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2025.5 Volvo XC90 First Drive Review: Keeping it Fresh
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Mar 29, 2025
The XC90 was meant to quietly fade into the background, handing the Volvo flagship torch over to the new, all-electric EX90. But like so many other brands, Volvo is walking back its EV plans: instead of going fully electric by 2030, the new plan is 90-percent electrification. Thus a decade after it first debuted, the XC90 is getting another facelift with tweaked looks and improved tech, now serving as a co-captain of the Volvo squad.
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0:00
hello everyone from sweden where we're here to drive the 2025 volvo xc90 the facelifted version
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of volvo's flagship three-row suv now i say facelifted because as you can see here it's
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quite literal and some freshening up to complement the all-electric ex90 that launched earlier this
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year because volvo wants you to have options with gas and plug-in hybrid powertrains still
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continuing on. So does this keep this fresh and competitive in the big three row segment
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Well, let's go for a drive and find out. all right so we are inside of the t8 the top of the line plug-in hybrid model and like i said
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earlier there's no differences to the powertrain itself it's still 455 horsepower 523 pound-feet
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of torque it's plenty of power the same range as well which isn't great in terms of all electric
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ranges nowadays in this segment but it's good for day-to-day you're looking at
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here around 60 kilometers of range here in Europe on the WLTP cycle a little
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less back home but again good unless you taking a longer trip for the day now there is a new suspension on the base model but this being a T8 has the optional air suspension which is actually completely unchanged from last year
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and it's just a smooth comfortable ride. It's one of those vehicles that is really easy to get along
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with. There is a little bit more road noise than I remember in the last XC90 I drove that might be
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because this is riding on enormous wheels now. It might just be different tuning for different
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regions. Either way, it's still pretty quiet. It's just that on the highway, well, you notice
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a little bit more road noise and wind noise. What is so refreshing about the XC90 and why it remains
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one of my top recommendations for folks shopping in this class is that it doesn't try to be sporty
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The powertrain doles out power effortlessly, and that laid-back feel is matched in the steering and
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suspension tuning. That's not to say the XC90 is too soft or wallowy, it just doesn't try to beat
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you up with an overly harsh ride. The thing is, is the powertrain was plenty good before. It doesn't
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need any changes or improvements, so I'm fine with that. The changes that were necessary were, well
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some freshening up. Outside, it's handsome. There's a really nice subtle facelift that brings this more
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in line with the EX90 while still maintaining its own identity, so that grille is definitely the
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standout feature outside. I really like it. Asymmetrical grills are tough to pull off, but I
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think Volvo has nailed it. Out back, there are darker taillights, which basically just means that
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the LED signature is more visible Now inside is a little bit more dramatic because again this takes inspiration from the EX90 in a cleaner simpler more horizontally focused design now it hit and miss here Volvo makes a big deal about its redesigned center console because it can
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fit a tiny little third can in the cup holders if you're really concerned about that but it's not
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any bigger so you can't fit larger North American drinks and there's still the issue of limited
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storage in the center console because, well, this is where all the batteries are for the plugin
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I do really like all the materials in here, though. They're very warm and inviting. The wood
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has actual texture to it. They are sustainable materials. This is, let me remember the term here
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bio-attributable Nordico faux leather. I'm sure it's comfortable, and unless you tell anyone
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otherwise, they're going to think it's actual leather. Whether they're wrapped in a pretend
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leather or the excellent new herringbone knit the xc90 seats are the same shape as before and that's
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good news because this is one of the comfiest suvs to be in the front seats are so supportive
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and still come with an effective massage function the other side to this being a facelift is that
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we can only assume the third row is as tight as it ever was all the testers at this event are two
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row models the big thing literally is a new touchscreen in the center and it's mostly good
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because Volvo's new infotainment system is mostly good. It's easy to use because you don't have to
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poke around too many submenus to get to where you need to go. The integrated navigation, at least
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here in Sweden works very well If you take a detour somewhere it will readjust very quickly and you can program in multiple legs very easily which isn always the case with native navigation I going to thank the Google integration here for that but on the flip side
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this is a vehicle that's selling in 2025 that as far as we can tell on this first drive has
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no wireless carplay option. There is a USB-C plug in this tiny little space down here
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but that's it and that just feels like a bit of a miss. Now, in America, the 2025.5 XC90 will ring in at $58,450 for the mild hybrid, or $73,000 for the T8
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Now, both of these prices are predestination. At the time of filming, Volvo Canada had yet to release pricing details on the updated model
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Expect increases roughly in line with those in the States, so around about a grand or so
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which should put the T8 right around 100,000 loonies. That the 2025.5 Volvo XC90 is largely the same under the skin is a good thing
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This three-row is one smooth operator, which is why it has remained one of our favorites in the segment this whole time
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The updated style and tech keep the package fresh and give buyers another option if they aren't ready for the full electric EX90
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The march of progress means competitors have eclipsed the T8's combination of power and range
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but taken as a whole, the XC90 remains a well-rounded SUV with an ageless charm
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