In response to customer demand, Volvo Car Corporation is expanding the XC90 range with a new variant – the Volvo XC90 Sport. “We have had numerous requests for a sportier XC90,” says Karin Falk, head of Special Vehicles at Volvo Cars. “They are from customers who appreciate the versatility and comfort of an SUV but who also want a bit more driving pleasure. We have developed the Volvo XC90 Sport especially for them, with a dynamic sport chassis, stiffer anti-roll bars, firmer shock absorbers, a sport-tuned, speed-dependent steering system, and larger, 19″ wheels,” she continues.
Sporty driving characteristics with a stiffened chassis
The Volvo XC90 Sport is not only sporty in aesthetic terms. The chassis characteristics have been refined to increase genuine driving pleasure. Both the shock absorbers and the anti-roll bars have been made stiffer to offer a high level of stability when cornering. The steering has also been adapted to offer quick steering response. Furthermore, Volvo’s self-levelling system, Nivomat, is standard in both the five and seven seat models. The system has been fine-tuned to offer great stability and driving control.
“We dare to promise a truly enjoyable experience behind the wheel of a Volvo XC90 Sport,” says Karin Falk. “The driving characteristics are of a calibre that few thought were possible in a Volvo SUV. And we have not had to compromise on riding comfort. We have succeeded in finding a balance between driving stability and the capacity to absorb unevenness in the road.”
Distinctive and sporty exterior
The Volvo XC90 Sport will be launched with a colour that is unique for this XC90 variant, Passion Red, plus double chromed exhaust pipes and larger 19″ alloy wheels – available in silver bright or diamond cut with contrasting effect. Wheel arch extenders in the body’s colour help emphasize the large wheels particularly clearly.
Details and trim will have a satin silver finish rather than the standard chrome, and the lower skid plate is also in satin silver. The unique sill mouldings are in brushed stainless steel. To accentuate the car’s sporty nature and create a sleeker appearance, it is not fitted with roof rails – although they will be available as an option for those customers who need them.
Sport décor and upholstery
The interior design is customized with a more sporty character with a sport steering wheel and gear selector of perforated leather plus sports seats with additional lateral cushioning to support the driver, even in faster cornering.
The leather in the seats is a combination of two different grades of leather which provide a sporty, exclusive feel. The décor piping in different colour shades also enhances the impression.
The instrument dials have metal chronograph watch-style faces with a shimmering blue lustre. The sport carpets with crème-coloured décor piping complete the picture of a sporty interior with an exciting hi-tech feel.
V8 and 3.2-litre six-cylinder gasoline engines, or D5 five-cylinder turbodiesel
The range of engines for the Volvo XC90 Sport includes Volvo’s V8 (315 hp) and its new 3.2-litre six-cylinder gasoline engines, plus the latest generation D5 (185 hp) turbodiesel. All three are very powerful and energy-efficient engines that contribute to the sporty driving experience. The engines are extremely compact and are transversely mounted in the engine bay for the best possible safety and a spacious cabin.
07/12, 10:04 AM
posted by:
Mike
:wooooooosh:
that is the sound of 99.99999% of consumers passing by this vehicle.
I had a family member who was looking for an SUV earlier this year and was talking to me about it. they had been looking for 6 months and thought they had test driven everything. I mentioned this, and they said “Volvo makes an SUV? Why?”
07/12, 10:05 AM
posted by:
Mike
forgot to add….. I love the V8, though.
07/12, 10:12 AM
posted by:
Renton
The V8 from Yamaha is a fantastic motor, just like every other thing Yamaha makes. The rest of the car is garden variety Volvo. Which is boring and comes up short against the superior BMW X5 and VW Touareg.
It is obvious that Volvo has styled the XC90 like the X5. Who would seriously plunk down their hard eaned cash money on this SUV over an X5? Drive them both back to back, no comparison.
07/12, 10:30 AM
posted by:
JD
I’m a fan.
07/12, 10:35 AM
posted by:
Mike Rundle
The only decent looking XC90 out there is that black one they buried somewhere in that wooden crate. That thing has blacked out 20s on it….. yum.
07/12, 10:36 AM
posted by:
Thing2
I hear you get a free pair of “Mom pants” when you test drive them…
07/12, 11:27 AM
posted by:
Car Guy
Yawn….
07/12, 11:30 AM
posted by:
Ed
The XC90 is actually a pretty decent SUV if you have a family. The third row option also adds a sliding middle section to the second row that would allow a parent to place a baby seat within reach of the front occupants. Plus it drives very nicely as well. It may not be as exciting as an X5 but truthfully, very few vehicles out there have the dynamics of a BMW so pretty much most SUVs appear boring next to it.
07/12, 11:58 AM
posted by:
Renton
#8 — Ed, if only it did not cost so much. It is priced within a few thousand of the X5, and indentical or more than the Toureg V8.
The Volvo is just overpriced, not for its luxury, but for its chassis and dynamics. The educated consumer can do better. It is decent as you say, but in the $50K SUV market, decent is not good enough.
07/12, 12:13 PM
posted by:
Ed
Yeah, I agree with the pricing issue. My wife test drove one while her S60 T5 was in for service and thought it was pretty nice but they wanted something like $40K for a base model with an option or two, that’s just crazy.
07/12, 12:59 PM
posted by:
GMrules
I just left one of these in the toilet after breakfast.
You’d be much better off with a superior GM offering.
Volvo’s are lot-rot foriegn garbage for idiots
07/12, 1:02 PM
posted by:
FXDriver
The main reason to consider the XC90 is the third row seats. Many families with 1 or 2 kids do not want to drive a shortbus (oops I mean Tahoe) when they only need the extra seats occasionaly for their kids friends. So assuming you want to drive something nicer than a Pilot, there’s the XC90, MDX, LR3 or the R-class. Among these, the Volvo is the only one with some style and speed. Comparing any of these to an X5 (or even my FX35) is a moot point when you are focusing on that little third row, which so many families like and use.
07/12, 4:57 PM
posted by:
Renton
The third row seat in most of these cars is a pathetic joke. Much like the rearward seats of the Vista Cruisers of my childhood.
Just b/c the manufacturers place seat back there, it does not mean it is actually useable by anyone over the age of 6.
07/12, 5:14 PM
posted by:
Wickedated
BOOORING
07/12, 10:03 PM
posted by:
FXDriver
Renton – Your rant would have been true last year, but the LR3 and R-class both have roomy 3rd row seats with great headroom. The XC90’s is not bad. The jokes are the Pilot, and especially the Highlander, which threw in a tiny seat just to say they have it.
07/12, 10:17 PM
posted by:
Renton
FXDriver — OK. The R-Class is out of the comparison though. That is not an SUV.
Some designers call the R-Class an LRV or a Long Roofed Vehicle. For lack of better wording, it is a HEM (a High End Minivan). Cool concept, I can’t wait to see BMW’s version, the V-series.
My cousin has a Suburban, and as big as that muthafukka is, I do not want to be in the third row.
07/13, 1:14 AM
posted by:
Patrick
pretty neat, its good to see a somewhat cool XC90, since the standard v8 model is still pretty uptight. let’s just say i’d drive it if someone gave it to me but i’d spend my $40,000 elsewhere.
07/13, 5:05 AM
posted by:
Donfuy
Looks pretty nice to me.
07/13, 8:41 AM
posted by:
Thing2
The LR3 is far superior to the Volvo, FDXdriver. Can the XC90 navigate the Artic? No. Can it fit 95th percentile adults in the third row? No. Do you get conceirge service for owning one? No. Do you get all of the above with an LR3? Definitely.
07/13, 5:52 PM
posted by:
Ryan
Whether or not anyone likes the XC90 (i dont), this sport package was a quick, much needed upgrade in todays market. Would’ve been better if they tuned it to 380 or 400 hp and made it the XC90R.
07/13, 8:03 PM
posted by:
Zach
It’s interesting to me how out of touch many of those who post on this forum are. The XC90 is the top-selling european SUV on the market. It has been ever since it came out in 2003. It holds its value better than any SUV on the road according to Kelly Blue Book. The XC90 resonates with buyers because it is the only SUV with Volvo safety, useable cargo space (unlike the X5 and Touwreck), and stylish good looks.
Nine out of ten SUV buyers will choose comfort over handling, so the sport will probably appeal to the remaining 10% who will probably stop at BMW and never know what they are missing.
07/13, 10:01 PM
posted by:
Joel B
Very Nice!
07/16, 5:31 PM
posted by:
Anonymous
Sure hope this package offers more substance than just look. I test drove the V8 and it was just plain boring. If this sportier version could offer some exhilaration, some excitement, I could go for it. Until then, I’m sticking with the Range Rover Sport.
08/18, 3:59 PM
posted by:
Justin
Zach, great post. Just to comment on many of these posts, people really seem to not know what they are talking about. What features can you get out of the BMW X5, LR3 and Toureg that the XC90 does not offer? Additionally, you will save a lot of money with the XC90. You can purchase a very loaded XC90 V8 AWD in the $40’s. You cannot get a X5 or LR3 in the $40’s. Also a lot more safety feautures and the second best resale value out of any vehicle made. But hey, most people just want the Badging for a status symbol anyway.