Volvo of Houston

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Walk Around

The Volvo XC90 looks like what it is: a fairly large sport-utility vehicle designed and built by Volvo. If that sounds a bit ridiculous, allow us to explain. The XC90 has the rugged, adventurous, substantial look buyers probably expect in an SUV, but it's also very clearly a Volvo, even without the badges.

The XC90 was freshened last year with some subtle styling changes, which carry over on the 2008 models. These include a new grille, bumpers and taillights, and the overall effect is actually a bit more conservative. The grille looks shorter, so the step up from the contoured fenders, which flow Volvo-style back from the headlight clusters, seems less prominent or pronounced than before.

The tweaks don't substantially change the XC90's character or overall effect. In the rear-view mirror of cars ahead, this SUV still looks a bit like an old convertible with its top puffing up in the air stream. Its hood is unusual among contemporary vehicles. Rather than the more familiar power bulge, the XC90 hood has a horse-shoe shaped crease with the area within that crease pressed lower than the surrounding edge. In other words, this bulge is reversed.

The overall angularity says Volvo. In side view, the XC90's roofline rakes upward dramatically from the windshield to a high horizontal plane, with the arc of the top echoed by the curve of the roof rails. A high beltline enhances to the typical visual image of a tall SUV, and creates the feeling of a protective cocoon inside. The rear glass is inclined toward the front of the vehicle, which shortens the roofline a bit and tidies the XC90's profile.

The XC90's basic stance gives it a well-planted look and promotes handling stability. Its wheelbase is long, but the overhangs are short, so the body doesn't extend very far past the wheels. It has a wide track as well. And despite its height, the XC90 has a lower center of gravity than many SUVs.

The taillights may have been reshaped last year, but they remain as huge as ever. The idea, in Volvo's safety scheme, is to reduce the chance of getting creamed from behind by some half-asleep driver. The same thinking applies to the back-up lights. They seem as bright as the roof lights on an a Baja pickup, making it less likely to back into something at night.

Two other exterior features may enhance safety. All XC90s feature side mirrors with integrated LCD turn signals to warn drivers in your blind spot of your intensions. These are probably more valuable to the XC90 driver than to other motorists, because they make it nearly impossible to forget that a turn signal is operating. All models are also available with Active Bi-Xenon headlights. In addition to generating brighter light, these headlights swivel up to 15 degrees off center in the direction of travel to better light up the turns.

The XC90's rear hatch has two sections, with a larger, upper glass portion that swings up and a lower, steel gate that drops down. The split-line between is about waste high, so if you're just stowing the groceries or dry cleaning, you might not need to drop the tailgate. Larger objects require opening both halves, so this clamshell hatch has its strength and weaknesses.

The disadvantage is that two gates can make more work. On the plus side, the short tailgate lifts and closes easily, and the upper liftgate is less likely to bonk you or someone else on the head when you raise or lower it. Liftgates on some SUVs are hard to raise due to their weight and the angles involved, but that's not the case here. The little tailgate also keeps groceries and other cargo from rolling out when you open the hatch.

The standard V8 model is easier to spot for 2008, with new bright trim added to the lights, mirrors, and C-pillar, in addition to the color-coordinated fender extensions and silver (instead of standard black) roof rails that carry over from last year. (And then of course there's the V8 badge in the grille.) The more subtle V8 Sport does without the new brightwork, but shares the standard V8's fender extensions and silver roof rails. Very sharp-eyed enthusiasts might notice the Sport model's unique front bumper trim.

Interior

2008 Volvo XC90

The Volvo XC90 seats five to seven passengers depending on the seating configuration. It's quiet, comfortable, and above all, roomy. By mounting its engine sideways across the chassis, Volvo has created a cabin with the space and flexibility of a minivan inside a relatively compact exterior. The materials and finish inside are very good, and functionality rates almost as high, despite some Volvo-specific quirks. The XC90 makes an excellent vehicle for families with two or more children growing into their teens.

Standard interior trim is a mix of brushed aluminum around the door pulls, wood trim on the center console and dark, matte-finish plastic behind the switches in the center stack. Volvo steering wheels have some of the chubbiest rims in the business, and they're so thick that drivers with small hands might find them a bit too hefty. The steering wheel is covered in rich, grippy leather.

It requires a small step up to slide into the XC90's driver's seat, though well-placed grab handles make getting in easier. Those aluminum door pulls are not so effective, however. They're fairly narrow, and seem to be made for people with little hands (in contrast to the fat steering wheel rim).

The front bucket seats are comfortable, with good, adjustable lumbar support. While Volvo leather is some of the best around, the fabric upholstery in the base XC90 3.2 is soft and attractive.

Headroom is exceptional, thanks to the high roofline, and the big windows create a feeling of space, with excellent forward visibility. Unfortunately, Volvo's emphasis on safety has drawbacks in this regard. Large, tall headrests restrict forward visibility for passengers in the second- and third-row seats. More significantly, the headrests can reduce what the driver sees in the rearview mirror. Another minor annoyance is the perpetual reflection in the windshield from the big subwoofer in the top of the dash and the red button for the four-way flasher.

The instrument panel is canted upward toward the windshield, creating a stronger cockpit effect than one finds in the typical sport-utility vehicle. The gauges are simple and easy to read. Window switches are on the doors, right near the fingertips when the driver's left arm lies on the armrest, requiring no hand or wrist contortion to operate. Other controls are concentrated in one of two spots: on easy-to-use stalks flanking the steering wheel, or in the stack rising from the center console. Here you'll find some of those Volvo quirks, which are neither good nor bad. They're just a bit different than the convention in most cars.

The switches that direct airflow for the climate controls, for example, are fashioned with a now traditional Volvo icon that looks like a seated person set over the top. Push the person's feet and all air flows through the floor vents; push the head, and air flows toward the windshield. The audio controls are even more unusual, with a twisting knob that cycles through menus and a keypad that looks like telephone buttons. They all work quite well, once a user gains some familiarity, and nearly all are large and easy to locate, even at night.

Seating and cargo arrangements inside the XC90 are enormously versatile, allowing 64 different configurations, including six of the seven seats folded flat, including the front passenger seat. Equally impressive is the ease with which the seats slide, fold, change and vanish.

The second-row bench seat is split 40/20/40, and each section slides forward independently, adjusting the amount of legroom for the second and third rows. Headrests don't have to be removed when the seats are folded flat. The console between the front seats can be easily removed, allowing the center section of the second row to slide way forward between and just behind the front buckets. With the optional integrated booster cushion for that seat, tending to a toddler has never been easier.

The two-belt third seat is standard on the XC90 V8 and optional on the 3.2. Getting into the third row is easier than it is in many SUVs, because sliding and flipping the second-row seats is a breeze. Of course, with the second row positioned for adult-sized legs, there's only enough leg room in the third row for kids.

Still, for 10-year-olds the third row is a cozy and convenient little world all its own, with a storage console, cup holders, and separate climate controls and registers. Kids actually want to sit way back in the wayback. Headphone plugs are provided, meaning second- or third-row headphone users can listen to a CD while the front-seat occupants listen to the radio through the speakers.

Given the XC90's overall family friendly design, an overall lack of storage for smaller items (particularly in front) seems more glaring. This is a gripe we often have with Volvos. The door pockets are narrow and the small center console compartment is slim and difficult to access. If you slide a few CDs in the slots, there's no more room at all.

Bigger items are another story, because the XC90 can carry more stuff than most of its competitors. With all six passenger seats folded down, it offers 93.2 cubic feet of cargo space, or more than what's available in the Mercedes M-Class (72.4 cubic feet), BMW X5 (61.8), Acura MDX (83.5), Lexus RX 330 (84.7), Cadillac SRX (69.5) and Infiniti FX (64.5). Even with all three rows of seats in place, there's room in the Volvo for two or three stacked duffel bags behind the third row.

Moreover, the XC90 accommodates long objects easily. Lowering the center portion of the second-row seat opens 9.5 feet of unobstructed space between the instrument panel and the rear liftgate, and this applies with the third-row seat in place, thanks to passage space between the seatbacks. As a result, the XC90 can take four surfers and two long boards to the beach. It's a good vehicle for trout fishing because it will accommodate rigged nine-foot fly rods, allowing the angler to move to a new spot without having to break them down

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