Volvos were sensible cars for sensible people. Your uncle or quirky engineer down the street may have driven one. Those safe cars were incredibly well built as evidenced by so many of the boxy old 240s still on the road. Today Volvos, however, seems more like sensible vehicles for the jet set – vehicles like the 2025 Volvo XC90 plug-in hybrid.
You’d be hard pressed to tell the XC90 was last redesigned ten years ago given fresh aero forms, “Thor’s Hammer” headlamps, and accentuated shoulders that recall older Volvos. It now displays a chrome-strewn grille with extra slats and blingy 21” wheels. C-shaped taillamps that extend into the roof pillars connect it with the original XC90. It looks expensive.
Interiors are equally luxurious, but in a Scandinavian mid-century modern kind of way. Every detail is exquisitely considered, but you feel like you can hop in wearing a nice t-shirt, jeans, and casual shoes without feeling underdressed.
You first smell the waft of Nappa leather that upholsters the supportive-yet-plush seats. Then, you notice the dashboard graced with light woodgrain, stitched coverings, and beige canvas. Soon, your backside is heated, ventilated, or massaged – all while drenched in your favorite live musical performance on the Bowers & Wilkins audio system. An Orrefors crystal gear selector is a joy to caress. It somehow makes a Bentley seem underdressed.
Updates in technology keep the XC90 current. Drivers face flatscreen gauges and a head-up display while the center touchscreen has been enlarged to 12.3” with brighter colors and more intuitive menus. It’s really just a plug-in over the old one, but works better. Phones connect with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and wireless charging.
Anyone just planning on riding in the back on the way to their plane will find ample comfort. Our XC90 came with heated rear captain’s chairs and two more zones of climate control. There’s room for kids in the third row or for adults on a quick ride to the hotel. The panoramic sunroof adds bright cheer.
If our jet-setter just needs to get to the jet, it’s no problem since the XC90 can go 32 miles all-electric. And if the plane is grounded, then just keep driving because there’s also a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, connected to an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive. Expect a super frugal 58-MPGe including fossil free miles or 27-MPG as a proper hybrid.
It’s pretty zippy too. Total system output is 455 horsepower and 523 lb.-ft. of torque – enough to propel the big three-row crossover 0-60 mph in just 5 seconds. On a drive with my family from Indianapolis to Nashville, Indiana and back, I tapped the silently smooth electric system in town, then pressed “hold” to save it while on the Interstate. Nicely throttled, the big wagon tracked like Sweden’s high-speed trains with a smooth ride via air suspension.
Safety, a Volvo hallmark, is enhanced by automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and driver alert monitoring. It has adaptive cruise, but it’s time to upgrade to a hands-off system.
There’s a cool photo of an old Volvo 245 Turbo wagon fronting Harrod’s in London. Like the XC90, it echoed its shipping container, but packed performance, technology, and comfort that were as apt crossing rural countryside as indulging in retail therapy. Just don’t expect bargain basement pricing. While the XC90 starts at $59,745, ours rang $88,695. Competitors include the BMW X5 xDrive50e, Mercedes-Benz GLE 450e, Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe and Lexus TX Plug-in Hybrid.
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