Volvo XC90 Review 2024

If you’re after a big, luxurious SUV with seven seats, but you want a bit more style, charm and character than the myriad German offerings can muster, then the Volvo XC90 will be right up your street. 

While the styling of many rivals could be accused of being overly conservative - even borderline derivative - the Volvo XC90 offers a real dose of individuality. Inside and out, it looks modern, yet timeless. Classy, yet funky. And it’s that effortlessly cool vibe that makes the Volvo XC90 a real breath of fresh air in the class.

That's not the car’s only trick, mind you. It has the space, practicality and versatility to slot straight into the life of any large family, thanks to a huge passenger compartment, an ingenious seating system, and a huge boot. Chuck in a very capable driving experience, impressive mechanical refinement, loads of standard equipment and you have an extremely appealing family bus.

You'll be able to order a new Volvo XC90 with either a mild-hybrid petrol engine or as a plug-in hybrid, though the used market has a variety of petrol and diesel options available as well.

The B5 mild-hybrid engine is a solid option, but it can sound pretty strained when you put your foot down. Our pick would be the T8 plug-in hybrid engine - it's quieter thanks to the extra help from the battery, while it really does surge along. That's not forgetting the official 44.1 mile of electric range on tap as well, though it won't get you as far as some rivals. 

The new Volvo XC90 is available in three trim options, with even the entry-level 'Core' version is very well equipped, though we'd be tempted by the Plus trim that sits in the middle of the range and comes with nice extra luxuries, including air suspension and a panoramic roof. Top of the range Ultra models are dripping with kit, including a stunning Bowers & Wilkins stereo system. 

If you’re after a big, luxurious, premium SUV, there’s no shortage of choice. Any German manufacturer worth its salt will offer a variety of choices, and don’t rule out the likes of Land Rover and Lexus, either. However, the fact that the XC90 comes as standard with seven seats sets it apart slightly, because although most rivals can be specified with seven, many only have five as standard. 

For that reason, the Volvo XC90s most direct rivals are the Audi Q7 and Land Rover Discovery, but the BMW X5, Mercedes GLE, Porsche Cayenne and Lexus RX will also be vying for your (considerable amount of) cash. Alternatively, if you're after a luxury electric SUV with seven seats, then take a look at another car from Volvo, the brilliant EX90. 

The Volvo XC90’s interior is the perfect match for the outside, because it gives exactly the same impression of style, sophistication and classiness. 

The swish, modern design is unlike anything else you’ll find in the class, and most of the materials used are just as high-grade as those you’d find in rivals from Audi or BMW. Volvo's paid attention to the little details, with the quality of the new cabin even better than before and feels like a wonderfully inviting, high-class environment when you step inside.

As we've touched on, previous iterations of the XC90 featured a 9.0-inch touchscreen, and will the quality was good, we found the screen transitions to be a bit on the slow side, while some features required a few taps to get to them. The new 11.2-inch touchscreen successfully fixes these issues in most cases. 

Sitting in the middle of the dash, the graphics are crisp, clear and stylish, mirroring the interfaces we've seen on both the EX90 and to a certain extent, the EX30. Despite the XC90's age, this gives the XC90's interior a modern feel, and for the most part, the system works pretty well thanks to logically arranged menus, though some might still be frustrated by the over reliance of touchscreen interaction when driving, especially when it comes to cabin temperature adjustment. 

As we've seen with previous Volvos, the XC90's infotainment is based around a version of Google's Android Automotive, and as such it has things like Google Maps, Google Assistant and Google Play seamlessly integrated into the interface. Navigation takes most of the screen's real estate by default, followed by smaller sections below for media and phone contacts. Underneath this is access to heating, ventilation and air-con controls. If you're an Apple user and don't want to embrace the suite of Google features on offer, there is Apple CarPlay wireless connectivity. 

A rear camera is standard, though Plus models and above get a 360-degree camera as standard, while there's a 13-speaker Harman Kardon stereo on the Plus model, with the brilliant 1,100W 19-speaker B&W stereo reserved for the top-spec Ultra trim. 

No car of this size and type struggles to make life comfortable for lofty folk in the front, and the Volvo XC90 is no different. There’s loads of headroom and legroom, and the wide cabin gives you lots of shoulder space, too. Cabin storage is impressive up front. The glovebox is bigger than most, there are two cupholders (now with smaller slot for thin drinks cans) and a cubby in the centre console, while the big door pockets will hold a large water bottle, as well as a bunch of other stuff.

Similarly, you’d have to be built like a Harlem Globetrotter to struggle to get comfy in the middle row of seats. The Volvo XC90 is marginally more generous than most of its rivals for head- and legroom, although the former does reduce a smidge if you go for a car with the optional panoramic roof. 

All three middle-row seats can be slid, reclined or folded independently of each other for maximum versatility, and there’s also enough shoulder space that all three can be occupied by an adult all at the same time in reasonable comfort. That said, whoever winds up in the middle will get a harder, less comfy seat than those either side, and will also have to straddle the bulky transmission tunnel.

Unlike in many rivals, even the seats in the third row (which are standard across the board) have enough space for an average-sized adult, but if you’re six foot or more, you’ll definitely want to shotgun one of the pews further forward. It’s also worth noting that you even get seven seats with the plug-in hybrid version of the Volvo XC90. With the equivalent versions of most rivals -the Audi Q7 for example - the rearmost row has to be deleted to make way for the batteries.

Even with all seven seats in place, there’s enough boot space for a weekly shop (a small hatch-rivalling 302 litres), and if you drop the third row, the boot becomes absolutely massive. With an official capacity of 680 litres (640 litres for the T8 plug-in hybrid), the XC90 can easily swallow pushchairs, golf clubs and suitcases. Turn your XC90 into a two-seater, and the cargo space on offer puts many vans to shame. What’s more, because all the seats easily fold flush into the floor, the load area you get is perfectly level.

The Volvo XC90 measures 1771mm in height, 4953mm in length and 2008mm in width (2140mm including door mirrors).

The latest Volvo XC90 is available with the choice of two engines - a mild-hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. The Volvo XC90 B5 mild-hybrid model uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine with 250PS and 360Nm, which gives it a 7.7-second sprint from standstill to 62mph. Like all XC90s, it has four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. 

The Volvo XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid uses a petrol engine with an electric motor and battery for an electric-only range of 44.1 miles, which is an improvement on the early model, but some way behind the 60-70 miles that newer rivals can return. The powertrain makes 455PS and can reach 62mph in 5.4 seconds - it certainly feels quick when you're pushing on. Overall, we reckon the T8 is the best choice if you can stump up the cost, but it is rather pricey compared with the B5.

If you're looking at a used Volvo XC90, it’s worth paying attention here, because the XC90s engine range is rather confusing due to Volvo’s decision to completely change the naming convention during the last 2019 facelift.

Early cars came with a choice of three engines, a D5 diesel, a T6 petrol and a T8 plug-in hybrid. The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder D5 diesel was easily the most popular, and for good reason. Despite being the weakest engine on offer at 225PS, it still provides all the go that most buyers need, and it does a very decent job on fuel economy. The T6 was also a 2.0-litre, but used both a supercharger and turbocharger to produce 320PS. Yes, it was considerably quicker than the D5, but it was also more expensive to buy and much thirstier.

The T8 offered the best of both worlds, because its two power sources (the T6 petrol engine and an electric motor) combined to produce more than 400PS. When it was first launched, Volvo claimed the T8 plug-in hybrid version could cover 26 miles on electric power alone - some twenty odd miles down on the updated engine, so it's worth checking if you're looking at one of these. 

Shortly before the 2019 facelift, an entry-level petrol version was introduced, called the T5 which developed 250PS. Then, when the facelift occurred, all the D (diesel) and T (petrol) engines (except the T8) were re-labelled as B engines to signify that they’d been fitted with a new energy-recovery braking system, effectively making them all mild hybrids. Other than the name and a few tweaks, though, these engines were all the same ones as before. 

Judged in isolation, the XC90 does a really good job here, because overall, it’s a quiet car. The T8’s ability to run solely on electric power alone makes it the quietest of the two, and you can bimble around at low urban speeds with barely a whisper. You can hear the petrol engine when it kicks in, but it’s not noisy or abrupt when it does so, and it stays quiet and smooth in most circumstances. 

However, if you bury the throttle pedal and ask for maximum acceleration, you will hear the engine become a little raspy. If you're in a XC90 B5 and the engine becomes even more audible.

Wind- and road noise are both very well contained regardless of your speed, even if you can hear the suspension doing its work over scruffy surfaces. The automatic gearbox works reasonably smoothly, too.

The Volvo name is synonymous with safety, so you probably won’t be dumbfounded to learn that the XC90 is a proud member of the five-star club when it comes to Euro NCAP crash tests. In fact, every Volvo tested since 2001 can claim the same, and even despite the firm’s own high standards, the XC90 is one of its highest-scoring models.

That’s even less surprising when you look at the vast amount of safety kit on board that is standard-fit regardless of which version of the XC90 you pick. As well as all the usual stability and traction aids, there’s also an automatic emergency braking system that’ll slam on the stoppers if it detects an impending collision with another car (or pedestrian, or cyclist, or large animal.) A speed limit display, a lane-keeping aid and speed limiter should also help you avoid trouble.

If trouble manages to find you, there are seven airbags in all - including full-length curtain ‘bags that cover all three rows of seats - along with front seats that have active anti-whiplash head restraints. New XC90s come with blind spot monitoring and a driver attention warning, too, as well as Pilot Assist to help guide the car to keep it in lane.

Standard front and rear parking sensors - plus a reversing camera - should help you avoid parking dings and all versions except the plug-in hybrid get a spare wheel rather than a pot of sealant.

Volvo puts in a fairly middle of the road performance in the annual HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. We're not aware of too many issues with the XC90, aside from a few reports of electrical gremlins - particularly with PHEV models. It is quite a complex car, of course, but no more so than rivals.

The XC90 comes with a 3 year/60,000 mile warranty to cover any component failure that can be attributed to faulty materials or workmanship during manufacture.

Insurance groups for this generation of XC90 range between 37 and 44, which means there won’t be a vast difference between the cheapest and most expensive premiums. True, such disparities could make a fairly big difference to young, newly qualified drivers, but let’s face it, most potential XC90 buyers will be of an age and income level where that shouldn’t be an issue. And for these folk, tiny fluctuations in insurance costs are unlikely to be deal-breaking in their choice of car.

All cars with a list price of more than £40,000 - which includes all XC90s, unfortunately - get clobbered with an additional surcharge of £410 on top of whatever the car’s CO2 tax banding demands you pay. So, aside from the odd fluctuation of a tenner here and there, all XC90s will get stung for an annual VED bill of around £600 until they reach their sixth birthday when the surcharge is dropped.

Buy a car registered before April 2017, and what you’ll pay in road tax between each version will differ greatly. The good news for those after the PHEV is that you’ll pay nothing in VED thanks to its super-low CO2 emissions. Pretty tempting, that. Mind you, buy a D5 of the same vintage and you’ll pay £200, while T6 buyers pay £320.

Both the B5 and T8 come in the choice of three trims - Core, Plus and Ultra. To be honest, spec an XC90 in Core spec and you still get a lot of kit. This includes that 11.2-inch touchscreen, 12-inch driver display, 20-inch alloy wheels, matrix-design LED headlights, four-zone climate control, heated windscreen, heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats, rear camera, Pilot Assist adaptive cruise control and quilted Nordico upholstery. 

Upgrading to Plus trim adds a panoramic roof and a Harman Kardon premium sound system, as well as active air suspension, a 360-degree camera and brown ash decor inside.

The top-spec XC90 Ultra model features an even more fancy Bowers & Wilkins sound system, ventilation and massage functions on the front seats (which are upholstered in Nappa leather), a head-up display and rides on 21-inch wheels (though can be upgraded to 22-inch alloys if you wish). 

Looking at a used XC90 and you'll likely find Momentum, R-Design and Inscription trims, although exactly what you got with each one shifted around a wee bit, with more being added to the standard roster as time has went on. 

To be honest, we can’t see much point in looking past the entry-level Volvo XC90 Momentum for used buyers because it’s really well equipped. Your standard roster includes automatic lights and wipers, keyless go, heated (in the front) leather seats, a hands-free powered tailgate and dual-zone climate control. That’s pretty good, right?

The Volvo XC90 R-Design models cost a lot more and add mostly sporty visual upgrades inside and out, although the climate control is enhanced to four-zone and you also get handy bits like heated washer nozzles and integrated sunblinds in the rear. The Volvo XC90 Inscription costs a bit more still and puts a focus on a luxury feel rather than a sporty one, and come with upgraded leather with seat ventilation, plus ambient lighting.