New Volvo XC90 T8 2024 review: popular plug-in hybrid is better than ever

Verdict

Most of the Volvo XC90’s rivals are newer, but it has a sensible, understated and classy appeal. The XC90’s price tag can rapidly rise if you’re not careful with the trim levels and options, though even the entry-level car has all the kit you could possibly need. As you might expect, it’s not the last word in sportiness, but refreshingly it doesn’t try to be. If you want a premium SUV that offers the flexibility of seven seats and a plug-in hybrid powertrain with useful - if not world-beating range, the Volvo XC90 remains an excellent choice almost a decade on. 

Still in just its second generation more than 20 years on from the original’s launch, the Volvo XC90 has become something of an institution for its maker. The flagship of the brand (at least for the combustion-engined side, now that the EX90 EV has arrived), the XC90’s seven-seat practicality, refinement, build quality and above all, safety, all help give it a different appeal to the likes of its BMW X5, Audi Q7 and Mercedes GLE rivals.

This year marks the most significant update for the second-generation XC90 since its launch in 2015. Volvo likes to drip-feed tweaks to its cars rather than give them full-blown mid-life refreshes, so the sizeable changes to the exterior, plus revised suspension, new interior and fresh technology feel quite drastic. 

The timing for these changes is certainly interesting. As mentioned, Volvo now has the all-electric EX90, and while it’s a similar size and offers seven seats (a rarity in the electric SUV genre), that car currently costs from a smidge under £100,000. The XC90 starts from £63,790 in mild-hybrid guise, or from £72,650 as a plug-in hybrid. With the price disparity in mind, Volvo says the two cars should attract different buyers, and the XC90 will continue as long as there is demand. Given that it’s still the third biggest-selling Volvo globally, that could be some time. 

So what’s actually changed on the new XC90? Well, let’s start off with what you can see. There’s a new front-end look with a fresh interpretation of Volvo’s now-ubiquitous ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED headlights, a reshaped front bumper and a new grille insert – which might appear on other internal-combustion engined Volvos in the future. The rear gets only small changes to the bumper and darker rear lights, but overall the car remains pretty recognisable. 

The interior showcases some new designs on the dashboard, doors and centre console, but the biggest change is the new infotainment screen. It’s an 11.2-inch screen (rather than the 14.5-inch display from the EX90) but it still gets Volvo’s latest software. Thankfully, the touchscreen is easier to navigate than before and looks better too, with a 21 per cent increase in pixel count. Functions such as maps, media, phone and apps are better laid out on the home screen with fewer taps between menus.

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The XC90’s cabin remains a simply lovely place to spend time, and in its own way it feels different to its German rivals. We counted five different materials on the dash alone, which would typically give a cluttered, messy feel. But the interior design team at Volvo has managed to combine them seamlessly. The outgoing car’s interior aged gracefully, so only slight tweaks to the air vents and centre console were needed to keep the XC90 feeling classy inside. 

Volvo has improved build quality on the new XC90, too. One example of this is the revised centre console, and the sliding lid for the cup holders. Before, you’d have found some unsightly gaps in the shutter, but now they’re flush. Small tweaks like this give you a sense of the detail Volvo has delved into to ensure its combustion-engined flagship feels fresh all these years after its launch.

Practicality remains an excellent facet of the XC90. It’s a true seven-seater in the sense that those third-row seats aren’t just for kids; tall adults can be accommodated back there for reasonably long journeys. Typically in seven-seat SUVs you’ll find the middle row seats turn into flat benches in order to slide back and forth, but the XC90’s seats feel wonderfully comfortable, wherever you’re sitting. 

Boot space stands at 640 litres in the plug-in hybrid and 680 litres in the mild-hybrid (with the third row down) – and even with all seven seats up, you still get a usable, supermini-sized, 302 litres back there. The seats fold flat as well, meaning you can slide heavy items right up to the back of the front seats without much issue. 

We’re testing the T8 plug-in hybrid in range-topping Ultra trim. It closes the gap to the EX90 significantly (it’s priced from £84,150), but you do get some rather swish touches. There’s a head-up display, ventilated and perforated Nappa leather seats with a built-in massage function, 21-inch wheels and a magnificent Bowers & Wilkins sound system. 

The mid-spec Plus lowers the PHEV’s price by a sizeable £6,500 and is pretty well equipped, but we think the entry-level Core will be enough for most. As standard you get four-zone climate control, a reversing camera, those excellent Volvo-developed seats in Nordico upholstery, and 20-inch wheels. The heated front and middle-row seats along with the heated steering wheel deserve a mention too, because they’re designed to work in the Arctic circle and get up to temperature incredibly quickly. 

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One option we would choose (which comes as standard on Plus trim and above) is the air suspension with adaptive dampers. Our car rode on massive 22-inch wheels, yet it still managed a serene ride that compares well with any of the XC90’s rivals. The standard suspension set-up is still pretty good though, so whichever XC90 you choose, you’ll be able to waft along comfortably. Overall levels of refinement are excellent, with very little wind or road noise – despite our car’s winter tyres. 

The Volvo isn’t the last word in driving engagement – an X5 is far more planted – but the XC90 doesn’t feel lost when it encounters a corner. There’s stability and a sense of connection from the steering that is reassuring at least. In almost a statement against sporty driving, there are just two driving modes, ‘on road’ or ‘off road’, and the steering has two levels of weight to it, with the heavier weight our pick; the lighter option has an almost disconcerting lack of feel that is at odds with the XC90’s size. 

The plug-in hybrid system remains the same as before. A 306bhp petrol engine is paired with a 143bhp electric motor for a total of 448bhp. It’ll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, although the XC90 never feels that rapid in a straight line. Volvo’s integration of the plug-in hybrid system is very smooth. When required, the transition from electric power to a combination of the e-motor and petrol engine is pretty imperceptible – both in noise and power delivery. The eight-speed automatic transmission generally works well in day-to-day driving, but it can feel a little sluggish if a quick downchange is required.

We’d have hoped to see some advances in battery tech, because the XC90’s relaxed demeanour feels extremely well-suited to pure-electric power. Yet the electric range for the plug-in hybrid is unchanged; 44 miles of battery-only running isn’t the best you’ll see from a large SUV these days – and some rivals (like the BMW) offer the added refinement of a six-cylinder petrol engine. Volvo’s claimed 235mpg efficiency figure is a tad ambitious and requires a lot of EV-only running; in everyday use, you’re more likely to see the 55.3mpg we managed during our test drive. 

During our test we also drove the B5 – another 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, here mated with a mild-hybrid system for 247bhp and 360Nm of torque. It’s quick enough (0-62mph takes 7.7 seconds), but it isn’t as refined, and the 33.2mpg fuel economy figure shows the MHEV is significantly thirstier. Emissions are worlds apart for the two powertrains and well worth note for company car buyers – 30g/km for the PHEV and 193g/km for the mild-hybrid.