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Introduction

2010 Volvo XC90

The Volvo XC90 is big on safety, comfort and functionality. The 2010 XC90 seats seven passengers, and leather seating, power glass sunroof, rear park assist and third-row climate control are standard equipment. An integrated center booster cushion adds versatility to the second-row seat and eliminates the challenges associated with installing a separate child seat.

The XC90 swallows more cargo than its competitors, and it comes with features that allow quick, easy tailoring for cargo, gear or people. The XC90 is not the sportiest vehicle among luxury-class SUVs, but it handles well on city streets and highways. It rides very comfortably and it's easy to park. With tow ratings ranging starting at 3,970 pounds, it'll tow light boat trailers, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, and other toys.

The standard six cylinder engine is up to all the demands of daily driving and delivers the best value, in our view. It produces 235 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, and it gets an EPA-estimated 15/21 City/Highway.

The upgrade 311-hp V8 adds a bit of excitement for those who put a premium on quick acceleration. The V8 also ups the tow rating to 4,960 pounds. The 4.4-liter V8 was developed to Volvo specifications by Yamaha, the Japanese motorcycle builder and auto engine specialist. The XC90 V8 generates 311 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, with standard all-wheel drive and speed-sensitive power steering.

For 2010, the XC90 V8 model offers an Executive Package, with special soft leather seating surfaces, massage and ventilation for the front seats, heated seats all around, and some unique appearance items. The XC90 was launched as a 2003 model and Volvo freshened its appearance for 2007. The sporty R-Design models joined the lineup for 2009. The 3.2 R-Design continues with minor changes in the 2010 lineup, but the R-Design package is no longer available on the V8.

The fulltime all-wheel-drive system works smoothly in the daily grind without any penalty in EPA fuel economy, and it's truly welcome when the weather gets foul or the road surface gets rough. Yet buyers who don't really need all-wheel-drive capability can choose an XC90 with front-wheel drive.

Volvo's reputation for safety engineering is deserved. Maybe more than anyone, Volvo devotes impressive resources and manpower to improve occupant protection. The XC90 offers the full array of active and passive safety features, including a Roll Stability Control system designed to keep the XC90 from rolling over, and a rollover protection system intended to shield occupants in the extremely unlikely event that a rollover actually occurs. Less obvious are features like a roof structure fashioned from high-strength steel, or a lower front crossmember engineered to inflict less damage on small vehicles if an accident occurs. It may be the safest SUV on the road; it's certainly one we'd feel reassured seeing our loved ones drive.

Volvo's blind-spot monitoring system, or BLIS, uses cameras to search a large area on either side of the vehicle, and warns the driver if there might be an approaching vehicle not visible in the XC90's mirrors. It's optional, but we think it's a great safety feature.

Model Lineup

The 2010 Volvo XC90 comes with a choice of 3.2-liter inline-6 or 4.4-liter V8 engine. Both come with a six-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive (AWD) is standard on the V8 and optional ($2,000) with the six.

The 2010 Volvo XC90 3.2 ($37,700) comes with leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, power glass sunroof, along with an eight-way power driver's seat with memory, power passenger seat, power door locks, power heated mirrors, fog lights, 160-watt, eight-speaker audio with CD/MP3 and auxiliary jack, cruise control, trip computer, auto-dimming interior mirror, real wood interior trim, and 235/60R18 tires on 18-inch alloy wheels. Standard on all models is a third-row seat, which comes with its own auxiliary climate control. An integrated center booster cushion for the second row comes standard.

The XC90 3.2 R-Design ($39,500) features a tighter, self-leveling suspension, speed-sensitive power steering, lower-profile 255/55R19 tires on 19-inch wheels, a unique grille and silver (rather than the standard black) roof rails. Inside is a three-spoke sport steering wheel, Volvo's Watch Dial instruments, aluminum inlays and other visual touches. The Dynamic Package ($1,400), exclusive to the R-Design model, adds bi-xenon headlights with active light bending and 255/45R20 tires on 20-inch wheels. A wood steering wheel is optional ($325).

Options include the Climate Package ($675) with heated front seats, headlight washers, rain-sensing wipers, humidity sensor and an Interior Air Quality System. The Multimedia Package ($2,500) upgrades to HDD navigation with real-time traffic, remote control and map care, the Dynaudio Premium sound system featuring Dolby Pro Logic II Surround Sound, and Sirius Satellite Radio.

The XC90 V8 ($47,500) gets upgraded Sapeli wood trim for the instrument panel, steering wheel, and shift knob, a leather steering wheel, the Climate Package, and 235/60R18 tires on 18-inch wheels. An expanded Multimedia Package ($3,300) includes bi-xenon headlights, HDD navigation with real-time traffic, remote control and map care, the Dynaudio Premium sound system featuring Dolby Pro Logic II Surround Sound, and Sirius Satellite Radio. The V8 Executive Package ($2,950) features special soft leather seating surfaces, massage and ventilation for the front seats, heated seats all around, unique wood inlays and wood steering wheel, and real leather on the inner doors and center console, 255/50R19 tires on 19-inch wheels, and special exhaust. Optional with the Executive Package is a rear-seat refrigerator ($700).

Options for all models include a rear-seat DVD system with two headrest-mounted eight-inch color screens ($1,800); Bi-Xenon Active Bending Lights ($800).

Safety features include dual-stage frontal and side-impact airbags for front passengers, and curtain type head protection airbags for all outboard seats. A rollover protection system senses an impending vehicle rollover, tightens the seatbelts and deploys the curtain airbags. The seats feature Volvo's Whiplash Protection System, which moves them back and downward if the vehicle is hit from behind, reducing neck snap. Rear park assist is standard on all models. Active safety features include advanced four-channel antilock brakes, an electronic stability program, and Roll Stability Control, which uses a gyroscopic sensor to reduce the possibility of a rollover by applying brakes and modulating engine power. Optional is Volvo's blind-spot monitoring system, or BLIS ($700). BLIS uses cameras to monitor an area measuring 10 feet by 31 feet on either side of the car, which is often not covered by the side mirrors, and reports the presence of another vehicle in the blind spots with a prominent warning light in the appropriate mirror. Optional all-wheel drive enhances safety in adverse conditions.

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