Here is a grand hybrid vehicle for us to explore. The Volvo XC 90 is the biggest SUV from Volvo and the T8 Recharge is the hybrid version which combines electric motor and petrol engine to deliver a harmonious outcome of power and performance. The XC 90 is a must vehicle to be considered if you are shopping for a family sized SUV, this 7 seater vehicle is spacious as an elephant and comfortable for everyone. The hybrid version will help burn less fuel and doesn’t compromise on performance. Considering the power chargers not available around your apartments, the hybrid version is definitely a good choice for now. Driving this T8 has been a thrilling experience on the road and the luxury found inside the vehicle will spoil any passenger. The Volvo XC 90 starts at a price of AED 250,000 (includes a service package), the XC 90 reviewed is top of the range priced at AED 340,000.
Typical Volvo XC 90 Pricing:
AED 250,000 for T5 AWD (254 hp) 7 seater Petrol
AED 300,000 for T6 AWD (320 hp) 7 seater Petrol
AED 340,000 for T8 AWD (407 hp) 7 seater Electric/ Petrol
Note: the above pricing can vary based on current offers.
Highlights
Inscription grille with fully chromed bars
Fully automatic LED headlights with active High Beam
large panoramic glass roof
Metal-finish air vents
A crystal gear selector
Bowers & Wilkins high-end audio system
21-inch 8-spoke silver diamond-cut alloy wheels
The SUV is massive! It’s really huge. The king sized vertical front grille in chrome gives the vehicle a sharp look and an elegant presence. The other striking feature of the exterior would be it’s signature long LED headlights which is actually inspired from the Thor movie, so you if you look carefully the LED light is designed in the form of a hammer used by Thor. LED light is also configurable to turn before you take a turn, so you have a clear view before you make the move.
When it comes to the interior let’s begin by talking Jewellery. Yes, it’s like Jewels lying in the center of the vehicle. The gear lever is designed by a Swedish glass company which is in the form of a crystal glass. You put you fingers around the gear and you can see it’s translucent. The gear also glows in the dark, which makes it look like ice in the dark. This particular designed gear is not available on all models, so keep your eyes on it when you are configurating your new vehicle at Volvo. Then came the diamond cut start/stop engine button and so was the drive mode selector which is more like a diamond cut scroll wheel. All the knobs available are a delight to use along with a fashion statement.
Also in the center you have a wireless charging pad and 2 cup holders. The cup holders have been excellent, thanks to the flexible grippers that would hold any sized cup firmly. The wireless charging experience was more of a mixed reaction. Love the placement of the wireless charger which is open in the center console(i’ve seen some car having under the arm rest which is a pain to use). One of the first challenge with their wireless charging mechanism is the mobile phone slipping away from the sweet spot which stops charging the phone, this can be fixed provided you are not using the cup holders and the power outlet on the front so you can have the phone tightly held between two wooden closures. But in reality you have these closures open and it was a little disappointing to see the phone sliding up and down as the vehicle progressed on different roads. You do get notification incase the power charging is stopped though. I also noticed the power charger would heat up quite a bit. So there is still scope for improvement in this domain. It can be done better.
The combination of the wood, metal and nappa leather makes the XC90 extremely luxurious. The wood color varies with the type of interior color you choose. The one in the picture is charcoal grey. Also the combination of brown and black leather makes it an attractive contrast on the inside. The seats are comfortable and ventilated too. At the size of the XC90, there was sufficient head and leg room for the rear passengers. You could easily fold down the rear seats to make more space for the boot. All 5 seats in the rear could be reclined to make more space. There is also an interesting feature for seat controls where the driver could control the passenger seats electronically from his seat and make necessary adjustments to the passenger seat without being on the passenger seat. The driver could also electronically bring down the head rest of rear passenger seats. Probably, this is to have better rear view. The chunky and stylish metal door handles felt amazing to hold and use, just loved them very much. Just above the center touch screen you see a round speaker standing out from Bowers & Wilkins. Surely, it’s a good exposure to the audio brand and there is no doubt it delivers great sound but I just thought it would have been more useful if we had a round illuminated clock at the same spot instead. The audio is good to hear than see.
The leather steering wheel felt nice to hold. You mainly have Media and phone controls on the right and adaptive cruise control/pilot assist on the left. So you most likely have everything needed at your thumb. The digital instrument cluster shows all the representation graphically. It’s mainly grey and blue highlights seen on the driver instrument interface, under the speedometer. The space between the speedometer always showed navigation, couldn’t find a way to replace it with anything else. You had 5 different options for driving in which the POLESTAR Engineered driving mode was a unique one to VOLVO. Basically they fine tune the software further to enhance the driving experience by increasing the torque and engine power to push the performance level further. So basically the vehicle is the quickest on Polestar driving mode which is my favourite driving mode in the Volvo XC90. You could never tell you are driving a 4 cylinder car.
The 9 inch center display is vertical, big and easy to use. It’s a touch screen and it works well. You can see it clearly during any day light. It mainly has 3 sections.
- Function View – Car functionalities and settings adjustment and enablement.
- Home View – frequently used options such as Navigation, Media and Phone and Applications.
- Applications View – All apps
I just wished we could also navigate the screen using a touch sensor somewhere around the gear knob which would make it more convenient for the driver, instead of having to stretch the hands to reach the screen. When it comes to navigation you could also write your destination, instead of typing in the letters. It’s a small square space provided on that big screen, I think the software should make more space for handwriting to make it easier to write on it. Finding a location has not been easy on the built-in navigation app as it does ask too many questions such as area, street zone while you try to locate a destination with only a name in hand.
The safety features available in the vehicle is really handy and the best part it’s available on all the models as a standard feature. So for the price you get the all safety technology you need. When you have them enabled, it keeps a check on your driving and when the vehicle would try to control and indicate as needed as you drive the streets. With Pilot Assist and adaptive cruise control, the vehicle would automatically maintain safe distance with the car in front and will apply necessary breaks as needed, adjusting speed along with taking control of the steering wheel. The car will feel completely automated when you use this feature. Although, the vehicle expects you to have your hand on the steering wheel at all times. The Pilot assist is most effective on straight roads as I noticed the car doesn’t always take all turns.
Driving modes:
- Hybrid mode – uses petrol and electric power for the best balance of power and efficiency
- Pure mode – mainly uses the electric motor
- AWD mode – switches to full-time all-wheel drive for improved traction.
- Off-road mode – Increase ground clearance and easily navigate through rough surface at speeds below 40km/h.
- Polestar Engineered – Software tuned for more aggressive dynamics.
The seats have been extremely comforable. They are ventilated too. Third and second row seats completely fold down. They are also easy to be adjusted. There is plenty of boot space once you have all the 5 seats down. The driver also has the controls to pull down the rear head rest for easy visibility of the rear view. The panoramic glass sunroof is long and wide which makes it a delight to see above. The roof controls are electronic, so no manual intervention required. There is dedicated rear AC vents for all seats in the second and third row on the sides. In the center of the second row there is a wide touch LCD to adjust AC settings. The third row passengers even have their own cup holder and arm rest so they are well taken care. Click here to visit their official website to know more about this beautiful SUV. Click pictures below to see them in full screen view:
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