Volvo XC90 T6 2015 Review

The XC90 is Volvo's first all-new model since its sale to China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 2010, and the first of an all-new portfolio of vehicles the Swedish brand says will be with us by 2017.

Built on Volvo's new scalable product architecture (SPA) and featuring new modular petrol and diesel Drive-E engines, the seven-seat SUV has the likes of BMW's X5 and the Range Rover Sport, plus Audi's new Q7 and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLE squarely in its sights.

Pricing for the boldly-styled high-riding five-door wagon begins at $89,950 (plus on-road costs), which places the XC90 within firing range of its nearest competitors. The range kicks off with 2.0-litre petrol and diesel models across two grades – Momentum and Inscription – with top-spec R-Design versions due here in the fourth quarter of this year.

A more powerful petrol-electric hybrid engine, available exclusively in R-Design guise, is expected to arrive in local showrooms next February (2016).

Volvo's local team admits its new model has big shoes to fill. The original XC90, launched in 2003, was the best-selling model in its range, selling 15,117 units locally over its lifetime. Early signs for the new model are positive, with more than 160 orders placed sight unseen and more than 400 customers booked in for a test drive.

And it's the test drive that we'll focus on here. The XC90's back-story is well documented (as you might note from the number of links above), as is the model's pricing and equipment levels; though until now a drive on local roads has eluded us.

Intriguingly, the XC90's ride initially proved harsh. The Inscription T6 (petrol) we drove – fitted with standard double-wishbone (front) and integral transverse-leaf (rear) suspension – jarred and shook across the patchwork asphalt and pot-holed dirt roads in the farmland surrounding our nation's capital.

Initially, we suspected the 20-inch alloys and low-profile 275/40-series rubber were to blame, though after sampling an identically-specified Inscription D5 (diesel) over the same course, high tyre pressure may have been to blame, but we couldn't be sure without a gauge.

In short, the diesel variant felt more representative of our expectations. The ride was more compliant and less skittish on loose surfaces. There was less road noise on coarse-chip gravel and the steering was calmer, though still far from perfect.

Volvo's electrically-assisted steering may be appropriately weighted for suburban use, and certainly makes the big bus easy to park. But it's numb when it comes to feedback -- the wheel communicates little from the front wheels' back to the driver. It's a point already noted in our international review, and one buyers comparing the XC90 to its British and German rivals are bound to notice.

But the Volvo may give its rivals something to worry about when it comes to handling. If you can get your head (and hands) around the steering, the XC90 is surprisingly capable in corners. The suspension masks the weight of the vehicle (which is nevertheless 125kg lighter than the outgoing model) quite well, minimising body roll and pitching under braking.

Fast sweepers with tightening radii couldn't catch it napping, and the XC90 showed its standard suspension arrangement is indeed fit for enthusiastic driving.

We sampled the optional air suspension ($3600) briefly and found it did a better job of ironing out small, sharp bumps. It also calmed larger 'whoops' more quickly than the standard set-up, which shows promise for a vehicle we would expect to spend its life loaded with kids and their kit, or towing up to 2250kg (braked).

The XC90's pedal feedback is beautifully metered, with a brake pedal especially well suited to the family wagon. It's an easy car to drive smoothly, and one that's easy to place on the road. The long, flat bonnet makes the nose easy to place, while the view from the tiered seating arrangement gives all occupants a good view forward.

There's also a good view out to the sides for little ones up back. The large, square side windows offer a better view out than many 'upswept' designs of the XC90's competitors.

The third-row houses occupants up to 170cm comfortably, and at 173cm I can attest the rearmost seats are surprisingly comfortable. There was still an inch of headroom remaining, and toe room was also adequate.

Cutaways over the wheel-arches also allowed decent elbow room and the face-level vents in the C-pillars were bang on.

It was also pleasing to note the XC90 did a good job of insulating the cabin from the bluster of air at freeway speeds. There's a little tyre noise, sure, and mechanical noise is well curtailed... unless you happen to be hard on the throttle.

The 235kW/400Nm T6 twin-charged four-cylinder petrol engine sounds sporty and almost hot-hatch-like under heavy acceleration and pops quickly through the eight forward ratios of the Aisin-Warner automatic. In many ways the gearbox feels as crisp as a dual-clutch unit through the upshifts, and is intuitive enough in Drive mode to not require manual input.

We found the 165kW/470Nm D5 four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel nearly as lively, and in spite of its (obviously) lower rev ceiling, was very nearly as quick. A wide torque band gave the D5 progressive and brisk acceleration without the aural fanfare of its petrol sibling. It's a character that feels better suited to a prestige SUV and one that certainly returned a better fuel economy average.

On test, around an identical 100km test loop, the T6 achieved 13.5L/100km (against a claimed 8.5) while the D5 managed 8.9 (against 6.2).

On balance, the new XC90 was probably served an injustice by Volvo Car Australia's choice of local launch drive route. You might argue the company was brave to select a course so challenging -- especially given most owners won't stray far from home -- but to say for sure we're going to have to wait for a seven-day test.

And to see how Volvo's long-awaited SUV flagship stacks up against its accomplished rivals, stand by for a back-to-back comparison with the X5, Rangie Sport and upcoming Q7 and GLE.

2015 Volvo XC90 T6 pricing and specifications:
Price: from $89,980 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre twin-charged petrol
Output: 235kW/400Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 199g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA