Volvo XC90 2.5T
The XC90 2.5T Slots Into A Model Range That Has Been A Runaway Success. Andy Enright Reports
Although I dont remember a great deal of my economics class at university, I do recall the concept of opportunity cost. Its defined as the cost of something in terms of an opportunity foregone (and the benefits that could be received from that opportunity).
Volvo should know all about opportunity costs when looking back at the launch of the XC90 model and its the result of just that learning process that brings us the 2.5T model we see here.
When the XC90 was first launched back in 2002, the entry level 163bhp D5 diesel model retailed at £28,400 and Volvo were swamped with demand. The XC90 won virtually every luxury 4x4 award you could possibly think of and a few more besides and there followed a swift lesson in another law of economics: supply and demand. The Swedish company nudged the prices up a bit. Still the orders flooded in. Prices crept up again and again.
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Yesterdays D5 diesel has now been replaced by a 185bhp D5 but the last few manual models were sold at £31,735 in early 2005 and a version with the Gearshift automatic transmission can still be purchased for £31,990. Today, the flagship petrol engined car is nearly £46,000 while the entry-level 185bhp D5 diesel costs £32,275 and still there are queues round the block. While this is a nice problem to have, Volvos executives must be kicking themselves when they count the cost of all that lost revenue they could garnered if theyd had a little more confidence in the cars chances from the outset. Still, its no good crying over spilt milk, and another threat was appearing that needed to be pasteurised.
The launch of BMWs X3 in 2004 saw the Bavarian company starting to claw back some of the ground it had lost to
Volvo, especially when it came to the punchy X3 2.5 which retailed at £29,000. Volvo realised that if they could slot an aggressively priced XC90 in at around this price point, they could offer a bigger and more capable car to spike Munichs guns. The XC90 2.
5T is just that car.
"The XC90 2.5T is the car that
BMW X3 product planners really didnt want to see appear"
The engine has already been seen in a number of other Volvo models and its a classy unit, having already proven itself in the XC90 in a number of European countries. This five-cylinder engine uses a light pressure turbocharger to generate 210bhp, getting the big 4x4 to 60mph in a brisk 9.3 seconds. In truth, the amount of urge off the line isnt manifestly different to the range topping T6.
The torque figure of 320Nm is available from as low as 1500rpm, giving this powerplant almost diesel-like low end flexibility. The same cant be said for the fuel economy figure which dips to 17.4mpg around town and manages a rather unimpressive average of 23.9mpg.
Relatively small turbocharged petrol engines in heavy bodies are notoriously thirsty and the figures will nosedive sharply if youre towing. Emissions arent the greatest either at 269g/km for the manual model and 282g/km for the Geartronic auto but its worth bearing in mind that many XC90s are neither bought by corporate purchasers nor cover large private mileages, so the fuel economy and emissions arent the issue they would be in, say, an executive saloon. There are two XC90 2.5 models, the entry-level S version, which retails at £31,235, and the £33,735 SE.
Both compete head on with upspec BMW X3s along with lower level X5 and Mercedes M-Class variants but undercut seriously high-end 4x4 machinery like the
Porsche Cayenne and the Range
Rover. The Volvo is already a car that has attracted some acclaim, Americas Motor Trend magazine naming it their 2003 Sport Utility Vehicle of the Year. Its not only our truck-lovin cousins across the pond who appreciate the XC90 either. It scooped both the 4x4/SUV and Safety awards at the Institute of Vehicle Engineers Awards at the 2002 British International Motorshow.
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 is no bigger than a
Land Rover Discovery. Part of the reason for this apparent miracle of packaging is the compact transverse engine. Equipment levels are predictably good, the S model getting an 8-speaker 160-watt CD system, 17-inch alloy wheels, DSC and traction control, reverse parking sensors and electronic climate control.
To this, the SE adds leather upholstery an in-dash six-disc CD system, 18-inch alloy wheels a drivers
seat with electrical adjustment and mirror memory and aluminium or wood inlays on the dash. Parent company
Ford will, after the Explorer/Firestone debacle, be glad to hear that the XC90s innovative Roll Stability Control (RSC) system received the World Traffic Safety Symposium Manufacturers Award. The XC90 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. This pragmatism is a recurrent theme in the XC90s design process.
Volvo realised that the majority of big 4x4s are bought by women who cite the sense of security as a key buying criterion and the Swedes set up a womens reference group to run the rule over crucial aspects of the cars design. Unbeknown to many, Volvo has in fact tried to enter this market four times in the past, but failed to get their proposals off the ground for a number of internal reasons. The fifth attempt draws upon much of that experience and explains why the XC90 has an uncanny right-first-time look to it. Despite a front end that makes Beachy Head look apologetic, the overall feel isnt overly macho, with steeply raked front and rear screens reducing the overall perception of bulk.
The Volvo XC90 has proved such a success that its still something of a bargain. The 2.5-litre turbo model we examine here didnt need to be particularly good to see off most of the opposition, but contrives to make the T6 seem virtually redundant. Perhaps Volvos product planners have once again shot themselves in the foot.
Either way, expect Volvo dealers to be very busy indeed in the next few months.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volvo XC90 2.5T
PRICES: £31,235 - £33,735 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 16
CO2 EMISSIONS: 269g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 130mph / 0-60mph 9.3s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 23.9mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Front and side airbags / ABS / SIPS / WHIPS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4733/1860/1562mm
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