Overview

Should you buy a Volvo XC90?

Yes, and with confidence – the XC90 is incredibly accomplished as a large premium seven-seater SUV, and now some of its ageing components have been updated in 2024, it makes even more sense. The XC90 offers a high-tech-yet-spacious interior that’s versatile enough to carry up to seven and varying degrees of luggage, plus the commanding driving position and lengthy list of safety kit will reassure all drivers.

Volvo’s largest SUV is very easy to live with – it can get on with what you and the family want to throw at it on one day, and be a quiet and comfortable place to spend time alone. And as a final positive, it’s also considerably quicker than its electric counterpart, the Volvo EX90.

What’s new?

By rights, Volvo’s XC90 flagship hybrid SUV shouldn’t be around anymore. It should have been replaced by the EX90, but thanks to the slower-than-anticipated take-up of EVs, it has been given a stay of execution, and treated to minor facelift and significant tech update.

Since its arrival in 2015, the XC90 has become a seven-seater icon of Middle England, but the model was starting to feel its age. Thankfully, 2024’s update has seen a fair few of the XC90’s most prominent antiquities revised to bring the model back up to date. The 2024 car has sleeker exterior looks that play on the design language of Volvo’s latest crop, a subtly revised interior and a new floating infotainment display.

All together, they put the XC90 back in good stead against its rivals, which include the Land Rover Discovery, BMW X5, Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz GLE. While if you’re after a fully electric seven-seat SUV there’s the Kia EV9, or the cheaper Peugeot E-5008, as well as the aforementioned EX90.

There are three trim levels to choose from. Core is the cheapest, Plus is a little more sporty looking, and Ultra is the plushest. Like with every other new car, the more you pay, the more you get.

Safety is a core brand value for Volvo, which should provide peace of mind for families. It’s a seriously versatile machine in this respect, boasting a second row of seats which slide backwards and forwards and recline. They have Isofix lashing points, and an extra feature can be added where the seat base transforms into a booster seat. Safety tech is strong, too. In addition to the usual roster of airbags, passive safety tech and active driver assists, the XC90 has a low-speed automatic driving system for traffic jams.

Click through these pages to read everything you need to know about the Volvo XC90 including its practicality and how much it costs to run. If you’d like to find out how we reached our verdict, head over to our how we test cars page to find out everything you need to know.