Volvo XC90 T6 R-Design 2019 Review

The large SUV genre has come a long way in the past five years. So too has Volvo.

Seven-seat SUVs are no longer predicated by a need to scale unchartered tracks, guzzling fuel while doing so. Nowadays, the affordable end of the market is anchored by Hyundai’s clever Sante Fe, Mazda’s dynamically-pleasing CX-9 and Toyota’s spacious Kluger, while at the other end, BMW has the successful X5 and Audi the Q7.

Further up the field, the new BMW X7 is afoot and Mercedes-Benz is preparing to release an updated GLS. The category is expanding.

Then there’s Volvo, which gave us the second-generation XC90 in 2014. It was a paradigm shift from the original, which made a suitable but ultimately timely departure from showrooms after 12 years in production.

The manufacturer assures us the latest Volvo XC90 won’t serve such an extended tenure, with details of a mildly facelifted version already circulating. Until that iteration arrives, here we have a seven-seat offering that feels as fresh and relevant as ever despite four years in Australian showrooms.

The range starts with the diesel-powered Volvo XC90 D5 Momentum ($93,900), which is $3000 cheaper than its petrol-powered T6 equivalent. It then moves up swiftly through the grades to the $124,900 flagship, the T8 R-Design.

Here, we’re driving the mid-range XC90 T6 R-Design. Priced at $104,900 (plus on-road costs), it combines a perky 2.0-litre petrol engine with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic.

The standard features list is stronger than ever, with inclusions extending to 20-inch wheels, 10-speaker audio, internet connectivity, head-up display, digital instrument cluster, six-way adjustable front seats, and four-zone climate control with third-row vents.

Naturally for a Volvo, safety takes a front seat in the XC90, which offers a five-star safety repertoire: full airbag coverage, blind-spot monitoring, 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, automated emergency braking and pedestrian/cyclist mitigation.

Rear-seaters aren’t forgotten, however: the XC90 offers an ingenious in-built child booster seat that is centrally-mounted in the middle row, and there are two ISOFIX child-seat anchor points. The third row misses out on child-seat top tether points altogether, a potential sticking point for larger families.

The T6 is arguably the pick of Volvo’s exclusively four-cylinder engine line-up. The 2.0-litre unit is both turbocharged and supercharged, which brings considerable outputs (235kW and 400Nm) along with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.5 seconds and a fuel consumption rating of 8.5L/100km.

In our test car’s R-Design form, the T6 is Polestar-optimised – as denoted by a small blue badge on the tailgate. The optimisation process ekes another 11kW and 40Nm from the four-pot (246kW and 440Nm) – equating to a hastened 6.4 second 0-100km/h time and line-ball fuel economy.

The XC90 is backed by a three-year/100,000km warranty – still considered on par in luxury car circles but well behind mainstream marques – and 12-month/15,000km servicing intervals.

Volvo offers two levels of capped-price servicing plans in Australia, SmartCare and SmartCare Plus, the latter adding consumables like wiper blades, brakes (pads and discs) and pollen filters, plus the occasional wheel alignment.

No matter which way you spin it, servicing isn’t particularly cheap. Under the regular SmartCare plan, three years/45,000km of ownership costs $2225, whereas the upscaled SmartCare Plus costs $3050.

From a towing perspective, a 2400kg braked capacity is advertised – which is middle of the road for this segment.

Volvo calls the cabin of its XC90 a ‘Swedish sanctuary’, and slipping into the supportive driver’s seat for the first time, it’s easy to understand the rhetoric.

There’s something almost Zen-like about the way the cabin is put together, from the minimalist switchgear and controls, to the quality materials, visible stitching and slim-line chairs; it all lends the XC90 an open, airy feel that is immediately a point of difference from competitors.

For the driver, the car’s 9.0-inch touchscreen projects important safety, infotainment and satellite navigation functions clearly and concisely, matched by a digital instrument cluster that is equally configurable and easy to navigate.

Some may take issue with the fact there are several steps to changing the temperature of the cabin or direction of airflow, because climate control is housed within one of the sub menus of the main screen rather than physical switchgear. But having spent considerable time in the latest generation of Volvos, it’s honestly no biggie.

Elsewhere, front-seat storage is adequate but not overly generous, headlined by deep door pockets, two central cup holders and a relatively compact centre console which houses the car’s two lone USB ports. When out on a weekend trip, with a couple of takeaway coffees occupying the centre cup holders, you tend to grow short of space for keys and the like, a minor quibble.

Storage is a slight sticking point for the rear seat, too. The door pockets are smaller than in the front row, there is no underseat storage and the middle fold-out armrest has no storage compartments in-built. Back at the bleachers, you’ll find two cup holders.

Otherwise, space is strong across the three rows, which are all serviced by adjustable-direction air vents. The second-row seats feature fore and aft adjustments, liberating more space for the third row if need be. On shorter journeys, the third row can accommodate a couple of average-sized adults, or children on longer journeys.

What’s more, the rear-door apertures (I know, a slightly anorak topic) are huge, which allows easy access or, in our case, loading of small children.

The XC90’s boot helps set the Swede apart from its smaller XC60 sibling. With the third row folded flat there’s a cavernous 1019 litres, and with those bleachers upright there’s a respectable 314 litres – enough for a few overnight suitcases. The seven-seater’s versatility really comes to the fore with the second row’s split-fold function, which liberates up to 1868 litres and a flat floor.

To borrow an overused phrase, the XC90 manages to truly shrink-wrap its driver – in spite of 5.0-metre long, 2.0-metre wide proportions.

It’s easy to place on the road, navigates through tight inner city spaces with ease, and is a cinch to park courtesy of an airy outward view and 360-degree rear view camera. The one niggling complaint is the absence of side mirrors that automatically dip when reverse is engaged; by virtue of its small mirrors, it can be hard to gauge how close our test car’s prized 20-inch alloy wheels are from gutters. Thankfully, they are returned unblemished.

The tuning of the controls, engine and gearbox further lends the XC90 real ease of use in everyday driving. The steering is light at low speed, while also accurate and ideally weighted for corners, while the body and engine feel nimble enough for zipping around during daily errands.

Then there’s the driveline. It has to be said the engine really belies its small capacity with a rich torque curve and, equally, spritely performance at the top end of the dial. At no point does the XC90’s slabby 2.0-tonne kerb weight really dent the engine’s progress: there is minimal turbo lag and the gearbox is such that the four-pot transitions cleanly out of corners and intersections, slickly picking up a new gear.

Fuel consumption is something of a misnomer, however. The claim reads 8.5L/100 but in reality we used 9.4L/100km with quite a bit of highway driving. If you were to mix in regular city driving, the figure would sit closer to 11-12L/100km – using premium unleaded fuel, mind you.

Even so, the linearity and refinement of the petrol engine is almost enough to discount the diesel altogether; unless your purchase is strictly predicated on long-range driving.

Elsewhere, our test car’s optional air suspension (part of an $8000 premium pack) isn’t without its drawbacks. At low speeds, the system feels relatively busy over patchy surfaces and is prone to thudding over sharper undulations. Higher speeds tend to iron out some of the sensitivity, however even then the XC90 takes longer to recover from larger, elongated washouts than rivalling cars.

Push the XC90 a little harder and it’s clear it cannot match the dynamic envelope of BMW’s X5, but it’s not far off. The seven-seater tracks faithfully through corners, with adequate body control, cornering and braking performance.

The Haldex all-wheel drive system is particularly proficient in maximising grip, but again, the air suspension cannot control proceedings as cleanly as competitors, and the XC90 begins to feel its heft when pushed.

Conversely, the XC90 doesn’t pretend to match the off-road ability of Range Rover, either – although it does have a dedicated mode for straight-forward off-road driving.

Of course, the Volvo’s performance in extreme settings is something of a moot point for a family-friendly seven seater. And naturally, the XC90 makes up for its lack of dynamism with excellent long-journey amenity and comfort.

In highway driving, for example, the engine spins at a miserly 1500rpm, the cabin feels cosseted and outside noise is adequately suppressed without being segment-leading.

Summarising, the XC90 has helped Volvo regain its mojo. Along with finding its feet from a styling and design language point of view, the seven-seater occupies a neat, relevant space dynamically.

Looking at the legacy the XC90 helped create, it’s clear the Swedish marque has come a long way.

2019 Volvo XC90 T6 R-Design pricing and specifications:
Price: $104,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged-/supercharged-petrol
Output: 246kW/440Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 199g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP