2007 Volvo XC90 Review

Specifications

Further Refinement for a Thoroughly Refined Luxury SUV

In 2003, the Volvo XC90 took the premium SUV market by storm. Prior to its launch, few thought that such an unconventional SUV from a brand that had never built an SUV before would cut the mustard, especially against the stiff competition of BMWs X5 and Mercs ML. But to the surprise of many, it sold like hotcakes, quickly becoming and holding the title of North Americas most popular European SUV. To date, North Americans have gobbled up an excessive number of XC90s, and to ensure that they continue to do so, Volvo will be unveiling its first major update.

In much the same way that Volvo modernized the S60, V70 and XC70 in 2005, Swedens biggest carmaker has done the same to its seven-seater XC90 SUV.
This 2007 model-year XC90 features one of the mildest facelifts ever attempted on any vehicle getting a mid-cycle upgrade. While there are new bi-xenon headlamps that swivel up to 15 degrees to illuminate around corners, the changes are near-impossible to spot. Much the same goes for the tail lights, which have a slightly different illumination pattern, and the bumpers which feature slightly different intakes and vents. Oh, and, of course, we cant forget the chromier grille, body-colored exterior trim and door handles, the mirror-mounted turn signal indicators, or the two new body colors and new alloy wheel designs. In fact, out of all the new changes made, the new will most likely be differentiated from the old by the BLIS (Blind spot Information System) cameras, which are those teardrop-like shapes at the bottom of the side mirrors. This optional system uses a digital still camera to monitor the cars blindspots, and illuminates a warning light when an object or automobile enters the blind spot field.

Its hard to think of a more ergonomically sound cabin than the XC90s, so, unsurprisingly, Volvo left well enough alone. Instead, what theyve done is made it more luxurious in order to pose a greater threat to its immediate competition, the Land Rover LR3, Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz ML-Class. Now features such as new richer leather upholstery, aluminum accents and wood trim of improved quality can be found, plus tasteful side sills, and new gauges that are metal-faced, inspired by the faces of watches (and the S60/V70R). But its not all better materials that make the new XC90 a more pleasant place to be, but rather its also the way that Volvo paid attention to such details as the door-pulls which feature a combination of aluminum and soft-touch plastics.

A big part of the interior upgrades also include display and software updates on cars equipped with the multi-function LCD display system, and as with other Volvos, the XC90 uses a thin-format LCD display, which slides vertically out of the dashboard. On the 2007 XC90, new more attractive graphics have been used on the interface menus, and the DVD navigation system has been improved for quicker searches when planning routes.

While Premium sound systems of the XC90s past were digitally processed by Dolbys Pro-Logic II system, the new models sound system is accompanied by a powerful Alpine amplifier, high-quality Dynaudio loudspeakers and an auxiliary plug for MP3 players. If specified, the XC90 can also be had with headrest-mounted LCD screens to display movies, or for playing video games. The finishing touch on the new XC90 is an optional wide-angle rear-view camera which works hand-in-hand with the cars rear parking sensors.

“The changes we have made to the new Volvo XC90 can be regarded as precision tuning designed to increase the vehicles appeal further,” says XC90 project director, Hans Wikman. “We are aiming at a highly discerning group of buyers and we want to give them an even better premium experience.”

But the biggest news regarding this modest update is what can be found under the hood. Over the past year, Volvo switched around the powertrain palette aplenty, adding and dropping engines at the top of the range. The twin-turbocharged inline-six used in the old T6 flagship model was retired due to its age and inability to meet increasingly strict emissions requirements. During the summer of that year, Volvo introduced its first V8 motor, which it developed in collaboration with Japanese engine manufacturer (and everything else manufacturer) Yamaha. Not only does the engine generate 315-horsepower, its also one of the cleanest engines featured in any SUV, V8 or otherwise. For 2007, the spotlight moves to the entry-level model which receives Volvos new 3.2-liter inline-six engine, the successor to the aging 208-hp 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five.

Although the new I-6 engine made its world debut in the all-new second-generation Volvo S80, it will arrive on the market first with the XC90. Generating 235-horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque, it utilizes the latest in engine management technology, including continuously variable valve timing, variable camshaft profiling and a variable intake manifold. Volvo claims that the move to the bigger, naturally aspirated engine has no penalty on fuel consumption, a testament to these advancements. To keep the engines size small, the timing chain, power steering pump and other vital components have been moved to the back of the engine, allowing greater space for crumple zones. With the adoption of the balanced I-6 layout and a new six-speed automatic gearbox Volvo claims that the drivetrain smoothness is greatly improved.

The 2007 Volvo XC70 will make its world debut at this years New York International Auto Show, just around the corner. Although its a mild update, it will carry the current design over until 2009, at which point the current XC90 will have reached the end of its life cycle. In the mean time, the updated XC90 will arrive in dealerships this summer; pricing will be announced closer to its launch.