Auto Express – August 07, 2019

While German rivals

offer asporty edge,

the XC90 focuses

on comfort

FOURyearsago,wenamedthesecond-
generationVolvoXC90notjustthebest
LargePremiumSUVonthemarket,butour
overallCaroftheYearfor2015.
Whileithasn’trepeatedthefeatin
subsequentyearsduetoaraftoftalented
newcomers,itstillranksasadesirable,
plushandpremiumSUV.Perhapsthat’swhy
thecar’srecent‘facelift’wassominoron
thesurface;whychangeawinningrecipe?
RegardlessofhowmuchweliketheXC90,
Volvoasabrandhasmadecommitmentsto
whichitslargeSUVmustconform.Thefirm
wantstoelectrifyitscarssoonerandmore
quicklythanmost,sotheupdatesseethe
arrivalofanoverhauledengineline-up,with
mild-hybridtechnologyplayingakeyrole.
New,B-badgedMHEVpowertrainsare
beingintroducedacrossVolvo’sline-up,
andinthecaseoftheXC90,thisnew
B5(D)replacestheoutgoingD5diesel.
Themild-hybridsystemrecuperates
lostenergythankstoanall-newbrake-by-
wireset-up.Thisenergyisthendeployed
toassistthecombustionengineunder
acceleration,reducingtheamountofwork
thatthe2.0-litrefour-cylinderdieselhasto
dotogetthis2,103kgcaruptospeed.
YoudopayapremiumovertheoldD5
forthisextratech,though–ofaround

severalhundredpounds,dependingon

whichtrimlevelyouoptfor.

Importantlythough,fueleconomyalso

improves.AccordingtotheXC90’snew

WLTP-recordedfigures,youcanexpectthree

orfourmilespergallonmorefromtheB5

thanyouwouldintheoutgoingdiesel;go

forthesmallestwheels,andVolvoclaims

44.1mpgispossible.Companycarbuyers

won’tfeelthebenefit,though;theB5sitsin

the37percentBenefitinKindtaxrateband.

SelectingEcomodeallowstheXC90to

coastwhenyouliftoffthethrottleabove

40mph,butinrealitytheB5feelsalmost

exactlythesameastheD5todrive.While

the232bhpunitisoneofthelesspowerful

enginesintheline-up,itoffersallthepower

mostbuyerswillneed.There’s480Nmof

torque,whichismorethanenoughtomove

thecar’smass;it’squietatacruise,and

evenmorehushedwhilecoasting.

TheXC90’ssteeringislimpandlifeless,

butthisreallyisn’tacarthatyou’llwantto

driveinahurry. Dynamicmodeonthedrive

Volvo XC90 B5

FIRSTDRIVEMild-hybrid diesel aims to boostSUV’sefficiency

30 7August2019

JamesBrodie

[email protected]

@jimmybrods

NEWCARS VolvoXC90B5