The second-generation Volvo XC90 is not in the first flush of youth, but in a U-turn from a previous corporate policy laid down in 2021 - in which the Swedish company said it would only be selling electric vehicles (EVs) from 2030 onwards - market forces have dictated that the bosses at Gothenburg needed to have a rethink.
That means hybrids have a longer-term future within Volvo’s ranks, so what better way to keep the line going with a second refresh of the 2015-launched flagship seven-seat SUV? We’ve driven the updated XC90 in its homeland of Sweden, heading into the southern part of the country over the Øresund Bridge from Denmark’s capital Copenhagen, to find out if it remains competitive in the premium marketplace.
How much is the 2025 Volvo XC90 T8 in Ireland?
Although the B5 and B6 mild-hybrid XC90s continue in other markets, for now it looks like we’ll only be getting the T8 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which is the range-topping drivetrain. This means the XC90 is not cheap, with an entry-level Plus-specification car coming in at a whisker below 100 grand (€99,895).
A fully loaded Ultra like our test vehicle is even more, at €106,995, and while that’s not outrageously overpriced compared to similar prestige, plug-in-hybrid SUVs with seven seats onboard, it might still feel bold for a nine-year-old design fitted with a four-cylinder, 2.0-litre engine. At least equipment levels are generous on the Plus, and comprehensive on the Ultra, while the seven-seat format is the standard layout.
What’s different on the outside of the new Volvo XC90 T8?
The overall form is familiar from 2015, with even the 2020 update not doing much to change the visuals. For the 2025 model year XC90s, the most obvious new feature is a radiator grille with opposing diagonal lines on its two halves; maybe it’s just us, but it reminds us of the design of a wrapover top, and we’re not yet convinced whether it’s nice or not.
Framing this are the T-shaped ‘Thor hammer’ daytime running lamps (DRLs) that have been a signature of this SUV since the start, but where they were solid lights before, now it is only the outlines of the shapes which are illuminated. Beyond this, darkened rear lamp clusters, a body colour called Mulberry Red and a choice of fresh 20- and 21-inch alloy wheels are the only other alterations to the XC90’s exterior.
A look inside the Volvo XC90 T8
One of the best interiors in any vehicle has been preserved for the latest Volvo XC90, which is most excellent news indeed. It is said that the dashboard has a ‘more horizontal design’ to accommodate the main new item within (we’ll come onto that in the section of the review below), although we couldn’t particularly tell that about the fascia’s geometry. Material finishing, the solidity of the build, the view out of the SUV in all directions, and the sheer, plush comfort of the seats all makes this a splendid place to have to spend some time.
Those wanting more practicality will like the revised cupholders, which are in a 2+1 formation (that simply meaning two full-sized cup receptacles and then a slot for a slender can), and the fact the Volvo remains very spacious onboard: people up to 5ft 8in tall can sit in row three according to Volvo, there’s acres of space in row two, and the boot is a decent size no matter how many of the XC90’s seats you need to occupy for a journey.
The Volvo XC90 T8’s on-board technology
With a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, the option of a head-up display (standard on the Ultra) and the repositioning of the wireless smartphone charging pad, the principal detail here pertains to the infotainment system. The old nine-inch item with Volvo operating software has been replaced with a Google-enabled 11.2-inch unit, borrowed from the EX30 and EX90 electric models.
This has resulted in a much-improved interface, even if there’s still quite a lot of the car’s features which are run through the screen. Thankfully, with its intelligent layout, rapid responses to inputs and crisper graphics, using the infotainment either when standing still or on the move is more intuitive than it was before, so the XC90 doesn’t feel hopelessly off the technological pace for this class of vehicle.
How safe is the Volvo XC90 T8?
The words ‘Volvo’ and ‘safety’ are intrinsically linked, really, aren’t they? You can’t think of one without the other in many ways, and the XC90 is a paragon in this field. It picked up a full five-star Euro NCAP rating back in 2015 when it was new, scoring comfortably more than 90 per cent in both the adult occupant and safety assist categories. The testing procedure has been toughened up since then, but there’s little doubt the Volvo would still be able to pick up full marks if it were put through its paces once more. It comes with a wealth of advanced driver assist safety (ADAS) features as standard and has its own Volvo-specific features, such as anti-whiplash seats and the run-off road mitigation package.
How many child seats can I fit in the Volvo XC90 T8?
This isn’t one of the Volvo XC90’s stronger suits if you’re specifically after ISOFIX mounting points, because despite being a seven-seater and aimed at families, there are but two full ISOFIX positions in the SUV, these on the outer two seats of the middle row. You can of course install seatbelt-secured child seats anywhere you like in the back five seats of the cabin, while the central pew in the middle row has Volvo’s integrated booster cushion built into it - allowing for children of the appropriate size to sit there using just the vehicle’s seatbelt.
However, if it had ISOFIX on four out of the five rear-most seats, or even all five, or further offered the option of ISOFIX on the front passenger chair, then we’d be praising the XC90 even more highly than we already do.
Driving the Volvo XC90 T8
There have been detail and set-up tweaks to the suspension of the latest XC90, with Volvo’s main switch being the adoption of frequency selective dampers (FSDs) as the standard set-up. However, that’s for the wider range - here in Ireland, the only model (the T8) comes with four-corner air suspension from the off.
This is good news, though, because having driven both suspension types back-to-back, we were of the opinion anyway that air is the superior choice. It seemed to better isolate its occupants from larger lumps in the road and the general tyre-related chatter of road noise; put simply, to travel in an XC90 on air is as relaxing as simply gazing upon its exquisite interior architecture and then settling back into the cosseting splendour of its seats.
This silken deportment couples to an excellent powertrain that has plenty of shove, thanks to impressive on-paper peak stats of 455hp and 709Nm. The 5.4-second 0-100km/h time of the T8 only tells half the story of how eager the big Volvo SUV is to hitch up its skirts and dash for the horizon, and better still the supercharger in the 2.0-litre engine adds an appealingly hard-edged snarl to the XC90’s acceleration efforts, so it sounds great as it pulls for the redline. A slick, if by no means flawless, eight-speed automatic transmission and the traction advantages of Volvo’s four-wheel-drive system all add up to a PHEV propulsion system that feels every inch premium enough for the vehicle it is installed in.
But the XC90’s primary remits remain supreme ride comfort and epic rolling refinement - it’s not supposed to be sporty in the slightest. Thankfully, as it aces both of these briefs, we can therefore let it off for the fact it remains one of the more aloof vehicles in this class for handling prowess. It is certainly adept in this regard, with admirable levels of body and wheel control, surprisingly informative steering, and masses of grip and traction to play with, but while you can most definitely hustle an XC90 T8 along a twisting road at a decent pace without making all your passengers violently ill, there’s little point in doing so because the Swedish machine doesn’t feel that invigorating in such circumstances.
It has perfectly adequate handling abilities for what its owners will ever need it to do; it does not, however, have a chassis that will ever engage a lone, keen driver sitting onboard the XC90, who suddenly wants to find out if they’re sitting in a Scandinavian seven-seat Porsche Cayenne when the corners arrive on a challenging road.
How economical is the Volvo XC90 T8?
Volvo quotes 1.2-1.6 litres/100km of fuel consumption (equivalent to about 177- to 235mpg), but as we all know by now, idiosyncrasies with the way the WLTP official tests are conducted wildly skew the figures of a PHEV. Realistically, the only way you’re ever going to get remotely near those sorts of numbers is by charging the thing up with mains electricity with an almost quasi-religious zeal, and then driving it nigh-on entirely using its electric power alone.
The minute you resort to using the petrol engine, the returns tumble and we actually saw 9.2 litres/100km (30.7mpg) across a mixed-roads 105km drive. That’s not bad for a 455hp, 2.2-tonne-plus SUV with a petrol engine and seven seats, granted, but not brilliant compared to the quoted three-figure numbers. At least the Volvo will be privy to certain beneficial tax breaks here, which makes running the T8 not as expensive as it would be if there were no hybrid gear fitted to its drivetrain whatsoever.
Perhaps the major drawback is the size of the battery, which has 14.7kWh of usable capacity. That’s OK and nothing more these days in PHEV circles, as most of the Volvo’s rivals now have batteries well in excess of 20kWh - and those, in turn, mean electric-driving ranges of 100km and more. As a result, the 71km theoretical maximum of the XC90 T8 looks a little undernourished, especially when you realise you’ll probably get more like 50km out of the SUV in realistic driving conditions.
The reasons you’d buy a Volvo XC90 T8
The appeal of the Volvo XC90 is much as it ever was. This is a premium, seven-seat SUV with sleek exterior looks, a marvellous interior, super-comfortable chairs fitted to it and a level of dignified rolling refinement that makes every easy-going km in it a pleasure. There are sharper-to-drive competitors in this class, and it could be argued that not enough has changed on the Volvo this time around to overlook the fact the basic underlying architecture has been on sale for nine years now, but by our reckoning this remains one of the finest family chariots of its type for the money. The XC90 was, is and probably forever more shall be a truly marvellous all-rounder.
Ask us anything about the Volvo XC90 T8
If there’s anything about the Volvo XC90 T8 we’ve not covered, or you’d like advice in choosing between it and other cars, you can avail of our (completely free) expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.
