Hammer Time! Volvo premieres all-new XC90

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Just over a decade ago, there were only a handful of premium large European sport utility vehicles: the evergreen Range Rover and Land Rover, the then-very new BMW X5, the likewise new Mercedes-Benz ML, and the Volvo XC90.

While the latter three never really challenged the Range Rover and Land Rover in terms of sheer off-road capability, they were more than a match in terms of on-road driving dynamics, luxury, comfort, and safety. 

The intervening years have seen a succession of new, sleeker, and more technologically advanced models for all those carmakers save for one—the Volvo XC90. At the time when the XC90’s second-generation replacement was supposed to have been in development, then-owner Ford was in the midst of divesting itself of its stakes in Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Volvo. It wasn’t until 2010 when Geely Holdings of China bought the Swedish car company from Ford that full development of the next XC90 gathered steam.

And now, months or even years of speculation has finally ended when Volvo Cars unveiled its flagship SUV, the all-new Volvo XC90, to the world press in its home turf of Stockholm.

And after a walk-through (but no drive yet) of the new XC90, I can say that the new model delivers on its promise to bring out a visually striking, premium-quality, seven-seat SUV with industry-leading safety features, powertrain technologies, as well as an unrivalled combination of power and fuel efficiency.

Three years in the making and part of a US$11 billion program, the new XC90 marks the beginning of a new chapter in Volvo’s history, capturing its future design direction, incorporating its own range of new technologies and utilizing its new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) technology.

“This is one of the most important days in our history. We are not just launching a car, but re-launching our brand. This day marks a new era for our company. The XC90 paves the way for a portfolio of exciting new cars to come in the following years,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Car Group.

Symbolizing the historic day in Volvo’s 87-year history, the new XC90 will be the first of the Swedish brand’s cars to carry the company’s new more prominent iron mark, which has the iconic arrow elegantly aligned with the diagonal slash across the bold grille. Together with the T-shaped “Thor’s Hammer” DRL lights, the iron mark introduces an entirely new, distinctive and confident face for Volvo’s forthcoming generation of cars.

The rest of the car is typical Swedish understatement. Think IKEA—another Swedish company—and you’ll be better able to relate to the new vehicle’s seeming lack of flashy adornment.

To add more visual muscle from the sides, the XC90 comes with a range of wheel sizes up to 22 inches. “The overall impression, both exterior and interior, has a strong connection to the key elements of the Swedish lifestyle: the generous space, the celebration of light and the focus on wellbeing,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design of Volvo Car Group.

The XC90 is firm evidence of the company’s “Volvo by Volvo” strategy. Its outstanding combination of luxury, space, versatility, efficiency and safety will bring the SUV segment into a new dimension, just as the original XC90 did in 2002.

“SPA has enabled us to create the world’s first SUV without compromises,” says Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research and Development of Volvo Car Group. “You get the in-command feel, generous interior space and flexible capability combined with the agility and smooth comfort of a much smaller and lower car. The adrenaline rush that is key to true driving pleasure is delivered by powertrains that offer an unrivalled combination of power and clean operation. And since the XC90 carries the Volvo badge, world-class safety is standard.”

Unrivalled combination of power and fuel efficiency

The big news is that all XC90 models come with 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines mated to 8-speed automatic transmissions. Gone are the five- and six-cylinder motors. The new XC90 offers a range of 2.0-liter, four-cylinder Drive-E powertrains, all of which provide an outstanding combination of performance and fuel-efficiency.

The top-of-the-line XC90 Twin Engine, which combines a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged gasoline engine with an 80-hp electric motor, offers an unrivalled combination of power and clean operation: a stunning 400 hp and 640 Nm of torque with CO2 emissions of a mere 60 g/km.

Volvo has made it possible for a four-cylinder engine to provide all the driving pleasure associated with a much larger engine and do so far more efficiently and cleanly. Drive-E engines will over time be introduced across Volvo’s entire range.

For the all-new XC90, the top of the range ‘Twin Engine’ will carry the badge ‘T8’ and be a plug-in electric car, hybrid car and high-performance car rolled into one.

Normal driving is conducted in the default hybrid mode. This utilises the petrol engine that powers the front wheels and an 80 hp electric motor that drives the rear wheels. The supercharger fills in the bottom end of the power band to give the engine a big, naturally-aspirated feel, while the turbocharger kicks in when the revs build up. The electric motor on the rear wheels provides instant torque.

But at the push of a button the driver can switch to quiet and emission-free city driving on pure electric power where the range will be around 40 kilometers, and then, when needed, immediately revert back to the combined capacity of the petrol engine and electric motor, with its combined output of 400 hp and 640 Nm of torque for Porsche Cayenne-like performance.

Full range of other engine options

The Volvo XC90 range also includes the D5 twin-turbo diesel engine with 225 hp, 470 Nm, best in class fuel consumption of around 6l/100 km and the D4 turbo diesel engine with 190 hp, 400 Nm and a fuel consumption of around 5l/100 km.

The range also offers two petrol engine options. The first is a T6 turbo engine with supercharger and turbo with 320 hp and a maximum torque of 400 Nm. The second is a T5 with 254 hp and 350 Nm.

Not only is there no compromise in terms of performance or efficiency, but Volvo Car’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) chassis technology also allows for far more flexibility inside the car. Other carmakers have struggled to combine the bulk of a battery pack with a luxurious and spacious interior, something that Volvo has managed to overcome.

“Since our new SPA technology is designed from the start to accommodate electrification technologies, the Twin Engine installation does not compromise luggage or passenger space,” says Dr. Mertens.

Luxurious interior

The XC90’s interior is the most luxurious to have been designed for a Volvo. The most striking feature is a tablet-like touchscreen control console, which forms the heart of an all-new in-car control system. This system is virtually button-free and represents an entirely new way for drivers to control their car and access a range of Internet-based products and services.

“The new interior is pure and uncluttered, while still radiating the sophisticated confidence and formality that luxury SUV customers expect. The simplicity is perfectly in tune with our Scandinavian design heritage. It opens up generous surfaces and gives us the opportunity to create a modern, luxurious interior architecture,” says Ingenlath.

The new XC90 interior combines materials such as soft leather and wood with handcrafted details, including a gear lever made of crystal glass from Orrefors, the famous Swedish glassmaker, and diamond-cut controls for the start/stop button and volume control. Craftsmanship has been in sharp focus during the whole development work.

The genuine seven-seater features new, innovatively designed seats that also free up interior space for passengers both in the second- and third-row seats. The third row offers class-leading comfort for two passengers up to 170 cm tall.

Ear candy

The XC90 features one of the top audio systems available in the automotive world after Volvo’s audio experts joined forces with their counterparts at the renowned British audio equipment company, Bowers & Wilkins.

The top-of-the-line system in the XC90 features a 1,400-watt Class D amplifier and 19 Bowers & Wilkins speakers. It also includes one of the first air-ventilated subwoofers in a car. Integrated into the car body, it turns the whole interior space into a giant subwoofer.

The latest sound processing software has been used to manage the timing of the sound and coordination of the speakers. This brings the emotional experience of a world-class live performance into the car.

Two accessory themes

The all-new XC90 is available with a range of accessories that lets the owner create a truly personalized car. There are two exterior styling themes:

•The Urban Luxury package combines a color coordinated body kit with polished stainless steel details, such as front deco frames, front and rear skid plates and side scuff plates. The 21-inch exclusive polished wheels complete the elegant look.

•The Rugged Luxury kit enhances the ruggedness of the XC90 with tech matte black exterior trim, stainless steel skid plates, running boards with illumination and integrated exhaust pipes. This version is supplemented by unique 22-inch wheels.

The new Volvo XC90 will land on Philippine shores in the first half of 2015. Local pricing will then be announced.

How Swede it is

Volvo may now be owned by Geely Holding, but the cars are as Swedish as Abba. Much like how Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin have remained quintessentially British despite being owned by India’s Tata, Volvos have retained their distinctive Scandinavian look, feel, and quality under Geely.    

Volvo Cars’ head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are all located in Gothenburg, Sweden. There is a separate Volvo Cars head office for China located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium) and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China).

At the two-day event in Stockholm, every single Volvo representative that delivered a presentation or we got to speak with were Swedish, from the CEO down to the product managers and engineers.