May debut for Volvo XC90 in Oz

Larger, better equipped, more fuel-efficient, safer and smarter, the all-new Volvo XC90 will hit Australian Volvo showrooms in May 2015.

Not withstanding the global online release of just under 2000 First Edition XCs, that’s the timetable Volvo Cars Australia (VCA) is working on. In the meantime, the company has limited stock of the outgoing model and expects to be sold out by year end.

The sale of the last of the first-gen XC90s will mark the end of an almost unprecedented model lifespan. The XC90 first debuted in 2002 and went on sale Down Under a year later. Since then it has found homes in more than 14,800 Australian driveways.

Representing more than 25 per cent of the Swedish brand’s local volume in recent years, it’s not overstating the fact the new XC90 is a make or break car for Volvo Down Under.

The same goes internationally — not least of all because the second generation car will seek to move the vehicle itself and Volvo as a brand upmarket.

The new XC90’s wheelbase of 2984mm is a hefty 127mm stretch over the outgoing model and significantly longer than key competitors such as BMW’s X5 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class.

At 1775mm the new Volvo is lower than its predecessor (1784mm) and the Benz, but taller than the BMW. It’s also wider than all three (over 70mm more than the car it replaces) and has the widest front and rear tracks of the above mentioned comparative set.

Make no mistake, this is a B-I-G SUV…

Yet it is also lighter. The new XC90 loses around 125kg compared to the car it replaces despite significant equipment additions — even at base grade. Up to 40 per cent of the new body in white is hot-formed ultra high strength boron steel. This, says Volvo, is five times the proportion used in the original XC90.

The new XC90 debuts a whole new styling language for the brand inside and out and introduces a significant step forward in driver-machine interface and connectivity.

As is Volvo’s DNA, the new flagship will also pioneer new active safety features including a system that brakes the car if it senses that its driver is going to cause a collision by turning across moving traffic.

Other firsts in the car include a system via which the driver can instruct the adaptive cruise control to not only sense the pace of the cars ahead and adjust, but to also stay within the posted speed limits as they change up and down. The new XC90 can even prompt and then schedule service appointments via cloud-based apps.

The new range boasts a choice of turbocharged diesel, turbocharged petrol and turbo-and-supercharged petrol drivetrains — the latter coupled with a plug-in hybrid system that develops a combine output of around 300kW and 640Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 6.4 seconds, yet delivers 40km of EV range and CO2 emissions in the 60g/km range in EU testing.

Volvo will label the turbo-diesel engine variants D4 and D5 to indicate power ranges, with the petrol engines badged T5, T6 and T8 ‘Twin Engine’. The latter two petrol mills feature Volvo’s new ‘twin-charged’ engine schema, with the T8 being the much vaunted plug-in hybrid flagship.

The D4 and D5 are rated at 165kW/470Nm and 145kW/400Nm respectively. The petrol T6 pumps out 236kW and 400Nm, with the entry-level turbocharged T5 rated at 190kW and 350 Nm. (All kW stats are approximate — Volvo quotes power in hp)

Lumped under the Drive-E banner, the new engines are all under-square (longer stroke than bore) and matched with eight-speed automatic transmissions.

All XC90s coming Down Under are at this stage expected to be all-wheel drive, however, a front-drive only model could be added to the local line-up as a price-leading entry-level option.

Petrol and turbo-diesel models feature a Haldex on-demand all-wheel drive system, while the T8 PHEV gets virtual AWD with power to the rear axle being provided by a 60kW electric motor.

Packaging is again a key USP of the vehicle, with all Aussie models getting seven seats (a China-only four-place limousine XC is planned) and particular attention paid to maximising interior space. Volvo says the third row is comfortable for occupants of up to 170cm in height.

All seats are individual with the three-piece second row sliding and reclining and the two third row positions centralised to provide better sight lines for passengers.

All seven seats get seatbelt pretensioners, with the second row boasting height adjustability for outboard occupants’ belts, as well as load-limiters as per the front positions.

Volvo claims the new XC90 is the only plug-in hybrid SUV that retains its seven-seat configuration.

With significant specification choices still to be finalised, with the exception of the $120,000 drive-way First Edition, VCA is being tight lipped on pricing. One thing’s almost for certain, however — the new XC90 will be the most expensive range Volvo has ever sold Down Under.

VCA boss Matt Braid is already on record stating the new car will move up in price — closer to high-spec examples of models like the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class.

Speaking to motoring.com.au in June, Braid stated: "It will be a different price offering.

"The current XC90 still does very well in that segment considering it's 11 years old. [But] The new car will be priced higher than the outgoing model without doubt.

"It will be higher specced than the outgoing model so it does place us very much back into the luxury SUV segment," he stated.