Yahoo Autos The 2025 1/2 Volvo XC90 Is a Gorgeous Evolution of the Icon
The Volvo XC90 is refreshed as a "2025-1/2" model with a new look and a redesigned interior.
The new interior adds an 11.2-inch vertical touchscreen and carries over the new software from the EX30 and EX90.
Pricing for the updated SUV starts at $59,745, with production scheduled to start later this year and U.S. deliveries expected in early 2025.
Volvo knows it's got a good thing with the XC90 SUV. That's why it hasn't given the three-row SUV a full redesign in 10 years. Now that the electric EX90 is on the scene as the new flagship product, Volvo has decided to refresh the XC90, bringing it out as a "2025-1/2" model with a new look and a redesigned interior to keep it competitive.
Updated Design
With so many competitors in the mid-size luxury SUV class, maintaining an image is important. The updated model takes on a redesign while still very much looking like an XC90. The T-shaped headlights are slimmer and extend farther into the front of the car. Speaking of the front of the car, that's fully redesigned with a special focus on the grille, which gets a new take on Volvo's diagonal motif.
The hood and bumpers are redesigned as well in a simplified appearance compared to the outgoing model. It wouldn't be a proper refresh without new paint and some new wheels, and there are new designs in 20-, 21-, and 22-inch sizes along with a new red paint option called 739 Mulberry Red.
The interior also gets a welcome refresh with design, material, and technology updates. Starting up front, the dashboard uses more textured materials and a flatter design that is broken up by redesigned air vents. The center console is new, with the cupholders adding support for skinny cans and the wireless charger moving behind the central tunnel.
The biggest change to the interior is the center touchscreen, which grows from 9.0 inches to 11.2 inches and gets the same updated user experience as the newer EX30 and EX90 SUVs. It maintains the same portrait orientation, and Volvo says it has a higher pixel density and faster response time than the last version. As with Volvo's other cars, the system is based on Google, and while lots of functions are stuck behind the screen, the software is designed to make key functions accessible with as few taps as possible.
Volvo also added improved insulation to reduce noise from outside the vehicle. Changes to the interior are rounded out with the addition of new chrome inserts for the instrument panel and door panels along with a new environment-focused upholstery.
Familiar Power
Mechanically, the updated XC90 carries on with only a few changes. The standard suspension has been upgraded to include Volvo's Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) technology, which allows each damper to adjust to changing road positions.
The new model is still offered with a trio of powertrains. The standard hybrid models feature a new combustion cycle for better efficiency, though we don't have exact figures yet. The B5 and B6 hybrid options both pair with a 48-volt electric motor, with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine good for 247 horsepower in the base model and 295 in the B6. Thanks to the 14.7-kWh battery, the T8 plug-in-hybrid model can still travel 33 miles in electric mode, according to EPA figures. The plug-in still generates a combined 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque. All three powertrains feature all-wheel drive and connect to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
We won't know pricing for the full lineup until closer to the delivery date, but Volvo has announced that the updated SUV starts at $59,745. Production is planned to start later this year. Deliveries in North America are expected in the first quarter of 2025, with sales of this new half-model-year car slated to overlap with the current XC90.
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