modern math. (Cake icing: Doubling the battery size apparently offset the weight of the supercharger and front motor, as this '25.5 T8 Ultra weighed precisely the same 5,132 pounds as the 2017 T8 Inscription range-topper we tested, while improving front/rear distribution by a percentage point, to 51/49.) Swifter In lieu of that supercharger, the new engine employs the Miller cycle. This efficiency booster is where the engine runs a high mechanical compression ratio that's offset by leaving the intake valves open during part of the compression stroke, reducing the negative work on the crank and effective compression, while allowing a full expansion ratio. (This trick is called Atkinson cycle until you bolt on a turbo or supercharger; then it's a Miller cycle). The hole-shot launch doesn't improve that much, so the 0–60 time only drops by a tenth—to 4.9 seconds—but at the quarter mile the new car is half a second and 8.8 mph out in front of the older one, at 13.4 seconds and 105.9 mph. Less Grippy? Tire compounds may have changed over the past eight years, because the tire sidewall markings suggest they're similar and yet an identical, better distributed curb weight resulted in a 6-foot longer 60-mph stopping distance (a still quite respectable 121 feet), a less tenacious 0.80 g of maximum lateral grip (down from 0.84), and a 1.1-second-slower figure-eight lap (differences in stability-control programming likely account for some of this time difference). Under the conditions where you'd have an opportunity to observe these differences, you'll likely be laser focused on an impending emergency. In normal driving, this new XC90 feels as poised and adroit as ever. It's also worth noting that the 295-/228-lb-ft front/rear torque split led to the occasional front-wheel peel on damp roads, especially in turns, before traction control kicked in. A Genuine PHEV Many plug-in hybrids over the past decade have struck us as disingenuous tax-incentive grabs. Vehicles with short EV ranges and insufficient electric oomph to support normal driving can end up being way worse for the environment than a purely combustion version of the same vehicle if they result in multiple cold starts in any given trip, because cold starts account for the vast majority of a vehicle's controlled emissions. Here, with 143 hp and 228 lb-ft of rear-drive power on tap, it's possible to accomplish all your normal around-town driving in EV mode. Volvo facilitates this with a setting that lets the XC90 start in Pure (EV) mode, in which case the engine only starts if you floor the accelerator, depressing the 'kick-down' switch. Even in Hybrid mode, a variable line on the power meter clearly indicates the point at which the engine will engage. And after a day or so of gentle driving, a full battery indicated 35 miles of EV range (3 more than the EPA rating). That's darned close to the 39.7 miles the DOT says is the nationwide daily average for drivers. Those looking to exercise all 455 horses and 523 lb-ft may notice that during part-throttle acceleration, the transition can be somewhat abrupt, surging noticeably as the ICE wakes up. Great One-Pedal Idea for Two-Driver Households There are no shift paddles or screen menu options that adjust one-pedal driving. Those who like this feature will adopt a habit of double-tapping the Orrefors crystal shifter to engage B mode, while occasional users who do not like it need never struggle to disable it. One slight drawback is that one-pedal devotees must remember that feature never works in reverse. B-mode regen is roughly aligned with the middle setting in three-level adjustable systems. Complaints? The updated Google-based UX looks nice and adds functionality, but screen response can be laggy, raising the question whether the new tech stack's reach has exceeded the legacy electrical architecture's grasp. We still wish the lovely center and driver screens offered more data for us to consume—you know, like Springsteen laments: '57 channels and nothin' on.' Bottom Line Maybe a future test of the entry B5 version will give us a chance to really complain about a Volvo XC90, but don't count on it. This remains a very well thought-out luxury three-row SUV, and at $74,295 for the entry Core model, it's a decent value in the segment. No wonder the XC90 remains the top pick amongst Luxury 3-Row SUVs and Luxury 3-Row Hybrid SUVs in MotorTrend's Ultimate Car Rankings. And unlike some PHEVs like the Mazda CX-90 that make their electric motors spin through the gas engine's transmission, the XC90's powerful rear motor spins a single reduction-gear drive as in a proper EV, making this a great 'training EV,' providing weekday electric driving plus 530 miles of carefree weekend range. Maybe buy this one now, and plan to trade it in on an EX90, which itself may still seem equally fresh years down the line.
Motor Trend
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
2025.5 Volvo XC90 B6 First Test Review: Updated SUV Hits and Misses
Pros Excellent perceived quality Relaxing driving manners Beautiful interior materials Cons Glitchy, frustrating tech Could use a Sport mode Noisy brakes When MotorTrend named the Volvo XC90 the SUV of the Year back in 2016, we knew it was impressive—but this impressive? How could we have predicted it'd still feel modern a decade later? At a vintage when most vehicles have already given way to a new generation, the XC90 has received an extensive refresh. Despite the basics being largely unchanged, they still feel suitably contemporary, quite a feat considering they were engineered more so many years ago. It's odd, then, that the new things Volvo added put the XC90 behind the curve against truly modern rivals. Not Actually New A skeptic might imagine that this XC90 refresh was never meant to happen. Instead, in one potential timeline it would have been canceled to make way for the EX90 three-row SUV introduced as part of Volvo's all-electric transition plans. But the Swedish automaker has had to reassess its strategy as EV realities settled in. Now it will continue producing combustion and hybrid powertrains for longer than it intended—hence, this effort in revitalizing its oldest model. Whatever the case, the updated XC90 arrives for 2025.5 (yes, it's designated that way; Volvo apparently couldn't just call it a 2026). Aside from prominent changes like the restyled front end, dashboard, and door trim, it's essentially the same as before, built on the same chassis available with engines carried over from prior model years. Same Engine, Similar Results Thus, performance is almost identical to that of equivalent models tested previously. This 2025.5 XC90 was equipped with the B6 engine: A super- and turbocharged, mild hybrid 2.0-liter I-4 powertrain that produces 295 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, teamed with an eight-speed automatic transmission and AWD. At the track, the 2025.5 XC90 B6 posted a 0–60-mph acceleration time of 6.5 seconds on the way to a 15.0-second, 93.8-mph quarter mile. In full-force 60–0-mph braking, it stopped in 123 feet. On the skidpad, it gripped at 0.81 g average, and its best lap around our figure-eight handling course took 27.3 seconds at 0.65 g average. For proof of how similar the 2025.5 XC90 is to before, here are the results from a 2023 XC90 B6: 0–60 in 6.8 seconds, a 15.2-second quarter mile at 92.6 mph, 60-mph braking also in 123 feet, skidpad grip of 0.82 g average, and a figure-eight lap of 27.4 seconds at 0.62 g average. Still Solid These results are just fine for a new luxury three-row SUV, as if track performance is a priority for any vehicle of this type. How it works in the real world is more important, and there the 2025.5 XC90 is quite nice. A satisfyingly solid feeling pervades while you drive. The XC90's body structure has tangible rigidity, clearly engineered to a standard of quality competitive with other European luxury brands and supportive of Volvo's safety reputation. Going down the road, that solid construction is evidenced by the assured steering responses, which make the entire body move as one rigid, cohesive unit. This XC90, like nearly every example we've assessed before, had an optional air suspension system, which colors our impressions of the ride quality. So equipped, however, the 2025.5 XC90 remains comfortably supple and quietly composed despite feeling more firm and less isolating than some air spring systems. There's a lot of complexity within the B6 engine, but it mostly delivers when it needs to. Rather than feel eager and powerful, it's subdued and rich with torque, gradually easing the XC90 ahead with unstrained effort. The mild hybrid system aids responsiveness at very low speeds, but that 13-hp boost doesn't help much at higher speeds. There, the supercharger and turbocharger eventually combine to give a swelling surge of acceleration. It's almost diesel-like. Updated transmission tuning could enliven the experience. The eight-speed's shift quality isn't an issue. Rather, it's how the transmission seems programmed to select and hold the highest gear possible. With this, there's reluctance in the powertrain; it's sometimes necessary to preemptively execute a downshift by pressing the accelerator prior to making a maneuver. Engaged drivers can negate this by using the manual shift mode, but a Sport mode would be a welcome addition in a future update. The short-stroke brake pedal is a bit light in its initial effort but builds into reassuringly firm, mechanical-feeling feedback. In our test 2025.5 XC90, easing off the pedal for smoothness just before a stop produced a brief creaking, groaning noise. Tech Behind the Times Nothing about how the 2025.5 XC90 drives hints at its age. If this SUV were to come out brand-new today, its mechanical fundamentals would feel sufficiently modern—it's actually remarkable how Volvo created such a durable foundation so long ago. Instead, the 2025.5 XC90's updated digital features show an area where Volvo has struggled to keep pace with the industry. The XC90 now has an 11.2-inch touchscreen running an interface based on Google software and equipped with the tech giant's familiar apps, along with a robust voice-controlled assistant. Given the touchscreen integrates essentially every function, it should respond faster. Touch inputs are followed by a brief delay—again, brief but long enough to raise uncertainty whether your touch even registered, leading to occasional repeated, unintentional inputs. Normal smartphones from recent years respond much more quickly. Furthermore, our test 2025.5 XC90 had reliability problems with some basic tech functions. Bluetooth connectivity was spotty and eventually forgot the device it'd been connected to. Stranger, however, was the approximately 24-hour period during which the XC90 made no noises at all—no music through the speakers, no warning beeps from its parking sensors, not even clicks when the turn signals were activated. The sounds eventually returned after the vehicle had been turned off and on again numerous times. Additionally, operating parameters for the rearview backup camera are unclear. Imagine a typical multipoint parking maneuver. When initially selecting reverse, the backup camera shows as expected. Then, when selecting drive, the useful 360-degree camera comes on automatically. However, when switching into reverse again that top-down view can remain, requiring a tap on the screen to see the correct rearview camera. This is a peculiar oversight for safety-obsessed Volvo. Like before, the XC90 has an all-digital gauge display, but its 2025.5 implementation leaves much to be desired. The main thing that can be changed on it is whether or not a Google Maps view is displayed. Some competitor's equivalents can also provide a map view, along with engine information, driver assist settings, media selections, efficiency data, and more in a variety of layouts and designs—or less, depending on the driver's preferences. Volvo doesn't leverage the potential of a digital gauge screen effectively here. Qualitatively Luxurious Inside the XC90, beautiful trim and materials are made more so by the underlying knowledge of Volvo's sustainability focus. The crystal glass shift knob looks like a small gleaming sculpture and has delightful tactility that adds functional luxury to every drive. Our test vehicle was equipped in the high-end Ultra trim level, which had panels of contrasting light wood and dark textile trim running across the dashboard and doors. Textured metal speaker grates for the Harman Kardon audio system add visual intrigue. Rather than leather, our XC90's upholstery was a dark blue herringbone textile that would look rather smart on a tuxedo. Seat comfort wasn't ideal due to the cushioning firmness and bolstering width, but at least they looked great. The XC90 has never provided standout seven-seat functionality. Its third-row seats are small and tight to access, sized optimally to take children on short drives. Fortunately, the seats ahead provide abundant space for adults, and in those seats the cabin feels airy. The 2025.5 Volvo XC90: Better Than Before? Our testing proves that the 2025.5 XC90 performs and functions much like it did before. Meanwhile, Volvo's attempts at modernization still seem a bit behind the times. Considering the SUV's aged underpinnings, Volvo might've done well to deliver a more in-depth rework to definitively separate the 2025.5 model from its predecessors. Considering all the years it's been available, though, it's impressive that the XC90 looks and drives as good as it does. Learn to work with its mellow road manners and occasional tech glitches, and the 2025.5 XC90 delivers a relaxing and satisfying luxury three-row SUV experience.
Motor Trend
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
2026 Genesis GV70 First Drive Review: A Great Luxury SUV Made Better
Genesis as a brand has not existed for very long, but you wouldn't know it by how Hyundai's luxury division is humming along. It has sold more than 1 million vehicles globally, having sprouted from a single model—the original Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan launched for 2009, while the luxury brand went standalone in 2016—to a robust lineup of premium sedans and SUVs. That story isn't written without the GV70, Genesis' compact luxury SUV, which is getting its first update since first appearing for 2022. It's Kind of a Big Deal To put into perspective how critical the GV70 is to Genesis' success, more than one in three Genesis vehicles sold in America is a GV70. The rest is a mix of G70, G80, and G90 sedans, GV60 EVs, andGV80 midsize SUVs. The GV70 competes in the most popular luxury vehicle segment—the same compact SUV space where BMW's X3, Lexus' RX, Audi's Q5, Mercedes-Benz's GLC, and others print money. That class is highly competitive, and the GV70 has made surprising inroads given the newness of the Genesis brand overall. That's less surprising, of course, if you experience the GV70 for yourself. It's an excellent luxury SUV, with great style inside and out, a good mix of athleticism and comfort, and satisfying ease of use. When it launched, our experts named it SUV of the Year, the best new SUV introduced for 2022, luxury or otherwise. For 2026, Genesis has taken the already class-leading GV70 and carefully inched it forward—after all, why would it drastically change what clearly is working so well? Mostly Tiny Changes—a Lot of Them The 2026 GV70 might not look any different, and that's because … it largely doesn't. Genesis has widened the visual differences between the regular GV70s and the GV70 Sport models, imbuing the latter with snarlier intakes up front, a unique grille mesh, darkened trim, special wheels, and specific exhaust outlets. Regular GV70s wear their own new grille mesh and wheel designs, and the paint color offerings for 2026 have become slightly less adventurous. There is no more saucy green or lavender-purple, but there are still eye-catching and subtly upmarket choices, namely a new light blue. The rest are more common grayscales, with a red thrown in. More work was applied inside and deep within. Most obviously, the original GV70's separate gauge cluster and central display have been replaced by a single 27-inch-wide, curved OLED combination digital gauge cluster and central touchscreen. (Only the right half of the monitor is touch-sensitive, but both sides share sharp OLED resolution.) This widescreen digital billboard runs the same intuitive Genesis menu structure as other contemporary Genesis models. You navigate the system's row of large tiles via finger swipes on the screen itself or a classy-feeling crystal knob on the center console. Genesis also revised the climate controls, which are mostly on a touch-sensitive panel but include satisfying metal knobs for temperature control. While some of the onscreen climate buttons are smallish, the screen responds promptly to inputs. Material quality is improved, too, and Genesis spent a lot of time specifically honing improvements for the American market. Nothing seems too small to have escaped Genesis engineers' attention. The cupholders are better—nothing's more American than cupholders that properly hold coffees and sodas—and the wireless phone charger is relocated under the forward part of the center armrest, more out of the way. Less Noise, More Tech Cabin noise volumes are reduced by the GV70's first active noise cancellation tech, which uses frequency detectors in the headliner, four accelerometers in the body, and two sound dampers in the tailgate to reduce booming and offset unpleasant ambient noise frequencies at highway speeds. Similarly, on Sport models' 21-inch wheels, Genesis fits resonators to quell tire noise. Tech-eager customers can look forward to improved over-the-air update capabilities, along with Genesis' excellent digital key technology, which lets owners set up their smartphone as a key for the car—even sharing access with other smartphone users. Voice recognition's purview has expanded to include not only the climate controls, but also the door windows, which can be lowered by voice command. Other hyper-detailed minutiae include moving the ambient lighting higher on the door panels and adding selectable colors. The solid-performing Highway Driving Assist system (self-steering lane-centering and adaptive cruise control) no longer needs a tug at the wheel every so often to let the software know the driver is still engaged in driving; a capacitive sensor for the wheel means now a touch will do. The self-parking function can now handle perpendicular and diagonal parking spaces in addition to parallel parking, and a new Terrain mode with settings for mud, snow, and sand gives the surely tens of customers intent on taking their GV70s off-road something to play with. Genesis even changed the pings, pangs, dings, and dongs that make up the GV70's various safety alert noises. We listened to both, and the new sounds are still attention-grabbing but—and we can't believe we're typing this—classier-sounding, tonally lower and less shrill. And Now for What's the Same Mechanical changes to the GV70 are few. The two available engines carry over unchanged, with entry-level GV70s getting a stout, 300-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter I-4 and all-wheel drive. There's a single Sport trim for the 2.5T, as this engine is referred to by Genesis, whereas all GV70s with the 375-hp twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 option are Sports. As before, the Sports get 21-inch wheels, an extra drive mode (Sport+), and sportier suspension tuning. Genesis says there are no major chassis hardware changes save for a switch to hydraulic bushings throughout, a change credited for the GV70's palpable reduction in road gristle and noise we experienced on our drive, and the adoption of a heavier-tuned damper for the steering column, which does a better job filtering out unwanted kickback. Still Great, Now Even Better The net result is subtle progress for an already solid luxury SUV. But there are issues. The steering takes more effort now, though with no obvious payoff in road feel. If you like heavier steering, you'll love this; if you prefer a lighter effort—as seems more appropriate for an otherwise nicely comfortable SUV like the GV70—it's a step backward. Our only other major complaint has to do with the brake pedal feel, which is slightly wooden and lacking in feedback; it gets slightly better in Sport mode, but only just. We only drove top-of-the-range GV70 Sport 3.5T Prestige models for this review, which come loaded with every gizmo, gadget, and chassis enhancement offered—including an electronically adaptive suspension that can read the road ahead via the onboard cameras to adjust in real time—and the ride is truly better than before, with no compromise in handling. Even GV70 Sports aren't overtly sporty, merely capable when asked to hustle, though the twin-turbo V-6 is plenty powerful. Now, though, the occasional wheel flutter from prior models with the 21s is iced out completely; try as we could, we could not upset the new GV70 Sport or its 21-inch wheels over railroad crossings, potholes, and Houston's craggiest heat-heaved streets. Genesis says the four-cylinder, non-adaptive-suspension GV70s with their smaller wheels should exhibit similar improvements, as they receive the new bushings and tuning enhancements. We look forward to confirming that when we test them ourselves. A luxury SUV that's still a looker, now quieter, loaded with improved tech, and more comfortable than before? The 2026 Genesis GV70 remains a winner, and as a bonus, it's built in Alabama, so it may be relatively insulated from the worst of the auto industry tariffs rocking carmakers and consumers. Genesis has promised no price changes to its lineup in response to tariffs and other uncertainty before June 2, so maybe take the opportunity to pick up a GV70 soon if it was on your to-do list. For now, prices start at $49,435 for the 2.5T and $64,865 for the GV70 3.5T Sport.
