Volvo has revealed the first official pictures and details of the new XC90, which is not only one of the most important cars in the firm’s history, but one of the most interesting new models of 2014.
This is because that underneath the striking new bodywork with its ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights and solid, purposeful stance, the XC90 is based on an all-new platform, Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which will eventually underpin the company’s entire range.
The SPA is interesting because it’s modular, allowing Volvo to use it as the basis for a whole range of cars, from coupes to SUVs, and fit a wide range of powertrains, drivetrains, electric systems and technology.
The XC90 will be fitted with a range of new petrol and diesel engines, all of which will be 2.0-litre four-cylinder units. There’ll be a choice of diesels with 185bhp and 220bhp outputs, along with a plug-in hybrid with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine driving the front wheels and an 80bhp electric motor powering the rear axle. In total, the hybrid will produce 395bhp and 472lb-ft of torque.
Inside, the Volvo XC90 will be much more luxurious than before, with a huge iPad-style touchscreen dominating the centre console. The screen will control all of the car’s major functions.
Volvo also claims the car is more spacious than ever, with the rearmost two seats suitable for people up to 170cm (about 5ft 8in) in height.
Where Volvo’s engineers have really been busy, however, is in ensuring the XC90 is as safe as can be. It gets things like automatic braking, pre-crash protection, road-sign recognition, blind spot warning and self-driving in stop-start traffic. And the XC90 will have to be safe if Volvo is to meet its goal of nobody being killed or seriously injured in one of its cars by 2020.
We’ll have to wait until the middle of next year until the new XC90 goes on sale, and although Volvo has yet to reveal any pricing details, we’re expecting the cheapest models to cost upwards of £45k.
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