2024 Volvo XC90 Review and Test Drive
Gracefully aging during a time of rapid transformation.
Christian Wardlaw
QuickTakes:
Nearly a decade ago, the redesigned 2016 XC90 put Volvo on a path to prosperity. Built on a platform engineered for use under all Volvo vehicles to come after it, it featured a gas and electrified family of efficient four-cylinder engines. Designed to classic tenets of Scandinavian elegance and simplicity, that second-generation XC90 set the tone defining Volvo for the past 10 years.
Today, on the cusp of Volvo's transformation into an electric vehicle company, the 2024 Volvo XC90 is essentially the same SUV. However, changes since 2016 have kept it modern and up to date. For example, the infotainment system is now Google-based, and the available plug-in hybrid powertrain supplies more than twice the electric-only driving range, from 14 miles to 33 miles.
Volvo has also made other tweaks and changes, such as electrifying all models by adding mild-hybrid technology to the gas engines. Still, if you parked a mint-condition 2016 XC90 next to a 2024 model, you might need help deciding which is the new Volvo and which is the old one.
Even more remarkable, the 2024 XC90 doesn't look or feel like a nearly 10-year-old design. But despite its electrified powertrains, it is starting to drive like one.
Christian Wardlaw
2024 Volvo XC90 Prices Show Plugging In Comes at a Cost
The 2024 Volvo XC90 comes in B5, B6, and Recharge model series. The B5 and B6 boast mild-hybrid gasoline engines, with the B5 using a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and the B6 employing a turbocharged and supercharged version of that powerplant. All-wheel drive (AWD) is standard equipment.
The Recharge also comes with AWD and uses a gas-fueled turbo four and plug-in hybrid technology to offer electric-only driving and more power and torque than the B5 and B6. For this XC90 review, Volvo provided a Recharge for evaluation purposes in Southern California.
In addition, the XC90 lineup comes in Core, Plus, and Ultimate trim levels. Across the XC90 lineup, base prices range from the mid-$50,000s to the low $80,000s, including the destination charge to ship the SUV from the Torslanda, Sweden, factory that builds it to your local dealership. Comparing the B6 Ultimate with the Recharge Ultimate, the price premium for plugging in is more than $10,000, and the XC90 Recharge is ineligible for a federal income tax credit.
For this XC90 Recharge review, I test-drove an Ultimate equipped with the Lounge package, a Bowers & Wilkins high-end audio system, and an adaptive air suspension. The manufacturer's suggested retail price of the test vehicle came to $89,145, including the $1,195 destination charge.
Christian Wardlaw
Leading by Design
Historians will likely remember the second-generation XC90 as one of the most important Volvos ever made. It ushered in the automaker's new approach to everything, including design.
From the grille's ironmark logo and the Thor's Hammer running lights to the C-shaped taillights and block V-O-L-V-O lettering on the liftgate, the vehicle set standards for the company that persist today.
The same is true of the interior, where Scandinavian minimalism rules. Though the portrait-mounted 9.0-inch touchscreen is small by today's standards, it has the modern Google Built-in software running. The digital instrument panel doesn't display graphical superiority, but that's the traditional approach for Volvo. Instead, you get the data you need in a simple layout.
Quality permeates every nook and cranny of the XC90 Ultimate's interior. Supple leather, matte wood, knurled knobs, aluminum center dashboard speaker, tambour-style storage area covers, and an Orrefors crystal shifter exude attention to detail. And if you'd rather skip the leather, Volvo offers an appealing wool-blend upholstery for the XC90.
Christian Wardlaw
Three Rows of Comfort
Long known for seat comfort, the XC90 continues the Volvo tradition of providing soft yet supportive places for people to sit beneath the Ultimate's panoramic glass sunroof. In addition, the Recharge model's standard four-zone automatic climate control system features air purification, and the SUV includes air-conditioning vents for third-row passengers.
The XC90's front row offers a tall seating position and generous outward visibility — you may have to take care to avoid snagging clothes on the Ultimate trim's extendable front seat bolsters, though. A heated steering wheel and heated front seats are standard, and Ultimate trim adds ventilation. With the optional Lounge package, massaging front seats are ready to relieve stress while you drive.
I road-tested the XC90 Recharge on one of the last legitimately hot days of 2023. When driving in Pure (electric) mode, the climate and seat ventilation systems never chilled the cabin to a comfortable temperature. During the second half of the drive, after the gasoline engine fired up, cooling the interior wasn't a problem.
The heated second-row bench seat accommodates up to three adults, and Volvo provides a standard integrated seat booster for older children. Clearance to the third-row seat is tight, but an adult will likely find decent comfort thanks to stadium-style seating with commendable leg support.
Christian Wardlaw
Cavernous Cargo Space Unless You Need the Third-Row Seat
Like other three-row SUVs in the XC90's segment, you can carry extra people or a decent amount of cargo, but not simultaneously. This Volvo offers just 11.2 cubic-feet of space behind the third-row seat, enough to haul some groceries home or sports equipment to the field but little else.
Fold the third-row seats down, and the XC90's cargo hold expands to accommodate 41.9 cu-ft of luggage, plenty for an extended family vacation. Maximum volume with the second-row seats folded down is a generous 85.7 cu-ft.
Within the cabin, there is little room for stashing things. But Volvo provides a spot for the keyfob, your smartphone, and your latte, which might check every box.
Christian Wardlaw
2024 Volvo XC90 Google Built-in Infotainment review: A Good Thing in a Small Package
Last year, the XC90 added Google Built-in to the SUV's infotainment system. It provides Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Play, and Volvo provides a complimentary four-year subscription to those features. Android users can sign into their accounts via the touchscreen. If you're an Apple iPhone user, Apple CarPlay is also standard.
The familiar four-tile main menu display remains, providing quick access to navigation, stereo, phone, and climate controls. You swipe left for apps and swipe right for vehicle settings. A button at the bottom of the screen returns you to the main menu, just like with a tablet computer. The 9.0-inch touchscreen might be small, but it is mighty.
Volvo wisely includes a stereo volume knob flanked by radio tuning buttons. Quick-access buttons also activate the front and rear defrosters. For other functions, you can rouse the Google Assistant by saying, "Hey Google." It responds quickly and usually accurately to conversationally spoken commands. Sometimes, it takes a few tries to get exactly what you want, much like when using Google to search for anything.
The test car had the optional high-end Bowers & Wilkins audio system.
Christian Wardlaw
Secondary Tech Not up to Expectations
Considering the test vehicle's 21-inch wheels with flush, machined-finish spokes, the surround-view camera system proved particularly helpful in avoiding scratches while parking near curbs. However, it excessively distorts the surroundings, causing trouble with perspective.
In addition to a 12.0-inch digital instrumentation display, my XC90 had a head-up display. Each expresses the same minimalism found elsewhere in the XC90's interior, so Volvo could make them more detailed and compelling. Mainly, I'd like to see improved graphics depicting the real-time status of the advanced driving-assistance systems.
Christian Wardlaw
2024 Volvo Pilot Assist Review: Behind the Curve
Volvo equips the XC90 with all the expected safety features, including a semi-autonomous driving-assistance system called Pilot Assist. It combines adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assistance and requires drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel. A hands-free version is unavailable.
Christian Wardlaw
Given Volvo's track record for safety, Pilot Assist should be better. It struggled to navigate the bends and curves of the Pacific Coast Highway, which isn't uncommon for this type of technology. However, when exiting a freeway, the system suddenly and unexpectedly attempted to guide the XC90 left to continue straight as soon as I released the turn signal. I quickly corrected the SUV's course and quit using Pilot Assist for the remainder of my time with the XC90.
Regarding safety ratings, the Volvo XC90 earns high marks from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Christian Wardlaw
Volvo XC90 Recharge Specs Reveal a Competitive PHEV
To create the 2024 XC90 Recharge, Volvo equips it with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, a 107-kilowatt front electric motor, a 10-kilowatt rear electric motor, and an 18.8-kilowatt-hour battery with 14.9 kilowatt-hours of usable power.
Six driver-selected powertrain modes are available: Auto, Pure, Power, Hybrid, Charge, and Hold. In addition, you can choose Constant AWD and Off-Road to adjust how the rear electric motor works.
Total output measures 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque, and Volvo claims this SUV accelerates to 60 mph in 5 seconds. The electric-only driving range is 32 miles, and when used as a hybrid, it should return 27 mpg in combined driving.
You only need a typical U.S. household-style outlet (15-amp, 120-volt) to recharge this Volvo. The SUV will fully recharge overnight.
Christian Wardlaw
Fast, but Not Fun or Refined
Temperatures on testing day were in the 90s, so while the Volvo told me to expect 33 miles of electric range at the start of the evaluation drive, the XC90 Recharge delivered only 28 miles of range following a marked reduction in electric-only performance after traveling just 25 miles.
In addition, though the official fuel-economy estimate is 27 mpg in combined driving, the XC90 Recharge returned only 24.5 mpg with the four-zone automatic climate system blasting nearly the entire drive.
In Auto, Hybrid, and Power modes, the XC90 Recharge is fast, making it simple to merge onto fast-flowing freeways and leap ahead of the pack from an intersection. But otherwise, the emphasis is on luxury and style, not ride and handling.
Christian Wardlaw
Those 21-inch wheels and grippy 275/40 tires look good but disrupt the ride quality despite the test vehicle's adaptive air suspension. Over rough roads and speed bumps, the XC90's underlying structure allows too much impact harshness into the cabin. Also, despite the Ultimate's laminated window glass, the test vehicle proved louder inside at highway speeds than expected.
On a winding mountain road, a driver uses the steering wheel to issue suggestions instead of commands, and the XC90 requires plenty of course correction. There is too much unwanted body motion over undulating pavement, and on the hot testing day, the brakes lost some bite during a descent from elevation.
Christian Wardlaw
The Volvo XC90 Can't Outrun Its Age
In many ways, the 2024 Volvo XC90 Recharge reveals its advanced age. Yet, it remains an undeniably appealing SUV, in part because it faces so few rivals.
This Volvo offers style, quality, comfort, and utility — and it's undeniably safe. The technology is appealing, if dated and clumsy in some respects. And if you keep the battery charged, stops at gas stations will be few and far between, unless you're crossing the country on a family road trip. But there are flaws in this vehicle, many related to its age.
Unfortunately, now that Lincoln has discontinued the uncompetitive Aviator Grand Touring, if you want a luxury three-row plug-in hybrid SUV, the XC90 Recharge is the only game in town. But if you can do without the two extra seats, a BMW X5 xDrive50e is worth consideration.
All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.
