T6 First Edition 4dr All-Wheel Drive
2016 Volvo XC90

When I arrived at the Mediterranean-facing hotel near Tarragona, Spain, that would serve as HQ for the launch of the 2016 Volvo XC90, a huge staff of company executives, experts and engineers was on hand to greet me. Lined up in front of the hotel lobby like the reception line at a Nordic wedding, the delegation from Gothenburg seemed tensed to pounce on me and the line of fellow journalists filtering in the doors. Were it not for professionalism and the calm restraint that typifies the Swedish demeanor, I believe I would have been shown to a car and hurried out on a test drive before my carry-on bag could even cross the threshold. Clearly, this is a vehicle that Volvo has been waiting to launch for a very long time. It's no wonder that the minds behind the creation and launch of the SUV are pent up; the first generation of the XC90 was inaugurated in 2002 and carried on all the way through the 2014 model year. Thirteen years and 636,000 global units sold later, this 2016 model represents not only a long-overdue successor, but also the first in a line of ground-up-new vehicles that will see Volvo's showrooms completely refreshed in the coming half decade. More importantly, after driving the thing over hundreds of kilometers of Spanish mountain roads and autovías, I found that time taken to bring the XC90 to market was well spent. Not only does the SUV hew closely to the sensible values that have made the best Volvos of the past great vehicles, but it might just be the hottest thing going in the three-row luxury segment today. Volvo's commitment to thoughtful design, both inside and outside of the XC90, is evident even at a casual glance. The exterior reads as solid and fairly simple relative to modern body panel surfacing, but still playfully evokes some of the wagon shapes that made the company famous. The upright stance and slightly squared front and rear may not quite be as bluff as a 240 wagon, but I still see evidence of that heritage alive in this design. Of course, the very large wheels (21-inchers were optioned on my T6 Inscription model) and a long, wide stance do bring the design up to the minute, as does the weighty grille work and excellent lighting elements. Those tall and curving rear light clusters could have been culled directly from a concept car a few years ago, and the Thor's hammer-shaped front LEDs mix a modern graphic with a sense of play. #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-957311{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-957311, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-957311{width:100%;display:block;} Similar elements of impishness can be seen by studying the XC90's well-crafted cabin (have a look at the video above to see me highlight a few in-car Easter eggs), though the company has mostly canned the quirkiness in favor of a true luxury effect. The stoic all-black cabin of my test car helps to play down lighthearted choices like the square center of the round steering wheel and the miniature …
Full Review