Volvo XC90 Ocean Race Special Edition Range : NAUTICAL BUT NICE

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Now theres a 4x4 for people with salt water running through their veins and the sound of the sea ringing in their ears. Or indeed anyone who fancies a good-looking Volvo XC90 at a value price. Steve Walker reports

Batten down the hatches, splice the mainbrace and shiver your timbers. No, me harties, it isnt International Talk Like A Pirate Day unless you happen to be reading this on September 19th when, oddly enough, there is such a thing as International Talk Like A Pirate Day. No, its a new special edition from Volvo with a pronounced seafaring slant. Volvo have gone all maritime on us with their sponsorship of the Volvo Ocean Race and now we can drive a car that shares a name with this prestigious round-the-world yachting event.

The Volvo XC90 Ocean Race is here and she be a fine vessel indeed.

Were told that the Volvo Ocean Race is the ultimate sailing endurance event, crossing four oceans and calling in on five continents over a 33,000-mile course. The competitors will be frantically winding handles, hoisting sails and tying knots aboard some of the worlds most advanced racing yachts without a barnacle-encrusted frigate in sight and, hopefully, no pirates. Its the adventurous, hi-tec image of modern sailing that Volvo are hoping to tap into with their sponsorship of this escapade against the elements and if some of that can rub off onto the XC90 4x4, then so much the better. Customers actually have the choice of Ocean Race special editions of three different Volvo models but well be leaving the V70 Ocean Race and the XC70 Ocean Race in dry dock for the purposes of this article and concentrating on the XC90 Ocean Race.

Volvo have done quite a thorough job of marking the vehicle out from ordinary XC90s. For a start, the bodywork is coated in Ocean Blue pearlescent paint which isnt offered elsewhere in the range (though you can ask for Electric Silver if that doesnt suit. The cars appearance is further enhanced with a new, more exclusively designed Volvo Ocean Race emblem and chrome exterior details. All the cars feature full Ocean Race leather upholstery and are available in Soft Beige or Off Black with the centre console and other details in silk matt aluminium inlays.

Better still, all Ocean Race customers get a branded key ring to leave casually placed on the Yacht Club bar. All these additions come on top of the standard SE specification and so the XC90 Ocean Race comes completely shipshape and Bristol fashion with features like cruise control, an electric drivers seat with memory functions, 18" alloy wheels, rear parking assist and a 6-CD autochanger. Most customers will go for the five cylinder D5 diesel version, though a 3.2-litre six cylinder petrol variant is also being offered. Expect the vehicle to cost around £1,000 more than an equivalent SE model, which means that the Ocean Race XC90 range starts in D5 diesel form from around £36,500.

"all Ocean Race customers get a branded key ring to leave casually placed on the Yacht club bar"

Volvos D5 engine used to produce 163bhp but a series of revisions to the unit boosted power to todays 185bhp and made it Euro IV compliant. It certainly wont break the bank to run, returning an average fuel figure of 34mpg, enjoying Euro IV status for tax purposes and producing CO2 figures of just 219g/km, which are especially good for such a large vehicle. The towing capacity of 2,250kg will also appeal to those with boats or caravans. Still, a good deal is being asked of that diesel engine.

That said, only footballers and rap stars generally buy big 4x4s for their performance credentials and for the majority of us, the generous 400Nm torque figure of the diesel engine will be quite adequate. The 60mph increment passes in around 11 seconds and a top speed in the region of 120mph is perfectly acceptable for all but the most merciless autobahn stormer. The XC90 D5 isnt averse to a bit of the rough stuff, the adequate ground clearance, compact overhangs, diesel lugging power and comparatively low centre of gravity making it proficient but not in the same league as something like Land Rovers Discovery. It uses an electronically-controlled permanent 4x4 system with a Haldex differential calculating how much drive should be directed to the rear wheels, typically anything from 5 to 65%.

Unlike most of its rivals, the XC90 seats seven as standard with a set of rear seats that adults can occasionally use. Despite this, the cars footprint remains usefully small. Being a Volvo, the XC90 isnt shy of safety features. The innovative Roll Stability Control (RSC) system received the World Traffic Safety Symposium Manufacturers Award.

In order to prevent the XC90 going dirty side up in the first instance, sophisticated gyroscopically controlled stability software steadies even the most radical lane changing behaviour. Should you hit a kerb or ditch and roll the XC90, it features a boron-reinforced roof to prevent the upper body deforming. Finally, the car also features curtain airbags that stay inflated ten times longer than normal bags in order to ensure passengers are kept away from flying glass and insulated from doorframes during a roll. A demonstration outside Gothenburg where an XC90 was filled with crash test dummies and then walloped in the side by an iron sled proved how effective the system was.

Despite being thrown into four-barrel rolls by this 30-tonne impact, the dummies were all safely restrained in their seats. So, passengers are safe. What about other road users? Volvo have fitted a low-level impact absorbing cross member behind the front spoiler to prevent the high, wide and handsome XC90 riding up and over more vertically challenged vehicles. As for the Ocean Race special edition, its collection of cosmetic enhancements will be worth the £1,000 premium to some but if Volvo really wanted prospective buyers beating the showroom door down, perhaps a few more substantial features could have been included.

The marques sponsorship of the Volvo Ocean Race could prove a shrewd move if it helps the XC90 attain more of a rugged, outdoorsy image. At the moment, its probably the most family-friendly luxury 4x4 you can buy but fashion-conscious buyers may bypass it in favour of rival products that display more cachet. With its nautical marketing tie-in, you can imagine the XC90 Ocean Race becoming the 4x4 to have amongst the boaty Howards Way set but it will need to catch on with land-locked buyers before it really gets the wind in its sails.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Volvo XC90 Ocean Race special edition range
PRICES: from £36,500 [approx] - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 15-16
CO2 EMISSIONS: 219-289g/km
PERFORMANCE: [D5] Max Speed 121mph / 0-60mph 10.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [D5] (urban) 26.4mpg / (extra urban) 40.9mpg /(combined) 34.0mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Front and side airbags / ABS / SIPS / WHIPS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4733/1860/1562mm