[size=x-large]2016 VOLVO XC90 T6 review[/size]
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The first time we met the 2016 Volvo XC90, it was in diesel guise and with a much less equipment, from the tech details to the occupant-spoiling features. That was the more sensible choice, the one that appeals to the efficient side of things inside a customer’s brain. Now, during our second outing with the new flagship SUV from Sweden, we checked out all the bells and whistles included in the T6 AWD Inscription model.
Picking up the car and (literally) climbing inside its posh, beautiful interior, triggered a sort of flashback. I remembered the first time I flew to Sweden and the moment I walked into the Arlanda airport in Stockholm.
What impressed me immediately was the simplicity of the place and how the designers decided to decorate it. Want to guess what greets you the moment you step on Swedish soil? A hall filled with the faces of iconic Swedes that are more or less known around the world.
However, if you’re expecting a dull showcase of black and white pictures of researchers, scientists, and writers, you’ll be drastically disappointed. To show the world how things should be done, the Swedish authorities let the citizens choose whose portrait would befit the halls.
That’s how pictures of Tove Lo, Avicii, and Sebastian Ingrosso ended up next to Noomi Rapace, Veronica Maggio and various kids that have promptly been dubbed ‘up and coming’ stars. Yes, the Swedes are a proud people and the new Volvo XC90 shows that by the plenty.
If the writing on the outside of the new model doesn’t tell that clear enough (“Made by Sweden”), the exterior and interior design should be clear indicators.
“What more could you possibly want as proof for the Swedish confidence rather than the name of the headlights, for example.”
It was no coincidence that they were called “Thor’s Hammers,” and the God of the Scandinavian mythology is probably smiling down from Valhalla at them.
And he’s not the only one. These things work as Volvo’s new daytime running lights, and they catch the attention of everyone on the road. Forget about BMW’s corona rings or Mercedes’ new “eyelids,” this is the car that attracts the most attention with its new headlights.
But that’s not the only thing that changed on the outside. Sure, that’s where the biggest and most notable differences can be spotted but, compared to the old XC90, the rest of the car feels like a well deserved evolution.
Round the back, the taillights are exactly that, featuring the same overall shape but with a slimmer, more modern look. In terms of absolute size, the XC90 grew just enough to avoid being mistaken for its predecessor.
The car is very intimidating in person. It feels imposing, massive and a lot bigger than it really is. Compared to the previous version, the new XC90 is 139 mm (5.5 inches) longer, 109 mm (4.3 inches) wider and sits 6 mm lower. However, there are huge differences in terms of space offered inside the cabin.
Everything in here can be described using one word: minimalism. The Volvo designers probably had this word written above their drawing boards as they hustled to get things done, and you can feel all of their concentration while sitting inside. Unlike last time, we were now greeted by Nappa leather on the optional Comfort seats and a different trim for the dash and the doors.
While we appreciated the brushed aluminum look of the D5 XC90 more, the one used inside the T6 wasn’t all that bad either. And then we came across Volvo’s innovative infotainment system.
Around the office, the opinions were split on it. While some enjoyed its speed and found it easy to use (even though you do have to go through various menus to activate essential functions) others complained about the fact that there were simply too few buttons to go around.
Our count revealed that Volvo considers seven buttons enough to operate the functions of the car, the rest being included in the portrait tablet-like system. And yes, the Swedes weren’t shy to migrate from the usual landscape orientation of screens found in new cars and go the other way, reminding us of Tesla.
While some complained about the infotainment system and how many pages you have to scroll through to get stuff done, I found that once you have the car set up the way you like it you’ll find yourself scrolling through menus less and less as time goes by. This editor also found that learning where everything is takes less than 24 hours and eventually you’ll be doing things like setting the AC temperature or ventilation areas out of habit.
“That being said, the interior of the XC90 is just as we expected it to be: sober, elegant and clear cut.”
It reminded us of the Swedish people we met during our Gumball 3000 adventure this year, and it’s pretty obvious that was no accident.
Everything has a meaning and has to serve a purpose, with nothing left to chance, except maybe the small places where the dash meets the center console. Depending on how long your legs are and how you adjust your seat, your knee might end up banging against a rather rough, rounded off corner from the dash and on longer trips that might become an issue.
The materials used were of the premium variety in most cases. The Nappa leather felt good to the touch, and the dash was done from a soft-touch plastic that you’d expect from a flagship Volvo. The trims are also made of high-quality materials while the doors of our particular tester featured aluminum covers for the high-end Bowers & Wilkins audio system.
The driving position could’ve been better but then again, Volvos aren’t exactly known for their driving dynamics. To me, the whole dash felt like it was placed a bit too low and the steering wheel could’ve been positioned in such a way as to allow raising it a little more. If that was impossible, maybe enabling the driver’s seat to go down a bit more would’ve solved the problem.
On the other hand, if Volvo is known for something, that’s safety and this move could’ve been done on purpose because the way you’re sitting inside the XC90 offers you an excellent view of the surroundings and makes you feel in control at all times.
The instrument cluster looks great and the resolution it offers is definitely on par with other cars in its segment such as the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE and the Audi Q7, for example. It responds quickly, and it’s easy to see, even in direct sunlight.
However, since the move to a digital dash was made, some more adjustment options could’ve been offered. For example, the space between the speedometer and the rev counter could’ve been optimized to show you more than just the navigation and music details. Maybe allowing you to see the speed in digits could’ve been an option, or the fuel consumption and other trip indicators.
As it stands now, you can only get to see various info about your current trip in the bottom right corner of the dash and to do that, you have to navigate to them using the dedicated buttons on your steering wheel. Not all that great or easy to do.
And there’s one more thing. Since the new XC90 is connected to the last model, why not allow the customers to change the look of the instrument cluster into something closer to the green hue the old analogue dash used to have? Fans of the Volvo brand would definitely like that and it couldn’t be all that hard to implement, considering it’s all digital these days. We do appreciate the themes offered, though.
In terms of comfort, the seats are decent but they don’t hold you like you’d expect. Looking at them from the side reveals why that is: they are simply too thin. While this won’t cause any back pain on longer trips (after all you do get to adjust them in about 16 different ways) things could’ve been better.
And it’s the same story throughout the entire cabin. We loved the simple, minimalist design and some of the materials offered, but there were some downsides as well, such as the material used to cover the B-Pillar and the roof as well as the carpeting on the transmission tunnel.
The door panels looked and felt great, and Volvo offers little curtains for the rear windows too, if you want more privacy. Storage spaces are aplenty, and they match the car in terms of size, which means they’re basically massive. The front doors, for example, have spaces big enough for 1.5-liter bottles (50 oz) and that will be welcome.
Speaking of storage, the boot space should also be mentioned. The XC90 offers room for up to seven occupants, but you’ll have to make a hard decision. Taking no more than four people with you on a longer trip will offer 721 liters (25.5 cubic feet) of luggage space which is enormous. Raising the last row of seats will reduce that to 314 liters (11 cu. ft), and you definitely won’t have enough room for everyone’s luggage.
“Even so, what surprised us the most is that the third row of seats is actually usable, with plenty of space for its occupants as long as they are not over 165 cm (5-ft 5 in.) tall.”
With all this added space and comfort, the XC90 is still one of the lightest cars in its segment. Thanks to Volvo’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, the SUV weighs just a little over 2 tons, and that’s impressive, to say the least, considering its size.
In this regard, it’s better than the X5, the GLE and it’s just marginally heavier than the new Q7 that seems to be the absolute champion in this aspect at the moment. Therefore, Volvo decided 2-liter mills were enough for the entire range.
That’s right, all new XC90 models come with 2-liter plants in various guises. We tested the D5 model with its diesel 225 HP output and found it satisfactory but decided to go one step further and take the T6 model out for a spin too.
Under its bonnet lies a 2-liter 4-cylinder petrol mill that is both turbo and supercharged. This solution seemingly aims at reducing turbo lag at “just a distant memory” levels while also providing incredible amounts of power and a reduced fuel consumption. The best of both worlds, if you will. Is it working, though?
Theoretically, the engine should make 320 HP and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque, plenty for a car even of this size. The fuel consumption should also be rather low at a combined value of 30.5 mpg (7.7 l/100 km) but as our real life test showed, you need to curb your enthusiasm.
On the road, in daily driving conditions, you never feel the need for more power. The car is lively on its feet and will get you out of sticky situations with ease. The transmission is an 8-speed auto from Aisin instead of ZF because the Germans don’t offer their trademark jewel for transversal engines as is the case here.
This was a bit of a disappointment as Aisin did try its best to offer a refined slushbox for the XC90 but came up short. During our trip, more than once we felt like the car was a bit slow to respond, especially during short spurts of acceleration, when you most needed it. On top of that, the same applied around town at slow speeds, with gearshifts feeling a bit hesitant at times.
Don’t get the wrong idea, though; overall, this is a good combination but just not on par with what ZF offers, that automatic definitely ruining us the more we test it.
As for the lag, to be honest, there was more than we expected. Sure, you won’t get to ‘One Mississippi’ waiting for the turbo to spool up but still, it is noticeable, something we didn’t expect considering that there’s also a “supercharger” thrown in the mix.
Speaking of which, that must also be the reason the fuel economy numbers were so low. Around town, we couldn’t get over 18 mpg (13 l/100 km) no matter how hard we tried and found that you’ll easily do 16.8 mpg (14 l/100 km) on most occasions. Outside of town, we tried our best too but ended up far from the estimates Volvo provided.
With the lightest of touches on the accelerator pedal and in the Eco driving mode, we couldn’t get over 27.6 mpg (8.5 l/100 km) driving at around 68 mph (110 km/h) constantly. Considering that Volvo’s claims go as high as 39 mpg (6 l/100 km) on the highway and 22 mpg (10.5 l/100 km) around town we were a bit disappointed.
Then again, you can’t expect a 7-seat SUV with a 2-liter 320 HP petrol engine to be an efficient weapon. If you decide to take the T6 instead of the D5, you’re probably aware of the fact that you’ll be stopping for gas a lot more often.
“As for the driving modes mentioned earlier, we should say that they truly change the character of the car.”
To do so, you get to use a circular selector that is free-moving most of the time, doing nothing. To actually change between modes, you have to press it, roll to the preferred position and press again. We have to explain this selector is offered as a separate option.
Eco mode tones everything down and if you’re looking for a definition of what turbo lag means, just take a drive using it. You’ll soon find out what’s what.
In Comfort mode, the suspension and steering adapt so that you and your family have the poshest ride possible. Overall, it works great, and the air suspension truly does wonders for smooth sailing. Unlike on other cars fitted with such tech, we didn’t get that nasty sea sick feeling whenever the XC90 was put through its paces, which says a lot of how it was configured.
Speaking of putting it through its paces, there's also the Dynamic Driving Mode available that dials everything up to 10. The dampers get extra hard, the ride height is lowered, and the new double wishbone front suspension, and integral link rear axle are put to good use. This is when the engine truly comes alive and delivers not only a better sound than usual but great performance too.
Speaking of the soundtrack, the Dynamic driving mode sees the XC90 introducing aural enhacement using its speakers. This happens once you go past 4,000 rpm and the result feels decently put together.
Acceleration is straightforward, proving that this 5-meter long beast can get up and go in a hurry if you want it to. Thanks to the all-wheel drive system, acceleration to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes just 6.9 seconds, and we believe Volvo when they say so. What will surprise you though is the fact that you don’t feel you’re going that fast.
The cabin is well insulated, and the driveline doesn’t make too much noise. Couple that with the torque that is delivered linearly and doesn’t break your neck when accelerating and you’ll be finding yourself over the speed limit without realizing.
Body roll is implied on a car that sits so high and is as big as the XC90 but even so, in Dynamic mode things are kept in control better than expected. This is the part where the active suspension comes into play. On this Volvo, the air springs and the adaptive dampers are only offered together. Compared to the all-passive setup on the D5 model we drove earlier this summer, the increase in comfort isn’t that great. Sure, the 21-inch wheels on our tester didn’t help either. However, with the intelligent suspension, the car feels more agile, at both low and high speeds. The setup only comes to build on the lightweight feeling the small capacity engines give to the car’s front end.
The XC90 is as safe as it can be, and the myriad of electronics on board sure have their say in this. You can now fit your Volvo with lane keeping assistance, self-parking tech and even a feature that gets your car out of the parking spot. Our tester was fitted with all of them, so we had the chance of putting everything to the test.
“The most useful feature out of the bunch was the lane keeping aid, by far.”
The system shines on the highway where it works flawlessly. What it does is keep you inside your lane in case you decide that holding the wheel is too much work.
The system is camera and radar based and works with the adaptive cruise control feature that you can also purchase. Together, you can basically set a speed for your car and then just take your hands off the wheel altogether, while the safety systems read the separating lines of the lane you’re in and the distance from the car ahead, keeping you well out of harm’s way.
Prior to steering all on its own, the wheel will vibrate quite vigorously to warn you of the imminent danger ahead. If you abuse it, a different warning will appear on the screen suggesting that you’re too tired to continue and that you should probably take a break and have some coffee.
The cruise control feature is also adapted to the safety-obsessed recipe Swedes usually apply to their cars. For example, when decreasing the speed you want to maintain, the car brakes quite abruptly when the new rate is set.
As for the parking assistant, it didn’t rise to the expectations. Initiating it is easy and, like other systems out there, using radar, the car will scan for a parking spot on the right side of the road. When one is found, you can initiate the parking procedure that can be parallel or transverse.
After choosing the desired maneuver, however, you still have to change gears between forward and backward and keep the speed steady using the brake. Other systems do it all on their own, the driver simply having to press a button and not change gears or accelerate/brake during the operation.
Furthermore, parallel parking was successful around 20% of the time while transverse parking had a higher success rate at over 50 percent. Maybe we were too scared to let the car do its thing but most of the time, it would get you dangerously close to either the curb or other vehicles. Bottom line: if you know how to park, you won’t need these features but in case you can’t handle the size of this SUV, it will get you out of a difficult situation.
Speaking of gadgets and tech, an honorable mention has to go to the Bowers & Wilkins sound system. It comes with 19 speakers, one of which is a beautiful tweeter right on the dash and it is absolutely sublime. Now we finally realize why German manufacturers are dropping Bang & Olufsen in favor of the Brits.
Despite costing €3,850 in Europe and $2,650 in the US, if you’re an audiophile, you simply have to get it. The sound is crystal clear at any volume, and you can forget about distortions, something we can’t really say about what B&O are offering.
The volume could’ve gone higher if you ask me but even so, it will be plentiful for most people. One neat trick that once again goes back to the Swedish pride I was telling you about is that one of the modes you can choose for the sound system involves replicating the aural experience you get inside the Gothenburg Opera.
The one flaw we found in the sound system area was the fact that the door panels used to vibrate occasionally. Considering just how good the music sounds most of the time, that is unacceptable in our book. Something should have been done to prevent such rattling. Maybe the door panel plastics should’ve been softer or maybe more insulation was needed; it’s truly a shame to hear those nasty vibrations just as the favorite part of your song comes on. The worst news is that it can also happen at lower volumes.
Other than that, we can’t honestly say that we’ve listened to systems that sounded noticeably better than the Bowers & Wilkins offering in the XC90. It is sublime and if we were to choose one single option for this car, this would be it.
In terms of safety, you can’t best the XC90 thanks to their proposed goal of having zero road fatalities involving their name by 2020. The new SUV has all sorts of tech that keep you safe, some being stubborn and even getting in the way of your fun time at moments.
You get autonomous braking for cyclists, pedestrians, animals and other cars, of course. It works very well and even warned this one editor two times during the short time we had to test it. The European NCAP authority didn’t get to test it just yet, but we have a good feeling about it, in the traditional Volvo way.
Pricing is a bit higher than its German rivals but not by much, and it is mostly due to the extra kit you get. Our car was close to €90,000, but you don’t need all the optional features we had at our disposal. The starting price of the T6 is €57,700 in Europe and $49,800 in the US. At those limits, it’s a steal, offering you a lot of bang for the buck.
“Therefore, at the end of my time with this car I couldn’t help but feel rather disappointed. Not by the car itself but by the fact that I wouldn’t be driving it again the next day.”
Sure, the 2016 XC90 has its flaws, and we’re still far from a perfect car here as no manufacturer achieved this feat yet but even so, I couldn’t help but fall in love with it. Its elegance, style and, most of all, modesty combined with drop-dead gorgeous looks make it a better proposal to this editor than the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class and possibly the Audi Q7.
Moreover, the main reason why I think I loved this car so much is that I never felt like people were judging me for my “choice”.
Whenever I’m driving a BMW or Mercedes SUV around town people, look at me as if I just killed two baby seals and bragged about it on Twitter and Facebook. Inside the Volvo however, people were admiring my car and turning their heads but not for one second did I feel like I was being judged. If anything, I felt like I made the right choice and that I won’t be missing anything of what the others have to offer.[/size]
