2024 Volvo XC90 Ultimate B6 Bright review

The age of a car's design and inception is often like kryptonite for its relative appeal. No matter how good it might have been when box-fresh from the design studio, the inexorable march of progress, improvements and new competitors mean that shine eventually dulls.

This is especially the case with something more premium and expensive, where there’s always something new around the corner. 

And after debuting as a new model way back in 2014, you would be forgiven for thinking the XC90 is something of a has-been. Volvo knows updates are an essential part of any car's life cycle, but rather than an all-new model, a raft of recently-announced updates to the XC90 will see it carry on over the next few years.

Before that update arrives, I spent a week daily driving the current XC90 as it gears-up for its run-out phase. I found myself being continually impressed by this perennially performing large SUV. It's about one decade old (a literal lifetime in car years), but this big Swede maintains impressive progress and manages to go against the grain.

While the less powerful XC90 B5 can be had for a bit less dough, we have the mid-range B6 powertrain, which sits below the plug-in hybrid variant.

This is priced from $108,990 plus on-road costs, which pins it at a similar price to something like a Genesis GV80 or Audi Q7, but significantly cheaper than something like a BMW X7 or Mercedes-Benz GLS.

And like some of the visually bigger and more presence-heavy competitors, this XC90 can fit seven on board.

Our test model is the XC90 Ultimate B6 Bright, and has been augmented through the relatively short range of options into a $130,198 drive-away vehicle. This includes the combination of an upgraded Bowers & Wilkins sound system and panoramic sunroof for ($4700), tinted rear windows ($1050), massaging front seats ($1100) and active air suspension ($3750).

Standard kit here on the inside includes the relatively small 9.0-inch portrait-oriented infotainment display, a larger 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, leather-appointed seats with electric adjustment (including lumbar support) and memory. There are also second-row sunshades, four-zone climate control and Grey Ash timber inlays. And don't forget about heating and ventilation for the front seats, as well as heating for the second-row outboard pews.

On the outside, there are 21-inch alloy wheels, automatic 'bending' LED headlights, a powered tailgate and auto-folding side mirrors.

Measuring in at just under five metres long and a skerrick over two metres wide, the Volvo XC90 is every bit a large SUV. But unlike the competitive set from the big German three, this XC90 is much softer and less dominant on the eyes.

In comparison, the XC90 still feels elegant with an exterior design that has stood the test of time gleefully well.

On the inside, you'll find a typically pared-back interior design that blends quality, practicality, and comfort well. And that goes for all three rows.

Let's start in the middle row, an important battleground for any SUV designed to serve family duties. Three separate seats here tilt and slide independently, which helps apportion space and leg room where you need it. Two outboard ISOFIX points are easily accessible, and I fit three baby seats in here (including a rearward-facing baby seat, with two adults up front) with enough room for all to be comfortable.

The convertible middle seat in the second row, which can layer up into a booster seat, will also be quite useful for growing families.

Up front, the pared-back user interface in this XC90 is simple to look at, but it hasn’t really come at the expense of useage, which is critically important. There’s still a volume dial, for example, and climate controls are always accessible on the bottom of the display.

Open-grained timbers on the doors are nice, and the upgraded Bowers & Wilkins sound system looks the goods. But more importantly, it also operates well with plenty of bass, volume, and clarity for jamming out.

Two USB outlets can be found in the centre console, while two cupholders hide underneath the retractable wooden panels. There's also an old ashtray area, with an available accessory if you choose to use it this way. For me, it's a handy spot for coins and breath mints, along with a 12V power outlet.

The seats in the XC90 look and feel great, with soft and supple materials and plenty of bolstering and comfort when you install yourself into one. The optional massaging feature is more of a nice-to-have than an essential upgrade in my view, but these seats are a highlight of the interior. You’ll also notice that the front seats are relatively skinny in terms of their depth, which frees up leg room for those behind. But, it seems to be not at the expense of comfort, which is obviously important.

Access to the third row is pretty good by SUV standards (but still not as good as a proper people-mover), and provided that the second-row occupants move their seats forward a little, you can get a good amount of leg room and just enough head room to be comfortable on shorter trips as an adult. There are air vents in the back, as well as cupholders, lidded storage and good overall visibility.

The Volvo XC90 certainly isn't a five-seater with an occasional third row, but could happily operate as a proper seven-seater.

This is one area where you get a sense of the age of the vehicle in comparison to others in the segment. Screen size has become something of an arms race in recent years, with car makers going bigger and bigger in their quest to out-pixel each other.

From that point of view, 9.0 inches of screen size in this XC90 feels a bit paltry. But, it's not the be-all and end-all either. If screen real estate matters, next year's update will see an 11.2-inch display fitted instead.

Once you fire up the central portrait-oriented screen, you'll notice it runs on a Google-style operating system, which is simple to use and understand.

Google is associated with the Android side of things when it comes to smartphone ecosystems, but Android Auto is bizarrely missing from the standard fitment in this XC90. This wasn't the case a few years back, but now one must use Apple CarPlay in order to get smartphone mirroring happening, although the available Google apps built-in can cover many of Android Auto's duties.

Otherwise, the screen is quality and loading times are slick, with all of the basic functions easy to find. Maps look and work well, and there’s also digital radio for those who are in the urban areas. 

The digital cluster in front of the driver – bigger at the regulation 12.3 inches that everyone else seems to have these days – is classy looking, and allows for another full-sized map to display here.

Up until 2022, the Volvo XC90 carried a five-star ANCAP safety rating, first awarded in 2015. But more recent models, including the one in this review, are unrated.

Is the car any less safe than previous models? No. This comes from ANCAP putting expiry dates on its safety ratings, and the five-star ANCAP result that the XC90 achieved back in 2015 isn't officially recognised any more. As ANCAP criteria become stricter over time, past results aren't directly comparable to more recent results.

As one would expect at this kind of price point, the Volvo XC90 comes with a comprehensive range of active safety and driving convenience features.

On top of what is listed in the table below, the systems on the XC90 work impressively well. The semi-autonomous adaptive cruise control feels like it could drive fully autonomously (it legally cannot, however), and the combination of driver monitoring, traffic sign recognition, and other systems are well tuned to be helpful but not get in the way of everyday driving.

This is easier said than done and deserves credit, because this is one area where a lot of car makers cannot yet hit the nail on the head. Volvo does.

Three years of servicing for the XC90, via a prepaid program, costs $1750 and averages out at $583 per visit. Five years can also be covered, costing $3000 and averaging $600 per year. Services are required every 12 months or 15,000km.

The Volvo range is covered by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty for private use, or five years, 150,000km for cars used commercially (including rideshare, delivery, or as hire vehicles). Five years of roadside assist is also provided.

The insurance cost for an XC90 in this specification level is set at $2318 for 12 months, which is a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

While the B5 variant of the XC90 has 183kW and 350Nm through the use of a single turbocharger and mild-hybrid assistance, throwing a supercharger onto the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine boosts outputs to 220kW and 420Nm.

However, claimed fuel consumption stays steady at a claimed 8.0 litres per 100 kilometres, regardless of which engine variant you own.

After our time with the XC90, we averaged 9.3L/100km as indicated. We got down to as low as 8.0L/100km on a more extended highway run, but that number crept back upwards after a session of urban driving. Some comparable diesels and hybrids would be more efficient than this, but the numbers are still quite impressive for such a big and luxurious SUV, with decent enough performance available. 

Like the interior, the driving experience of the XC90 is noticeably simplified and distilled down to only what you need. There are no driving modes to rifle through, but I never felt like such a thing was lacking. The accelerator and transmission responsiveness is well balanced, never feeling too touchy or lazy to throttle inputs around town and on the highway. 

Four driven wheels refuse to chirp or skip in everyday driving, and the eight-speed automatic gearbox is as smooth as you would ever want it.

Using a turbocharger, supercharger, and mild-hybrid assistance along with a stop-start system sounds like a horror story of mechanical complexity, and small engines don't always push a big and heavy car along with aplomb.

The driving experience of the XC90 is smooth and easy, however. There's enough torque and performance available for take-off, and the four-cylinder engine is happy to rev beyond 5000rpm when needed for longer-legged performance. It's not what you'd call potent or scintillating, but it feels adequate.

The stop-start system is smooth and unobtrusive as well, kicking the engine over quietly and smoothly to get you off and moving.

The optional air suspension yields a good ride quality, especially considering the big 21-inch wheels they are managing. Bumps are absorbed neatly, and rough roads don’t permeate into the cabin aggressively. It’s not Range Rover sumptuous, to be fair, but it’s still very good regardless. 

For those who want to know, we aren't currently sure on how the standard coil-sprung XC90 rides in comparison, unfortunately.

The ride quality is matched to lightweight but precise steering, and a well-controlled body that feels competent and honed. It’s elegant overall, balanced, and does all of the right things for a big premium SUV. Visibility is good, and a 360-degree camera system helps. Although, it's not as detailed as others, and I found reverting to the straight rearward view to be more beneficial.

There will be more powerful options out there, as well as more charming and evocative driving experiences than what is offered here in the XC90. But, it still hits all of the right notes in terms of refinement, comfort, and ease of use from behind the wheel.

While it might not strike you as such on first impression, the 2700kg braked towing capacity of the XC90 is a big number that opens up the possibility of (legally) dragging some big trailers. For reference, this is better than the 2500kg braked towing capacity of the Toyota LandCruiser Prado back in 2020. It's been upgraded since to 3000kg, but let's not get too carried away.

We couldn't get any reference of the gross combination mass of the XC90, and the lack of a full-size spare wheel means it is likely not the best choice for remote-area caravanning.

However, the relatively high braked capacity will be helpful for when you might need it. Its 750kg worth of unbraked capacity is the regulation amount, however, and is enough for your average unbraked box trailer.

Despite the passing of years, the Volvo XC90 continues to stand up as an impressive and worthy consideration in the luxury large SUV space. Tellingly, the updated XC90 due next year is a relatively minor, but still thorough, update to a successful formula.

In its current guise, the XC90 is comfortable, practical, well thought out, and quality on the inside, and the driving experience ticks all of the right boxes for this kind of asking money. There are newer and glitzier options out there, especially in terms of powertrains and interior technology. But, there's an inherent quality in the XC90 that stops it from fading away.

Volvo's large SUV also offers a different take on the large SUV in comparison to other big luxury offerings. It's perhaps a little more demure and understated, but carries volume in its elegant execution and seemingly timeless appeal.

We think the XC90 with the more powerful B6 powertrain is the pick, especially considering it doesn't seem to come with any deficit to efficiency. Buyers can also look at the plug-in hybrid variant, which could suit some users with a cost-saving fully-electric commute. It is, however, significantly more expensive, which needs to be pragmatically weighed up.

The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Volvo website for stock of your preferred XC90 variant. You can also find Volvos for sale at Drive Marketplace.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest Volvo dealer via this link. We’d also recommend test-driving the Audi Q7, because it is popular with consumers and is available at similar price points.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.