[toggle title_open=”Car specifications” title_closed=”Car specifications” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Price: $89,990
Engine: 2.4 litre five-cylinder turbo, 147kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel economy: 6.3 litres/100km
Emissions: 219g/km
Equipment: Bluetooth, premium sound, water repellant side glass
Safety: Five-star ANCAP crash rating
Factory warranty: Three year/100,000km[/toggle]
Gosh, has it been that long? The Volvo XC90 was first shown at the 2002 Detroit Motor Show and it’s still doing quite nicely in its second decade, with only one important facelift to keep it in shape. A second generation XC90 is said to be going into production late in 2014. For now the D5 R-Design is the sportiest of the diesel engined XC90s. Although its 0-100km/h run takes 10.5 seconds, the 420Nm of torque anywhere from 1900rpm to 2800rpm gives an ability to quickly get out of its own way, or out of the way of others, especially when the sports sequential-shift on the Aisin six speed adaptive autobox is called to action. Compared to the other XCs, and indeed many of its rivals, this wagon’s a big and heavy fellow. Fold the seats down and the cargo area looks like a ute’s, but with high quality carpet instead of a tray liner. At a shade under 4800mm long, it’s also ute sized and weighs as much. Meanwhile, the steering is heavy and the engine is noisier and harsher than some more-recent rivals. On the other hand, it’s a generous and engaging load carrier and a third row of seats lurks somewhere beneath the rear floor until needed. The XC90 imparts a feeling of driving a milled-from-a-giant-block-of-steel strength. Solidity and safety are hallmarks and not for nothing did the American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety once award the XC90 a Top Safety Pick citation. It was the XC90 that had the industry’s first Roll Stability Control, pioneering a device that, in one form or other, is now standard in just about everything. It’s a tribute the stylists that the Scandinavian SUV still looks good. Inside, the fit, finish and ambience are superb.
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Good features
XC90, dressed sportily, bears its age well
Not so good
The fact that it has age to bear well
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[box type=”tick” size=”large” style=”rounded”]Rating 7/10[/box]