When fuel economy meets a large size SUV. I have long been a fan of Volvo as one of the most safest and reliable vehicles on the road.
Deceptively large, it seats 6, not including the driver; yet handles itself with the agility of a compact. The XC90 has amazing fuel economy, despite having to haul all its body. After the electric battery quickly depletes and the over 100km with it, you are left with over 400km in gas. However, I found myself situated at 360km for days, as the vehicle self charges. The battery continues to read 0%, however the results speaks for itself.
Within, there are several iconic features that sets the 2026 Volvo XC90 apart from other large SUVs in this segment. I liked the sophisticated tan motif mixed with dark and light grey across the dash. And the glossy black mirror and window buttons situated on the door. I thought the little joystick meant to adjust either of the side mirrors playful, like bubble letters.
Instead of a button push start, there is a little dial to twist the engine on and off. Practical, but it felt empty. A slight gesture to turn on the engine of such a big machine, making it feel trivial.
Whereas the crystal gearshift did the opposite with its ergonomic slant. It is easy to grip and push forward to reverse and backwards to drive.
The Infotainment system resembles a giant iPad, positioned vertically, whereas majority of other designs has the touch screen set horizontal. I liked the look, but did not find it intuitive to sync for apple devices. There was a bit of a delay in doing it the first time, and I never figured out how to do it wirelessly, relying on a cable to connect.
And lastly the Bowers & Wilkins speaker located right by the windshield was positioned centrally for ideal range. A round speaker and bar. B & W is Britain’s leading manufacturer of high performance speakers and headphones.
As for the way it drives, smooth and nibble like like a sedan, as if it glides on the road. Everything is fairly touch responsive, especially the pedals. There is a bit of a learning curve as I came from a car where I had to put my foot down a lot harder. With the XC90, a touch had my back glued to the seat as the car rushed forward.
You also have the option to have it not roll. Where, removing your foot leaves the car at a standstill and needing to rely on precision handling on the driver’s part.
