The Volvo XC90 is not the oldest SUV in its respective stable but it has grown to be this SUV that people want and wish to drive.
Having been around since the year 2002, the first-generation XC90 was not my favourite. I always looked at it as this ugly Volvo that nobody wanted, but that thought was all flawed.
Now in its second-generation, Volvo recently introduced the refreshed XC90 and just in time for one of Whipdt’s reader’s matric farewell, we chauffered Tshegofatso and Blessing who are currently grade 12 students to their matric farewell function in the new XC90 D5 Inscription.
Before I get into details about what happened at the function, let me tell you about the car.
The new XC 90 is six seats big and has all the space you need. The test unit came fitted with R137 800 worth of options from air suspension, 360-degree camera, premium sound by Bowers and Wilkins to a panoramic sunroof.
Its power comes from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that churns out 173 kW of power and 480 Nm of torque. That amount of power is accessed via an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four corners via an AWD system.
Arriving at the student’s home in Vereeniging, both of them were taken by surprise as we parked the large SUV outside their gate. The function was being held about 10 km from the house so the plan was to drive them to the venue, drop them off there.
After carrying out interviews with the two students for our Motoring Show, Rev It Up, it was time to hit the road to the venue. Although the drive was not that long, both students enjoyed it, thanks to the comfortable seats and rewarding drive.
We arrived at the venue and they made their way into the hall with smiles on their faces and it was a job well done.
However, it did not all end there as the following morning, I had to drive to Mpumalanga, Bushuckridge to fetch the kids since it was the start of the school recess period.
The 480 km drive was very rewarding which left no room for complaints. The XC90 is comfortable and cruises nicely on the open road.
The trip to Mpumalanga included an 8 km off-road drive and the XC90 handled that task in the most impressive manner, thanks to the AWD system.
I manage to average 9.2l/100 km instead of Volvo’s claimed 5.7l/100 km combined fuel consumption. Despite its thirst, the Volvo XC90 still managed to cover close to 800 km on a single tank which was an attraction.
The XC90 is one of the cars that are hard to fault. It is an impressive car and it excels in its respective stable. As tested and with all the options fitted, Volvo charges R1 269 400 including VAT and CO2 tax.
This article first appeared at Whipdt