2005 Volvo XC90 Review

Specifications

Yamaha Supplies 315-HP 4.4-Liter V8 Powerplant

Volvo has made its plans to integrate a V8 engine into its popular XC90 sport utility vehicle official last month, and in so doing directly targets other premium brands such as BMW, Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz, while also taking on Volkswagens new Touareg SUV which also sports an optional V8.

While 5- and 6-cylinder equipped XC90s enjoy best-selling-in-U.S. status among European SUVs, approximately 30 percent of sport utilities in the premium segment roll off the dealers lot with V8 engines. That statistic bodes well for future XC90 sales.

Being that Volvo doesnt currently offer a V8 engine in any of its new models, and never has in its 77 year history, the automaker has turned to an unlikely partner. Motorcycle (and just about everything else) manufacturer Yamaha has designed, developed and
will produce the engine (see news archives for June 23, 2004: New 4.4-Liter V8 to Power 2005 Volvo XC90 SUV).

“With the V8, we will not rest on our laurels but will build on our success,” says Vic Doolan, president and CEO, Volvo Cars of North America. “Our V8 package is the perfect fusion of performance and safety, versatility and value” he added.

Being a Ford Motor Company subsidiary, why wouldnt Volvo opt for one of its Premier Auto Group (PAG) 32-valve, DOHC V8s? Jaguars 4.2-liter 8-cylinder would be a likely choice, having just recently been optimized to 4.4-liters for use in the new Land Rover LR3.

Volvo has worked hard to separate itself from its sibling Ford brands, and has achieved tremendous sales success in its own right. This may be the only reason it chose to go with the Yamaha power unit, but there may be additional underlying reasons, possibly driven by its Ford owner. After all, the domestically based automaker has enjoyed an engine-supply business with Yamaha for years, starting with the Taurus SHO that appeared in 1988 as a 1989 model, featuring a high-revving V6 when it first entered the market, replaced later in the 1996 model year with a sport-oriented V8.

Volvos Yamaha-built V8 boasts 315 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque, which should prove ample for transporting the seven-occupant SUV quickly. Maximum torque comes on at 3,900 rpm, but more importantly it only needs 2,000 rpm to dole out 273 lb-ft of torque. Its transverse placement is unusual, for sure, as most V8 engines are configured longitudinally. Positioning it sideways allows for excellent packaging. No doubt the engines compact size is another reason Volvo chose it.

While Volvo North America has not announced pricing, the division says the new XC90 AWD V8 will be positioned competitively within the 8-cylinder luxury SUV segment. Whats more, the only directly competitive 7-seat SUVs featuring V8 power are the Lexus GX 470 and Land Rover LR3. With the LR3 in mind, maybe Doolan wasnt considering the U.K. as part of Europe when he stated that, “The Volvo XC90 is the only European V8 with the versatility of seven seats.” Of course, if the U.K. isnt part of Europe, where does that leave the Scandinavian countries?

The Dodge Durango, GMC Envoy XL and Toyota 4Runner also sport V8 engines, but each models position in the market means theyre not direct competitors to the Volvo. Next year the Jeep Commander will offer 7-seat occupancy and premium accommodations while sibling brand Mercedes-Benz will come to market with a V8-powered R-Class (GST) crossover SUV. The next-generation BMW X5 is also expected to spawn an X7 version, the seven designating its size and resulting seating capacity upgrade over the X5.

Directly competitive, Saab will soon be selling its Chevy TrailBlazer-based 9-7X in North America. Its too early to tell if the GM division will be able to sufficiently separate the new model from its truck-based roots, not helped by the fact that its optional V8 engine is an old-tech OHV lump, but the new SUV nevertheless needs to be mentioned.

Doolans next statement was crafted to put a dagger into the heart of disenfranchised Saab owners, when he said, “It is also important that we, Volvo, can launch a V8 without compromising our core values.”

Those core values include premium attributes, such as 4-valve per cylinder and dual-overhead cam technology. Also important to Volvo is environmental concerns. The new 4.4-liter engine meets ULEV II regulations in the U.S. and upcoming Euro 5 exhaust emissions standards in Europe, a feat which no other gasoline V8 has yet to manage - yet another reason for the Yamaha powerplant.

“This is an achievement were really proud of,” says Jörgen Svensson, Chief Program Engineer, “and a good day for the environment. With the proliferation of SUVs, we want to prove that meeting ULEV II with a gasoline V8 could be achieved”.

How did they do it? Together with Yamaha, four catalytic converters were added to the design, two of which are of the Close Coupled Catalyst type, fitted to a single exhaust manifold each. The other two are fixed under the floorboards. Additionally, the engineers tuned the V8 with a higher 1,250 rpm idling speed, while calibrating the ignition for quicker warm-up during cold starts. A leaner air/fuel mixture is also used during warm-up. The end result of all the attention to detail is extremely low emissions in the first 15 to 20 seconds after startup, which is all the time thats needed before the catalytic converters are activated.

“It is during these 15-20 seconds that the majority of the emissions of environmentally harmful substances take place,” explained Svensson.

Adding to the new V8s clean nature while upping performance is continuous variable inlet and exhaust valve timing (CVVT). Like other variable valve timing systems, Volvos CVVT makes adjustments to valve opening times to better suit the engines real time rpm and vehicle loads.

Helping to promote clean, fuel efficiency, is a new 6-speed automatic gearbox. “Our new six-speed automatic transmission promotes driving pleasure with a smooth surge of power, that is subtle but convincing,” added Doolan.

“We get simply massive take-off force with this new auto transmission,” added Svensson. “And at the same time, it has a very sporty nature and does not change up in the middle of a curve, for instance, but instead stays in the same gear until the bend straightens out.”

The new 6-speed features Geartronic, Volvo-speak for shift-it-yourself sequential manual-type actuation. Volvo says that the transmission also allows the possibility for Lock-up, and slipping Lock-up, on all gears.

Highly important among SUV-buyers is all-weather grip, something that hasnt gone unnoticed at Volvo with Doolan commenting, “A sense of control and confidence in any driving condition is essential regardless of geography.” And with this in mind the 2005 XC90 will be the first to incorporate a new technology dubbed Instant Traction. What does it do differently than other all-wheel drive systems? Basically, the Haldex-built system allows virtually no wheelspin at launch resulting in quicker takeoff no matter the road surface conditions.

“A non-return valve allows us to use software to control the base torque that is programmed into the AWD system. When starting off from standstill, 59 lb-ft of torque is pre-charged in the system since the non-return valve prevents the unit from becoming totally drained of hydraulic fluid,” clarified Svensson, adding, “This reduces the usual wheelspin of about one-seventh of a turn that the current system permits before the power is delivered to the rear wheels.”

The new V8 gets a few styling details to separate it from 5- and 6-cylinder XC90s too, including an exclusive graphite-gray colored grille insert, distinctive side mouldings, body-color door handles, special chrome-plated trim around the bumper air intake, twin exhaust pipes, as well as standard 18-inch wheels.

The XC90 V8 is even attractive under the hood, where it gets Volvos trademark “iron” symbol set in relief against brushed aluminum on the inlet manifold, accented by a raised V8 emblem.

“We want there to be no doubt that this is a V8, and a modern and technically advanced V8 at that. We therefore chose not to hide the engine beneath large covers but instead to enhance the V-configuration and the eight inlet pipes,” commented Anders Myrberg, head of engine compartment design at Volvo Cars.

The addition of “V8″ emblems on the rear hatch and front grille will also make it difficult for passersby to mistake the upscale XC90 for anything other than the top model.

The addition of the V8 XC90 should result in an additional 15,000 units per year, according to Volvo, with at least three quarters allocated to North America. Expect to see the new model arriving in Volvo dealerships early in 2005.