Volvo XC90
A Future Full of Four-Cylinders
Volvo’s new Drive-E engine family tops out with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which isn’t much motor when you consider that the XC90 weighs between 4600 and 5200 pounds. To make two liters feel like three and a half, a turbocharger and a supercharger inflate the so-called T6 engine’s peak power and low-end responsiveness for a total output of 316 horsepower and a zero-to-60 run in the low six seconds. Married to a polished eight-speed automatic and standard all-wheel drive, the T6 delivers the no-drama, easygoing authority that you’d expect from a brand that’s more closely aligned with comfort than sport.
The uplevel T8 Twin Engine is the no-compromise upgrade that allows you to have your fuel and burn it, too, assuming the estimated $5000 premium doesn’t compromise your ability to make the payments. This plug-in hybrid makes 400 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of torque and earns a 59-MPGe combined rating from the EPA.
T8 uses the same dual-boost four-cylinder as the T6 but removes the driveshaft connecting the front and rear axles so the central tunnel can accommodate a 9.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. An 80-hp electric motor at the rear returns all-wheel-drive capability, while a smaller electric machine between the transmission and the block starts the engine, captures electricity during braking, and provides additional power during acceleration. A full battery charge should deliver about 20 miles of pure electric driving range. In our hands, the XC90 T8 reported an average of 27 mpg over a 90-mile drive that began with a full battery.
Riding on Air
XC90 offers our first taste of Volvo’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) that will ultimately underpin everything from the next S60 mid-size sedan to a possible flagship sedan above the S80. Development of SPA began in the days of Ford ownership, so it’s not surprising that the XC90 employs a multilink rear suspension with an integral link similar to the designs used in the Ford Fusion and Mustang, the Jaguar XE, and the Land Rover Discovery Sport. Volvo’s design differs in that it uses a single composite leaf spring transversely spanning the two control arms instead of a pair of coil springs.
A Future Full of Four-Cylinders
Volvo’s new Drive-E engine family tops out with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which isn’t much motor when you consider that the XC90 weighs between 4600 and 5200 pounds. To make two liters feel like three and a half, a turbocharger and a supercharger inflate the so-called T6 engine’s peak power and low-end responsiveness for a total output of 316 horsepower and a zero-to-60 run in the low six seconds. Married to a polished eight-speed automatic and standard all-wheel drive, the T6 delivers the no-drama, easygoing authority that you’d expect from a brand that’s more closely aligned with comfort than sport.
The uplevel T8 Twin Engine is the no-compromise upgrade that allows you to have your fuel and burn it, too, assuming the estimated $5000 premium doesn’t compromise your ability to make the payments. This plug-in hybrid makes 400 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of torque and earns a 59-MPGe combined rating from the EPA.
T8 uses the same dual-boost four-cylinder as the T6 but removes the driveshaft connecting the front and rear axles so the central tunnel can accommodate a 9.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. An 80-hp electric motor at the rear returns all-wheel-drive capability, while a smaller electric machine between the transmission and the block starts the engine, captures electricity during braking, and provides additional power during acceleration. A full battery charge should deliver about 20 miles of pure electric driving range. In our hands, the XC90 T8 reported an average of 27 mpg over a 90-mile drive that began with a full battery.
Riding on Air
XC90 offers our first taste of Volvo’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) that will ultimately underpin everything from the next S60 mid-size sedan to a possible flagship sedan above the S80. Development of SPA began in the days of Ford ownership, so it’s not surprising that the XC90 employs a multilink rear suspension with an integral link similar to the designs used in the Ford Fusion and Mustang, the Jaguar XE, and the Land Rover Discovery Sport. Volvo’s design differs in that it uses a single composite leaf spring transversely spanning the two control arms instead of a pair of coil springs.
