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It's pretty clear that we can all agree on one thing: When conversation turns to Volvo, safety is the first thing anyone thinks of. And that's a good thing for families keen on protecting their children in the event something unthinkable happens when tooling around town. With the 2016 XC90 SUV, Volvo has certainly advanced its safety technology to new levels, while at the same time imbuing the family hauler with understated yet classy styling-think "Swedish Range Rover." Now that pricing for the new luxury crossover is available, we thought it was time to play it not-so-safe with Volvo's online configurator, and this is the XC90 we'd buy.
MODEL:
Volvo XC90 T6 AWD R-Design (base price: $54,455)
What do we mean when we say we're playing it not-so-safe with the XC90? It means that we skipped right past the excellently equipped base "Momentum" trim level and landed immediately on the sportier-looking R-Design. The only other available trim level is Volvo's posh "Inscription," which is nice but too conservative in appearance for our taste. So far only the T6 AWD powertrain is available, so that's what our XC has, although we might opt for the forthcoming T8 plug-in hybrid variant with over 400 horsepower if it were available now. The T6 portion of the badge tells you what sort of engine is in the XC90, and in this case, confusingly, it's a 316-hp turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder. An eight-speed automatic is standard.
The entry-level T6 AWD Momentum starts at $49,895 and comes with plenty of kit, including a power tailgate, keyless entry, a panoramic sunroof, a 12.3-inch display with navigation and Volvo's excellent new infotainment setup, four-zone automatic climate control (with third-row A/C), 10-way power heated front seats, 19-inch wheels, fog lights, heated windshield-wiper nozzles, rear parking sensors, a backup camera, lane-departure warning, and collision mitigation. Stepping up to the R-Design demands another $4000 and brings zero mechanical changes but a passel of visual and tactile enhancements. There are R-Design?specific front and rear fascias, 20-inch five-spoke wheels, Nubuck and Nappa leather seats, and adaptive LED headlights. Volvo also installs an R-Design three-spoke steering wheel with shift paddles, sport pedals, a black headliner, and a special shift knob. The upgrades are subtle, but they suitably quicken the XC90's visual pulse-and that's key, because out of the box, the XC90 sort of resembles, well, a box.
OPTIONS:
Bursting Blue Metallic paint ($560)
Climate Package ($1050)
Bowers & Wilkins sound system ($2500)
Four-corner air suspension with Four-C Active Chassis ($1800)
With almost everything a luxury buyer could want already standard, the XC90 leaves few decisions beyond color choice and trim level. That said, we felt the $560 (and bizarrely named) Bursting Blue metallic paint suited the R-Design's spicier vibe, while the $1050 Climate package (heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, heated windshield, heated washer nozzles) is necessary to survive cold winters.
Our Monopoly money playtime led us to check the boxes for the 1400-watt, 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system ($2500) and the available four-corner air suspension ($1800) Volvo dubs "Four-C Active Chassis." (Selecting the suspension seems to also net the Convenience bundle at no extra cost, which is $1800 on its own.) Among the items we skipped: The $1600 Vision package, which has blind-spot and cross-traffic monitoring, a 360-degree camera, auto-dimming mirrors, and foldable side mirrors. We also passed on the optional $800 carbon-fiber interior trim because, well, the R-Design might be "sporty," but exposed fiber weave in a three-row luxury crossover just screams "trying too hard." The standard mesh-patterned aluminum dashboard and door-panel inlays are just fine, and work nicely with the R-Design's charcoal-colored interior. We also decided not to spec the 22-inch wheels-which look fantastic-and the shorter-sidewall tires they dictate in favor of the standard 20s and their presumably better ride quality.
At $59,755, our XC90 R-Design slides into the same territory occupied by well-equipped BMW X5s, Mercedes-Benz M-classes, and Audi Q7s but offers a habitable third-row seat. It's also massively cheaper than any Cadillac Escalade, and although fuel-economy ratings are forthcoming, it's likely to be more efficient than all of those rides. While our R-Design isn't quite dangerous-it is a Volvo after all-it is certainly spicier than the plain-jane XC90; true zest will have to wait for the 400-plus-hp T8 model. For everyday livability, however, 316 horsepower in the 2016 XC90's handsome wrapper will do just fine.
Text Source: Car and Driver
