2003 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD Review
SEE ALSO: Volvo Buyer's Guide
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS To many people around the world, ``Volvo'' is nearly synonymous with ``wagon.'' After all, Volvo has been building wagons for fifty years, starting with the PV445 Duett in 1953. And Volvo is the wagon leader, import or domestic, in the U.S. today, with around half of the market. Of course, today in the U.S., wagons are niche players and SUVs sell in mass quantities. But despite the SUV rugged go-anywhere image, most are used for exactly the same purposes as wagons. Since many Volvo owners have expressed a desire for something larger than a Volvo wagon, and Volvo has been fueling growth with conquest sales, a Volvo SUV was an obvious choice to please both existing and potential Volvo owners. So Volvo built the XC90. It is a contemporary mid-premium ``crossover'' car platform-based sport-utility vehicle, built on the architecture used in the mid- and full-sized Volvo sedans and wagons. Like those cars, the XC90 has a transversely-mounted inline engine in the front, either a 2.5-liter, 208-horsepower light- pressure turbo five in the XC90 2.5T or a 2.9-liter twin-turbo six in the XC90 T6, matched to an automatic transmission with ``Geartronic'' manual mode. It is offered with front- or all-wheel drive. As in a car, the transverse engine mounting in the XC90 gives something for which SUVs are not normally known - great space efficiency. The XC90 is about the same length as Volvo's S80 sedan, yet can be configured to hold seven people. The XC90 was successful even before its introduction, with 50 percent of the first year's production pre-sold. I first drove it when it was introduced to the press a year ago in California's Napa Valley. Whenever we stopped, it attracted attention, from Volvo drivers and non-Volvo drivers alike. It was a pleasant vehicle for the Northern California mountains, with decidedly un-trucklike ride comfort and handling even on narrow semi-paved roads. More recently, I've spent a week with an AWD T6 at home. Its combination of Volvo comfort, safety, space, and versatile interior arrangement makes it a very pleasant vehicle for the real world. APPEARANCE: With its broad shoulder line coming off the vee- shaped hood, and the diagonal bar across its rectangular grille, even a quick glance will tell that the XC90 is the Volvo SUV. It looks just like a Volvo wagon, only taller, wider, and brawnier. More massive SUV-style matte-finished bumpers, with matching wheel arch and rocker panel trim reinforce its look. The taillights extend up toward the roof as on Volvo wagons, but, like the rest of the XC90, are wider and more massive. The design concept, according to Volvo styling chief Peter Horbury, was ``masculine but not macho; muscular, but not aggressive.'' And that sums it up very well. COMFORT: Volvo fans will find the XC90's interior familiar. It's like any other premium Volvo in basic design and appointment, but larger. In T6 trim, excellent power front and split folding bench rear seats have leather upholstery. Wood trim on the instrument panel and doors adds luxury ambiance. Instruments are shaded by a familiar angular hood, while the center stack features Volvo's easy- to-use iconic climate controls and a new audio control system. The LCD screen for the optional navigation system pops out of the top of the instrument panel, and so takes up no center stack real estate. In the up position it is still below the line of sight for forward vision. Versatility starts in the second row, which is split 40/20/40 as part of the ``Versatility Package,'' which also included the third-row seat. All segments are independently adjustable fore-and-aft, and head- and leg- room is very good. The outside sections slide forward for third-row access. Here, the third row is not an afterthought. It will hold two medium-sized adults, and they get a 2+2 arrangement with a center console, cupholders, storage space, lights, and fan control. And there is still good space for luggage. The third row folds flat in an interesting manner, and, if the second row is also folded there is enough space for long cargo or a camping bivouac. SAFETY: Like all Volvos, the XC90 is designed for maximum safety with a systems approach integrating active and passive safety devices. Because the XC90 is higher than a car, its front subframe has a lower crossmember positioned at regular car bumper height that will activate the other car's crumple zones in case of a frontal collision. The XC90 also introduces the ``Roll-Over Protection System'', ROPS. It includes the ``Roll Stability Control'' (RSC) system, an enhancement to the DSTC stability control system to lessen the chance for a rollover in extreme maneuvers and strong boron steel components in the roof for protection if the vehicle does roll. ROADABILITY: Volvo also makes real trucks - semis - but they have nothing to do with an XC90. Built on the same platform as the S60, V70, and S80 models, with unibody construction and fully- independent MacPherson strut front and multilink rear suspension, the XC90 unsurprisingly feels and handles like a large Volvo car. The emphasis is on large - at 4,600 lbs. in T6 AWD 7-seat trim, it weighs over 1,000 lbs. more than a V70, so it's not as nimble as a V70 or V40. The suspension is firm in calibration, with little body roll, and steering response is very good. Despite its good clearance, height, and weight, the XC90 has a low center of gravity, so emergency maneuvers can be done with confidence, aided by DSTC, RSC, and ROPS. All-wheel drive models have a new electronically-controlled AWD system that interacts with the stability- and traction-control systems provides all-weather traction and control. PERFORMANCE: The XC90 T6 uses Volvo's 2.9-liter twincam, intercooled twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine. Two smaller turbos operate in parallel, fed from three cylinders each to eliminate turbo lag. That, and continuously-variable valve timing on both camshafts, help the engine to make 268 horsepower at 5100 rpm and, more importantly for everyday driving, 280 lb-ft of torque between 1800 and 5000 rpm. With the broad torque band, the four speeds of the automatic transmission work just fine, and manual shifting is possible in ``Geartronic'' mode. Towing capacity is 5,000 lbs. CONCLUSIONS: Volvo redefines the SUV with the XC90. SPECIFICATIONS 2003 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD Base Price $ 40,565 Price As Tested $ 47,865 Engine Type twin turbocharged and intercooled dual overhead cam 24-valve aluminum alloy inline 6 with variable valve timing on both camshafts Engine Size 2.9 liters / 177 cu. in. Horsepower 268 @ 5100 rpm Torque (lb-ft) 280 @ 1800-5000 rpm Transmission 4-speed electronically-controlled automatic Wheelbase / Length 112.6 in. / 188.9 in. Curb Weight 4610 lbs. Pounds Per Horsepower 17.2 Fuel Capacity 19.0 gal. Fuel Requirement 91 octane unleaded premium gasoline recommended Tires P235/60 Michelin Pilot MXM4 Brakes, front/rear four-wheel vented disc, ABS, EBD, EBA standard Suspension, front/rear independent MacPherson strut / independent multilink Ground clearance 9.2 (T6 AWD) Drivetrain front engine, all-wheel drive PERFORMANCE EPA Fuel Economy - miles per gallon city / highway / observed 15 / 20 / 16 0 to 60 mph 8.7 sec Towing capacity 5,000 lbs. OPTIONS AND CHARGES Metallic paint $ 450 Climate package - includes: Interior Air Quality System (IAQS), rain sensor, heated front seats, headlamp washers $ 595 Versatility Package - includes: Third-row seats, air conditioning for 3rd row, rear headphone outlets, self-leveling rear suspension, center cushion second row $ 1,675 Premium package - includes: 18" Atlantis alloy wheels, premium sound system, power retractable rearview mirrors $ 1,300 Volvo navigation system $ 1,895 Wood steering wheel $ 300 Reverse warning system $ 400 Destination charge $ 685