Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription new car review

Remember when Volvo announced it would join the V8 Supercars circus?

The news came as a shock, partially is it was not what we expected from the Swedish marque, but also because it flew in the face of Volvo's corporate direction.

The brand's vice president of powertrain engineering told Drive in 2013 - months before the brand took to the V8 Supercar field - it would only ever offer four-cylinder engines in the future, and that the new DriveE engine family will "turn V8 engines into dinosaurs". It was interesting timing, right as the brand's local arm threw its weight behind Australia's antiquated touring car category.

Three years later, that dinosaur-crushing engine has arrived in the latest XC90 SUV, and Volvo - pending a legal stoush with its partner team - has raced in V8 Supercars for the last time.

While the range-topping XC90 SUV was once powered by a sonorous Yamaha-tuned V8, the current generation peaks with a four-cylinder hybrid model that represents a more powerful and efficient choice.

What you get

The XC90 T8 Twin Engine sits at the top of Volvo's current range.

Priced from $122,900 plus options and on-road costs, the plug-in hybrid XC90 T8 builds on cheaper models by blending a 2.0-litre petrol engine with electric augmentation that improves the performance, economy and range of Volvo's top model.

The XC90 hybrid is now available in mid-range Inscription trim having only been available in top-spec R-Design spec for its first few months on sale. Standard kit for the Inscription includes a panoramic sunroof, Nappa leather upholstery and 20-inch wheels.

Customers also get immaculate LED headlamps, three-zone climate control, a 12.3-inch digital driver display and 9-inch tablet-style central touchscreen, parking sensors and a reversing camera as part of an equipment list that, quite surprisingly, is missing a few luxury car essentials.

Smart keys are paired with a powered tailgate as a $975 option, while Apple CarPlay connectivity costs $650, a digital radio is $500 and heated front seats are $650 - we reckon that should all be standard on a flagship model priced well over $100,000. You even have to pay $50 for a bag to hold its charging cable.

A traditional frontrunner for vehicle safety, Volvo gives you autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian detection systems, blind spot, rear collision and lane departure warning systems at no extra cost, but its IntelliSafe suite of extras including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance and semi-autonomous Pilot Assist cost an extra $2600 across the range.

Our test example was equipped with a $4000 driver support pack that includes Volvo's IntelliSafe systems as well as a 360-degree camera and head-up display unit - a must for technophiles considering the brand's latest SUV.

What's inside

Regardless of what suspension is fitted to the car, there's a good chance that Volvo will sell plenty of XC90s to customers who haven't taken a test drive, such is the beauty of its design both inside and out.

Finished in pearlescent white with diamond-cut alloy wheels, our test example cut a striking figure before you climb into a cabin home to soft-touch leather, blonde open-pore wood veneers and an illuminated crystal gear selector. It's a beautiful place to be, one that features excellent ergonomics and state-of-the-art tech including large digital driver displays that help free the cabin from clutter.

The R-Design's front sport seats offer excellent ergonomic support, while Volvo's clever rear bench has pop-up booster seats for kids old enough to go without a child seat.

It is clever stuff, and enough for the Volvo to rank among the best in the business for interior presentation, earning full points for its blend of thoughtfulness, execution and innovation.

Under the bonnet

You could say the same about the T8's engine.

Plenty of people weren't sure about the brand's decision to only offer four-cylinder engines, dropping excellent five and six-cylinder inline motors as well as a range-topping V8 in favour of modular 2.0-litre architecture. I was one of them.

A 2.0-litre engine shouldn't work well in a car this size, but it does thanks to the help of a turbocharger and supercharger that stuff plenty of air (and by extension, fuel) into the compact motor.

This hybrid XC90 blends a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine that produces 235kW and 400Nm with a compact electric motor that contributes a further 65kW and 240Nm to the cause.

Able to reach 100km/h in a spritely 5.6 seconds with a full battery charge, the XC90 offers brisk if not earth-shattering performance when accompanied by hybrid power that enables a top speed limited to 230km/h.

Unsurprisingly for such a small engine, the combination can feel a little laggy or unresponsive at times, particularly when the hybrid's battery is depleted. Fully charged through a home power point, the XC90 offers a range of around 30 kilometres in a pure electric-only mode that doesn't engage the petrol engine. The machine returns an official fuel figure of 2.1L/100km when driven in an automatic hybrid mode that blends petrol and electric motoring, though buyers may struggle to match that in the real world.

Driving the car for longer stints and occasionally in a hybrid performance setting that drained its battery, we returned closer to 8L/100km in less than ideal conditions for the model, which is still respectable for a 2.3-tonne SUV. The achievement doubles when you consider that the V8-powered flagship for the previous-generation XC90 used 13.3L/100km to produce 232kW and 440Nm, allowing it to reach 100km/h in 7.3 seconds.

It's an impressive package, one that is relatively smooth and quiet, served well by an excellent eight-speed automatic transmission and clever all-wheel-drive system.

How it drives

There's no escaping the fact that this is a big car, weighing in 345 kilograms heavier than an equivalent petrol-powered XC90. It's not nearly as agile as German rivals such as the BMW X5 that represent more engaging options for enthusiast drivers.

Feeling solid and well-planted in most circumstances, the XC90's driving behaviour reflects its character well, though the little petrol engine can feel quite strained at times - something you could never say about the 3.0-litre, turbo-diesel V6 in Audi's outstanding Q7.

I didn't get on well with the brake calibration of the hybrid XC90, which can be a little grabby as it tries to recuperate energy to top up its electric charge around town. The pedal feels a little over-assisted, responding to brisk brake applications with overly sharp retardation that requires a little more thought than most vehicles.

It also feels a little brittle on the standard steel springs, making Volvo's $3760 optional air suspension another must-have for the XC90.

The semi-autonomous systems fitted to our model were utterly brilliant on well-marked motorways or main roads such as Sydney's Southern Cross Drive, confidently staying within its lane and negotiating sweeping bends that do not require large amounts of steering input. Passengers unaccustomed to the latest semi-autonomous tech were amazed at the Volvo's ability to track along safely at highway speeds, only requiring a gentle brush of the steering wheel every 20 seconds or so to show the car you're not asleep behind the wheel.

That said, its piloted-driving system was significantly less impressive on narrower suburban streets, where the SUV had a tendency to wander out of its lane, sometimes into the path of oncoming vehicles. While the technology is no doubt impressive, it's safe to say the fully self-driving car is a little further away than some people might expect.

More impressive is the vehicle's queue assist system that can take over driving duties in grinding stop-start traffic. Using nearby vehicles as reference points, the XC90 will go, stop and steer itself in a manner that makes traffic jams much more relaxing than they ought to be. The downside is that you need the inner mastery of a monk to stop yourself reaching for your smartphone to get through emails, news or social media while the Volvo drives itself, as it's still illegal to use your handset while behind the wheel.

Verdict

Volvo has a fine flagship in its XC90, a beautifully presented technology leader that lights the way forward for the Swedish brand. While I love a V8 as much as the next petrolhead, the hybrid drivetrain in the T8 does an excellent job of offering V8-like performance with amazing efficiency that proves there is plenty of life in petrol yet, giving environmentally conscious buyers something to consider when choosing their next luxury SUV.

Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription pricing and specifications

Price: $120,900 plus on-road costs

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo and supercharged petrol, plus 65kW/240Nm electric motor

Power: 235kW at 5700rpm, plus 65kW at 7000rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 2200-4500rpm, plus 240Nm at 0-3000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic, all-wheel-drive

Fuel use: 2.1L/100km

• For all the latest info, visit our Volvo showroom