2019 Volvo XC90: A three-row SUV steeped in technology and safety
My sister is in the market for a new SUV, and when I told her she should check out Volvo, her reply was: “Isn’t that an old person’s car?”
Even though we were texting, I could see her in my mind’s eye wrinkling her nose dismissively.
I quickly responded: “No. It isn’t. It’s actually what the cool kids are driving these days.”
Volvo has steadily been pulling itself out of its box-like confines with excellent technology, standard safety, comfortable seats and handsome design.
The 2019 Volvo XC90, the largest vehicle in the automaker’s fleet, is an example of the best the brand offers.
Design
Volvo’s design evolution has been extraordinary. Its vehicles once looked like boxes on wheels, and while there are still a lot of hard horizontal lines sculpting the exterior, there’s now something elegant and graceful here as well.
While I hesitate to use the word “boxy” to describe the XC90, as a three-row SUV, it can’t help looking a bit upright and, well, rectangular.
The “Thor’s hammer” headlights and bumped out taillights are signature Volvo design cues and work well with the large proportions of the XC90.
The interior is an exercise in simplicity and minimalism from the clean lines to the texture of the smooth wood inserts and leather seating surfaces. The large vertical touch-screen display sits like an exclamation point in the middle of the center stack, and in my book looks stunning.
I know several of my colleagues have complained about the complexity of the controls within the display, citing two or three taps to complete a function, which previously was done with the push of a single hard button.
I don’t have that complaint. The more time I spend with the Volvo infotainment system, the easier it gets to use and the more intuitive it is. Plus, there’s still a volume knob.
Ride & Handling
One of the things about Volvo that never ceases to amaze me is the smooth complexity of its 4-cylinder engines. The XC90 T6 test vehicle was equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection engine, and it’s amazing.
In fact, if you didn’t know you were driving a vehicle with a 4-cylidner engine, you wouldn’t guess it.
The engine delivers 316 horsepower and 295-pound feet of torque. The power is seamless and fast, which accounts for easy highway merges and fast off-the-line starts.
The suspension is also smooth and forgiving, and while you may feel the potholes, they don’t create a teeth-clattering bump in the cabin. The ride on the highway is more on the luxury side of the spectrum rather than sporty.
While I wouldn’t call the XC90 nimble, I wouldn’t call it lumbering either. The turning radius is a bit wide, but overall the vehicle drives small if you’re used to being behind the wheel of an SUV.
Fuel economy
Even though the XC90 has a 4-cylinder engine, it’s not a fuel sipper with three rows and a total vehicle weight between 5,790 and 6,834 pounds.
EPA estimates you will get 19 mpg in city driving and 26 mpg on the highway.
Volvo employs the use of the auto stop/start engine, but the automaker has made it easy to turn off with a single button below the drive mode wheel.
Tech & gadgets
I love the marriage of technology and design in the Volvo XC90, and that includes the large vertical display. The main menu encapsulates your primary functions of phone, media and navigation, and a quick swipe sends you deeper into the menu.
The icons on the inside menus are large, easy to read and easy to access.
The XC90 also comes equipped with a decent Level 2 autonomous driving system called “Pilot Assist.” This is a hands-on system that helps center the vehicle in a lane as well as maintain a safe distance between you and the car in front of you.
This system is smoother than most with easy accelerations and decelerations depending on the flow of traffic. I also didn’t feel like I had to fight against the steering – it was more of a gentle nudge than a hard push.
Other tech features include Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital drivers display, 4-zone electronic climate control, a hands-free power liftgate and a beautifully crafted available Bowers and Wilkins premium sound system.
Trims
One of the really nice things about the largest Volvo SUV is its base price. It starts under $50K for a well-equipped model. Trims are as follows:
Momentum ($49,340): Dubbed the “Premium” trim, this base model comes equipped with 18-inch 5-spoke silver alloy wheels, leatherette upholstery, lane keep assist, an 8-inch driver display, navigation, a 9-inch Sensus touchscreen display, hands-free power trunk and adaptive cruise control. Available in both front- and all-wheel drive, there are three powertrain options: T5 (4-cylinder), T6 (4-cylinder) and T8 (PHEV).
R-Design ($56,590): On the sporty side of the spectrum, this trim offers 20-inch 5-spoke matte black alloy wheels, R-Design leather upholstery, metal mesh inlays, Harman Kardon premium sound system, a 12.3-inch driver display, R-Design accents and paddle shifters. Available in both front- and all-wheel drive, there are three powertrain options: T5 (4-cylinder), T6 (4-cylinder) and T8 (PHEV).
Inscription ($63,990): This luxury trim includes 20-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, heated-and-ventilated front seats, Nappa leather seats and walnut wood inlays. Available only in AWD, there are two engine options: T6 (4-cylinder) and T8 (PHEV).
Excellence ($106,540): Dubbed the “Exclusive” trim, this top-tier XC90 adds 21-inch 10-spoke turbine silver alloy wheels, perforated Nappa leather seats, a four-corner active chassis, Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system, 360-degree surround-view camera, head-up display, park pilot assist, plug-in hybrid electric motor, crystal gearshift knob by Orrefors, front and rear seats with ventilation-and-massage function, heated steering wheel, full active LED bending headlights and headlight pressure cleaning. Available only in AWD with the T8 PHEV powertrain.
The test vehicle was an Inscription model that added the Advanced Package, heated rear seats and steering wheel, metallic paint, integrated center booster cushion, the Bowers and Wilkins premium sound system and 21-inch 5-V-spoke alloy wheels.
The as-tested price was $70,940.
Safety
The XC90 comes with a nice suite of safety features including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, rear view camera, adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance.
The Advanced Package ($2,500) adds additional safety technology, including active bending headlights, automatic high-beam lights, visual park assist, a 360-degree camera and a graphic head-up display.
Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety give the Volvo XC90 top marks. The IIHS even gave it a Top Safety Pickaward.
Not sure what the safety ratings mean? We break it down for you here.
New for 2019
The Volvo XC90 will get a refresh for the 2020 model year, so there isn’t much new on the 2019 model that is significant to note.
A few of my favorite things
I’m totally gaga over the integrated vertical display. Other automakers are trying to compete with weird, tacked-on vertical displays, but nothing competes with the simplicity of the Volvo design.
I’m also a huge fan of the ergonomically correct seats in every Volvo. From the S60 to the XC90, these are some of the most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat in – especially for long-haul drives.
What I can leave
The third row is a bit cramped – even for me. I view this as more of an occasional third row than a standard seating option. I’d also say seating here wouldn’t get ideal for any kind of a long road trip.
Also, while the Apple CarPlay/Android Auto setup has gotten better, there’s still some work to do. I don’t really like that once you’re wired in to the system, every main menu item feeds back to CarPlay or Auto.
The bottom line
The looks are certainly still a bit quirky on a Volvo, but that’s part of the charm. These days the design is more elegant than boxy with just enough individuality to set it apart from the crowd.
The XC90 is very tech-forward, and with a base price of less than $50K, it’s fairly attainable. However, if you want the really good stuff, you’ll quickly end up paying more than double that.