Volvo XC90 Line-Up Keeps Hybrid Futures Safe

A few years after big, bold EV announcements, Volvo’s latest SUV shows there’s still life in ICE tech.

November 19, 2024

Lawrence Ulrich

The new Volvo XC90 SUV will offer three hybrid powertrains, including a PHEV. (Volvo)

Two years ago in Stockholm, Volvo staged a splashy unveiling of its electric EX90 SUV, and boldly claimed it would ditch gasoline cars entirely by 2030. Here in Gothenburg, Volvo boldly claimed the right to change its mind.

With EV sales growth stalling, Volvo billed its revised story as “A Tale of Two Flagships,” the EX90 standing alongside a refreshed 2025 XC90 hybrid SUV that will decidedly burn gasoline for years to come. Press materials were replete with references to a “balanced portfolio” of EVs and hybrids to satisfy buyers.

The strongly horizontal dashboard in the new Volvo XC90 SUV is accented with vertical vents and has decorative panels made from recycled materials. (Volvo)

Volvo CEO Jim Rowan acknowledged the company must take a “pragmatic” approach to headwinds blunting EV adoption in America, from still-shaky charging infrastructure to 100% tariffs that have upended plans to import its China-built EX30.

The Swedish automaker, owned by China’s Geely, clearly needs the XC90 – the SUV that kicked off Volvo’s modern era and ethos – to keep doing what it’s been doing since 2002. To that end, this 2025-1/2 model, which will initially be sold alongside an existing version, will offer three hybrid powertrains: two mild, one PHEV. The renamed plug-in XC90 T8 eAWD delivers up to 33 miles (53 km) of electric range, via an 18.8 kWh battery that lets the Volvo run entirely through its electrified rear axle. Accessing those electric miles is easy: an electric “Pure” mode can be summoned with a few screen taps, rather than being buried deep in vexing menus.

This reliably handsome SUV looks better with a new hood, air inlets and front bumper. A new grille features robust ribbing in a diagonal design. T-shaped “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlamps are slimmed down and lengthened. The rear end gets its own new bumper and power tailgate with smoother surfacing, framed by strikingly geometric LED taillamps. Strategically placed sound insulation reduces wind and road noise.

Interior: new cup holders, recycled fabric

The interior of the new Volvo XC90 SUV uses an 11.3-inch (29-cm) screen with better resolution than previous models. (Volvo)

Bigger changes come inside, including a strongly horizontal dashboard, vertical vents and decorative panels in recycled materials. A roomier center console integrates a 15-watt phone charging pad ahead of a shift lever for the eight-speed automatic. New “2 plus 1” front cupholders include a smaller size to keep skinny beverages from rattling around. For this six- or seven-passenger SUV, tasteful treatments include low-gloss wood trims, snazzy wool upholstery on doors and seats, or “Nordica,” a leather-esque fabric whose sources include recycled timber waste from Scandinavian forests. Buyers can choose real nappa leather on uplevel versions. But thumbs down to “navy herringbone weave,” a 100-percent recycled polyester fabric whose texture feels like something from a cheap rental, not an SUV that starts from $59,745 and can top $85,000 in loaded Ultra guise. Three audio systems peak with a Bowers & Wilkins unit with 19 speakers and 1,410 watts.

The glass roof of the new Volvo XC90 SUV. (Volvo)

A “freestanding” portrait-oriented center screen grows larger at 11.3 inches (29 cm), with noticeably sharper resolution and faster touch response. It integrates the Android-based infotainment system from the EX30 and EX90, with “Google Built In” features such as Maps, voice Assistant and Play Store. Volvo promises OTA updates will bring this latest system to anyone with an Android-based Volvo, with no change in functionality despite their smaller 9.0-inch display screens.

The XC90 is replete with safety and ADAS features. Cameras and radar help steer the car on highways through Pilot Assist; avoid collisions with oncoming vehicles, including when turning at intersections; and perform lane-keeping and blind-spot duties. Along with automated emergency braking for vehicles, the Volvo can halt or steer to avoid striking pedestrians, cyclists, scooters, motorcycles or large animals crossing a road, including Sweden’s mighty moose.

Under the hood

Volvo has kept its simplified design language going in the new Volvo XC90 SUV. (Volvo)

The T8 version flexes a muscular 455 hp between a 2.0-L turbo four and a permanent magnet electric motor. That’s good for 0-to-60 mph (97 km/h) in well under five seconds, with about 530 miles (853 km) of total range.

A 6.4-kilowatt onboard charger should refill the small, 400-volt, three-layer battery in roughly five hours on a conventional household outlet. The Volvo is equipped with a CCS connector for even faster Level 2 charging when needed. But, as with other PHEVs, if owners don’t faithfully plug in, the XC90 essentially becomes a full-time ICE model with worse fuel economy. Clearly braced for pushback following its EV about-face, Volvo executives and engineers claimed current PHEV owners drive about 50 percent of their miles on electricity alone, based on onboard data collection.

Mild-hybrid XC90s pair their turbo fours with a 48-volt integrated starter-generator that can regenerate braking energy and perform stop/start duties. A B5 model manages 250 hp and 0-60 mph in 7.1 seconds, or a speedier 6.3 seconds for a 300-horsepower B6. The B5’s engine now adds the efficient Miller cycle, boosting its EPA combined fuel economy from 24 to 26 mpg (9.8 to 9 L/100 km). Available Frequency Selective Dampers, a tech sourced from Koni, vary force along a piston’s travel for a wider range of real-time resistance. An optional height-adjustable air suspension includes active dampers.

Volvo’s dream of selling nothing but pure EVs by 2030 may seem quixotic in hindsight. Yet the automaker is keeping its ambitious goals. The company now intends to have EVs and PHEVs make up 90% of global sales by 2030. This time, company executives added a big, fat asterisk: Consumers and market conditions will ultimately decide the timeline for its transition to electricity.