COPENHAGEN — Volvo’s big XC90 three-row SUV gets a significant makeover for 2025, with a new interior, infotainment system and suspension and acoustic upgrades.
The interior changes feature handsome new materials and displays meant to bring Volvo’s carryover models in line with its new generation of electric vehicles, starting with the EX90 this year and smaller EX30 in 2025.
They all incorporate Volvo’s new Google-based infotainment system, which the Swedish brand plans to install in 2022-24-model XC90s via an upcoming over the air updates.
Volvo calls the new model a 2025 and a half model, a designation I don’t believe is recognized by sticks in the mud like U.S. regulators and insurance companies. That’s of no great importance. The new model is quieter and more advanced, a better version of the big people carrier currently in the pickup line at a Montessori near you.
I drove plug-in and mild hybrid versions of the 2025 XC90 through the coastal lowlands of Denmark and southern Sweden — and across the scenic bridge connecting them — for two days.
The updated XC90 should be on sale in the United States in the first quarter of 2025.
Volvo XC90 trim levels and prices
- 2025 XC90 B5 AWD mild hybrid, Core, 7-passenger: $58,450
- 2025 XC90 B5 AWD mild hybrid, Plus, 7-passenger: $62,550
- 2025 XC90 B5 AWD mild hybrid, Ultra, 7-passenger: $66,950
- 2025 XC90 B5 AWD mild hybrid, Plus, 6-passenger: $63,050
- 2025 XC90 B5 AWD mild hybrid, Ultra, 6-passenger: $67,450
- 2025 XC90 B6 AWD mild hybrid, Core, 7-passenger: $63,350
- 2025 XC90 B6 AWD mild hybrid, Plus, 7-passenger: $66,150
- 2025 XC90 B6 AWD mild hybrid, Ultra, 7-passenger: $70,550
- 2025 XC90 B6 AWD mild hybrid, Plus, 6-passenger: $66,650
- 2025 XC90 B6 AWD mild hybrid, Ultra, 6-passenger: $71,050
- 2025 XC90 T8 AWD plug-in hybrid, Core, 7-passenger: $73,000
- 2025 XC90 T8 AWD plug-in hybrid, Plus, 7-passenger: $75,800
- 2025 XC90 T8 AWD plug-in hybrid, Ultra, 7-passenger: $80,200
- 2025 XC90 T8 AWD plug-in hybrid, Plus, 6-passenger: $76,300
- 2025 XC90 T8 AWD plug-in hybrid, Ultra, 6-passenger: $80,700
Source: Volvo. Prices exclude $1,295 destination charge.
Driving impressions, exterior changes
The XC90 is a big, comfortable vehicle, available with six- or seven-seat accommodations
The narrow streets of European villages and farmland magnify its size, but direct responsive steering makes it easy to wrangle the big SUV down streets scaled for medieval horse carts.
The plug-in hybrid accelerates eagerly, hitting 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds. All-electric mode delivers satisfying performance in city centers and on the highway.
The PHEV tips the scales around 5,000 pounds, but the updated air suspension smooths out bumps and keeps the XC90 level around curves and in eager acceleration and braking.
The interior of the car I drove was quiet over backroads and at highway speed, despite being fitted with winter tires. Credit additional acoustic insulation and active noise cancellation from the Bowers & Wilkins audio system.
The PHEV develops 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque from a combination of a 2.0L turbocharged gasoline engine and an electric motor.
An eight-speed automatic transmission transmits the engine’s power to the front wheels.
Exterior visual changes are restrained: slimmer matrix LED headlights and a revised grille and “iron mark” brand badge up front; 20-, 21- and 22-inch wheels; taillights that replace chrome with darker materials round out the package.
The XC90’s exterior dimensions are virtually unchanged.
Selected competitors
- Acura MDX
- Audi Q7
- BMX X7
- Cadillac XT6
- Genesis GV80
- Hyundai Palisade
- Infiniti QX60
- Jeep Grand Cherokee L
- Kia Telluride
- Land Rover Discovery
- Lexus TX
- Lincoln Aviator
Scandinavian style, U.S.-scale passenger room
The interior features an 11.2-inch portrait-orientation touch screen that handles everything from drive modes to climate control. Physical buttons and dials in the center stack are limited to volume, pause/play, track, emergency flashers and front and rear defrost. Flat touch pints on the steering wheel arms manage the adaptive cruise control, activate voice recognition and allow the driver to select from several displays on the 12.3-inch instrument cluster.
The center console is roomy, with improved cupholders and wireless charging pad. Apple CarPlay and Android are standard. Disappointingly, they require a wired connection to the car. An over the air update may address that shortcoming, according to Volvo.
The seats deliver Volvo’s customary high level of comfort and support.
The Bowers & Wilkins audio system delivers excellent audio quality. New stainless steel speaker grilles complement interior materials that include low-gloss wood, leather and handsome textiles, depending on the mode.
A panoramic sunroof is standard.
Cargo space appears generous but Volvo did not provide volume figures.
2025 Volvo XC90 top features
- All-wheel drive
- Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models
- Seating for six or seven
- New interior materials
- 11.2-inch touch screen
- Google voice recognition and operating system
- More cupholders
What should be better?
Volvo’s infatuation with minimalist controls continues to create some pain points.
In a design decision so counter-intuitive it’s hard to believe it’s not intentional, the touch screen eschews the universally recognizable “Home” icon in favor of a narrow white line at the bottom of the screen. I’m sure the lads in the graphics office are over the moon. The rest of us would appreciate a larger, easier to reach, more intuitive icon.
In another step that feels like obscurity for its own sake, to play music via Bluetooth, you have to activate the home screen’s “Bluetooth media” icon after you’ve paired your device to the car. Because, I guess, some people pair Bluetooth but don’t want to hear their tunes.
Other oversights it’s hard to excuse include the lack of wireless connectivity for smart phone mirroring. If I can get wireless CarPlay and Android Auto in a Honda Civic, I should in an $70K+ luxury SUV.
Finally, while the PHEV’s 33-mile electric range is adequate, I expected some increase from the model that’s been on sale since the 2023 model year.
Why get a Volvo XC90?
Volvo occupies a unique spot in the luxury firmament: Advanced and prestigious, yet almost ostentatiously modest. If you want a roomy six- or seven-seat SUV that says you’ve arrived, but didn’t pillage the environment or rob the pension fund to get here, the XC90 plug-in delivers the message.
2025 Volvo XC90 at a glance
All-wheel drive six- or seven-seat luxury SUV
Base price: $58,450 (All prices exclude $1,295 destination charge)
Model tested: Volvo XC90 T8 eAWD Plus plug-in hybrid
Price as tested: $76,300 (Excluding destination charge)
Specifications as tested:
Powerplant: 2.0L four-cylinder engine; electric motor
Total system output: 455 hp; 523 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
EPA estimated fuel economy: 27 mpg combined city/highway in gasoline mode. Premium gasoline.
Electric range: 33 miles
Battery 400-volt 18.4 kWh lithium-ion, 14.7 kWh useable power
Onboard charger: 6.4 kW
Charging time: Three hours 0-100% at 240 volts
0-60 mph: 5.1 seconds
Top speed 112 mph
Wheelbase: 117.5 inches
Length: 195 inches
Width: 76.1 inches (body); 79.1 (mirrors folded)
Height: 69.7 inches
Ground clearance: 8.5 inches
Cargo volume: NA
Curb weight: 4,910 pounds
Towing capacity: 5,000 pounds
Assembled in Torslanda, Sweden
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
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