Volvo XC90 (873)

The Volvo XC90 is a seven-seat full-size crossover from the Swedish-Chinese passenger car manufacturer Volvo Cars. The XC90 premiered at the 2002 Detroit auto show. The model is built on the P2 platform, which is also used in the Volvo S80 sedan and other large cars of this brand (S60, V60, V70, XC60, XC70).

In the US, the XC90 is Volvo's best-selling model. In 2005, the XC90 also became Volvo's best-selling model in the world (85,994 cars were sold during the year). For different markets, the crossover is produced at four factories: in Sweden, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

The Volvo XC90 Adventure Concept Car, created by a team of Swedish Volvo Car Corporation designers led by Peter Horbury, was unveiled at the North American Auto Show in January 2001. And already in November of the same year, Volvo published several images of the front part of the future production XC90.

The model that eventually entered the production line remained completely similar to the concept. It debuted in January 2002 in Detroit, and its production started in August 2002 at the Volvo plant in the Swedish region of Torslanda (district of Gothenburg).

In 2005, the crossover began to be equipped with a compact 4.4-liter Yamaha eight-cylinder engine. At first its power was 288 hp, but later it was increased to 311 hp. This is the most powerful engine installed on the Volvo XC90.

In 2007, the Swedes made a slight restyling of the XC90. In the process of updating the crossover, its front and rear parts, including rear lights and side mirrors, underwent changes. The interior of the car was also slightly redesigned and the equipment was revised.

At the end of 2010, the most powerful engine, the gasoline V8, was no longer installed on the crossover. The reason for this was problems with the compliance of this unit with the Euro 5 environmental standards that came into force in Europe on January 1, 2011.

Technical features
The front end of the crossover is designed to absorb frontal impact as effectively as possible in a collision. The high front of the Volvo XC90 has also been adapted to cases of collision with a pedestrian. In a collision with a car, the latter ends up on the hood, and not under the wheels, where the chances of survival are much less.

The roof of the XC90 is additionally reinforced with high-strength boron steel, which will prevent it from bending and causing harm to the health of passengers and the driver if the car rolls over on the road. This Volvo rollover protection system is called ROPS. The rear part of the car is also specially reinforced: also in case of impacts and to protect the people inside.

In July 2007, Volvo Cars recalled 42,211 XC90 vehicles for additional battery checks to avoid the risk of short circuits and fires. These cars were produced at the Torslanda plant between June 2004 and May 2005. The recall only affected vehicles shipped to the United States and Canada. Fortunately, there have been no reports of short circuits or fires in the XC90 model.

Owners of an XC90 with a T6 engine often complain about the rapid failure of the transmission (even before the first 100 thousand km). Some owners had to change it twice during this run.

Interesting Facts
After the significant success of the first generation XC90 in the North American and European markets, car enthusiasts were expecting a second generation to be released soon. In May 2011, Volvo Cars announced plans to release a completely new version of the crossover in the very near future. However, in 2012, production of the first generation XC90 continued. At first, the new model was planned for 2013, and then for 2014.

The XC90 is Volvo's first seven-seat model since the 1940s. It is curious that the central section of the second row of seats in the crossover can be easily transformed into a child seat or turned into a large table-armrest.

The bright red XC90 model became one of the main characters in the Indian blockbuster 3 Idiots, which was released in 2009. It is the most commercially successful Bollywood film to date. After the release of the film, Indian Volvo dealers noted a noticeable increase in consumer interest in the crossover.

The model also appeared in the Hollywood films “Blood for Blood”, “Cool and Chicks”, “Friends with Money”, “Rush Hour 3”, “Memoirs of a Shopaholic”, “Bachelor Party in Vegas”, the TV series “Escape”, Russian the film "Flash" and others.

Pros and cons in comparison with classmates
The XC90's competitors may well include the popular crossover BMW X5 in Russia , as well as the large seven-seater Audi Q7 . Volvo compares favorably with its price - the difference reaches almost 50%. At the same time, Volvo is losing out to Audi and BMW in age. The XC90 entered the market in 2002, and its opponents in 2005 and 2007, respectively. In terms of the list of options offered and the quality of finishing materials, Volvo holds its own among competing crossovers in the premium segment.

Safety
A crossover crash test conducted by the EuroNCAP association in 2003 revealed the maximum level of vehicle safety: five stars for protecting adult passengers and two stars out of four for pedestrians in a collision.

Numbers and awards
The XC90 has received many awards over its long life. In 2003, the model became “Best North American Car of the Year.” That same year, Motor Trend magazine awarded the model the title of Sport/Utility of the Year.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the XC90 a Top Safety Pick as its safest vehicle. The Institute awarded the model the highest "gold" safety rating for frontal, rear, side impacts, as well as for its high roof strength.

Volvo beat out nine other crossovers on the American market, becoming the best in its segment in terms of price-quality ratio. The portal 4AutoInsuranceQuote.com recognized the model as one of the safest. The XC90 topped the site's ranking of the 10 least expensive SUVs to insure.

The model is the best in 2011 according to the Center for Auto Safety. Finally, the Volvo received the NWAPA (Northwest Automotive Press Association) "Best Luxury SUV" award, beating out models such as the BMW X3, Infiniti QX56, Mercedes-Benz R350 and Land Rover Range Rover Sport.