Last week I was reminded of the old saying that a Volvo car is built like a tank. That saying came to mind when I was driving Volvo’s revamped XC90 plug-in hybrid.
Whoever came up the tank comparison knew what they were talking about, the car is so solid, you really feel safe and secure inside. I remember reading a column a few years back written by a female writer, who said that she had a ‘prang’ while driving her Volvo on the way back to Dublin from Kerry. Another motorist ran into the back of her car, but she said that she wasn’t worried as she felt really secure in her Volvo.
The first Volvo car was produced at the company’s factory in Gothenburg, Sweden in April 1927, but in 2010 Volvo was sold by Ford Motors to Chinese company Geely, who have continued to maintain those high standards of safety established over many decades.
Now the revamped XC90 version has got a slight makeover with a revised front fascia, updated grille and slimmer Thor’s Hammer matric LED headlights. The car maintains its boxy, upright look which has proved to be a practical shape that maximises space.
When I sat into the car, the first item to catch my eye was the speaker on the dash, which looked like a microphone. It’s a Bowers & Wilkins sound system which was very impressive. The interior design is minimalist apart from the vertical 11.2-inch infotainment screen on the dash.
The XC 90 was launched in 2002, and I remember back in 2005 we had a special Ocean version to celebrate Volvo’s sponsorship of the around-the-world sailing race. It has had a few updates and then we got a second generation in 2015, and the latest facelift was in November 2024.
The version I drove last week was the T8 plug-in hybrid and it was very frugal. It came in an unusual Bright Dusk colour. Bright Dusk: that’s the first time I heard of that colour. The seats are very easy to adjust and there were no complaints from my passengers last week.
The Orrefors Crystal gear lever, which is now used in most new Volvo cars, is really cute. Cecilia Stark, who leads Volvo’s colour and materials department explained the background to the unusual gear lever. She said: “As it’s so dark in parts of Sweden, light is really important. Glass can feel cold and sleek, like a sheet of ice. Or it can be moulded into a sculpture of facets that allows beams of light to filter through and illuminate it from within. In a country where winter days can have only four or five hours of light, it makes sense to celebrate it.”
The 2.0- litre turbo charged petrol engine is paired with an electric motor to give you 455 horsepower, so plenty of power under that bonnet. In pure electric mode you should get around 60km which would be enough for your daily school runs, sports events etc.
There is ample room for three well-built adults in the back seat and the boot is huge. Not huge boot space if all seven seats are in use, but when you fold down the third row of seats, massive space.
Prices start at €95,995, but my test car with a plethora of extras that would take up another page to list, will cost you €111,645. That’s a lot of money to pay for a car, but while we no longer have a Celtic Tiger here, there is still a lot of ‘old money’ around.
