Price: £45,750
Top speed: 137mph
0-62mph: 7.4 seconds
MPG: 49.6
The date 1959 is stamped into the metal tongue of every seatbelt on the new Volvo XC90. It’s the year Volvo invented the device and, in an act of almost unheard-of corporate altruism, left the patent open so other manufacturers could fit seatbelts in their cars. The Swedish firm should be in the running for a Nobel peace prize for the uncountable road deaths that single act has averted.
Safety is always top of the list at Volvo. The company has stated that no one will die in any of its cars by 2020 – and that’s not all that far away. But if the all-new XC90 is anything to go by, Volvo is on target to succeed. The luxurious SUV is bristling with the sort of hyper-aware safety kit that makes you think it must have ESP, and it’s all encased in a virtually uncrushable shark cage of passive protection. Sit in the glossy new car and it beeps and twitches around you – its cameras tracking and reacting to events you aren’t even aware of. You’ll be surprised to see its front end isn’t actually a big wet nose with long, twitching whiskers.
I drove it to Brittany at the end of the summer packed to the gunnels with kids and kit. We drove almost 1,500 miles and I spent 33 hours and 12 minutes at the wheel (I love those trip computers). As I basked in the car’s incredible comfort, my smugness score was off the chart knowing I was also pretty much immortal that week. Sadly Volvo hasn’t yet turned its attention to dentistry and with my first bite of breakfast baguette one of my teeth fell out leaving me needing a new crown.
The XC90 is the Volvo Mothership. It’s adored by school-run mums across the country. They’ll be pleased to hear this seven-seater has plenty of room in all three rows. The second set of seats flip forward simply, and it’s incredibly easy to jump in and out.
This is the first car built by Volvo under its new Chinese owners, Geely. It’s only available as a two-litre, four-cylinder engine, in either diesel (225hp D5) or petrol (320hp T6). The diesel I tested was very economical for such a big car. When cruising it was smooth and silent, but to get you going you do need a fairly heavy foot and there was often an irritating delay as you waited for the power to arrive.
Inside, you’ll find a serene, light-filled cabin. It’s all brilliantly put together and exudes a sense of enduring quality. Owners 10 and 15 years down the road will enjoy the luxury detailing as much as the lucky first buyer. The crowning glory is the tablet control system, labelled Sensus. It looks like a regular iPad except placed on its side. It’s incredibly intuitive, and you can control everything with a swipe of your fingers. I loved its 360-degree reversing camera. Part camera, part computer game, it gave you a perfect bird’s-eye view to help you slip this big beast into the tightest of spots with barely a whimper.
Playing safe is rarely sexy, but Volvo’s XC90 is definitely one streetwise good-ass mother lover.
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter at @MartinLove166
