In my opinion, that's a hallmark of good design. A departure from other recent Volvos, it effectively makes them look old and outdated. The 2016 XC90 could be accused of being boxy and upright, but I think it looks elegant and is a just as luxurious as the Mercedes-Benz GLE and BMW X5. Even though I don't think looks have anything to do with the quality of a vehicle, they do play a major role in buyers' purchase decisions. That all-electric range gives the T8 a 59 MPGe rating in the EPA's electric/gasoline test cycle.The looks are elegant. Opt for the Pure Electric mode the T8 can deliver an estimated 17 miles of all-electric range, though not with quite as much power as when the engine is involved. Zero to 60 mph arrives less than a half second quicker, but this power plant feels much stronger, especially when drivers choose the aggressively programmed Power mode. The rear motor provides all-wheel-drive capability, while the front motor recaptures electricity from braking, starts the engine when needed, and aids the engine as well. It is teamed with a pair of electric motors that turn the XC90 into a plug-in hybrid and increase total output to 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque. EPA fuel economy ratings are 20 mpg city/25 highway.Ä«uyers who choose the "Twin Engine" T8 model get the same engine but with more power and better fuel economy. The 0 to 60 mph sprint takes just 6.1 seconds, but we found mid-range response to be lacking until the eight-speed automatic transmission can downshift a couple gears. All that forced air helps this small engine produce 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The T6 model comes with Volvo's Drive-E 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is both supercharged and turbocharged. That's not because they're lacking they're just small in a market that offers turbocharged V6s and V8s. While the XC90's dynamics should win over buyers, the available engines may not. The SPA platform will underpin several Volvos in the future and it should serve those models well. All models we drove, however, featured the $1,800 air suspension that provided a good balance of responsive handling with a smooth ride, even with the available 21-inch wheels. The front suspension is a desirable double-wishbone setup, while the rear features a somewhat odd transverse leaf spring. Though large, it drives smaller than its size, with nicely weighted, direct steering. It rides on the brand's new Scalable Product Architecture that comes standard with all-wheel drive. The XC90 is also competitive with its European rivals in terms of road manners. With all the seats up there is a tight 13 cubic feet for cargo. In that configuration it has 41.8 cubic feet of cargo volume and room for five. Both the second- and third-row seats fold flat to open up a generous 85.7 cubic feet of cargo space, but the XC90 will be most useful for people and cargo with the third row folded. Moving the second-row seats a bit forward opens up enough legroom for adults to fit in the third row, but headroom back there will be too tight for anyone over 5 feet, 6 inches tall. It includes a built-in child booster seat, and it can be moved backward and forward up to 5.5 inches by a second-row occupant or by a parent from the front seat. The second-row seats fold in a 40/20/40 split, and the center seat is especially useful. The front seats are thinner than those of the last generation, but they still deliver best-in-class comfort. Volvo also makes great use of the new model's larger interior space. However, infotainment systems prove themselves over time by being glitch-free and easy to use on a daily basis, so the jury is still out on Sensus, but our initial impression is very favorable. We grew accustomed to it in our limited exposure. It has pinch and stretch controls, and you can swipe left or right to access deeper menus. When one tile is chosen it gets larger, and the others get smaller but are still visible. The climate controls are at the very bottom, essentially constituting a fifth tile. The screen is divided into four tiles, with the controls you are more likely to touch located on the bottom where they are easier to reach. Instead of a horizontal screen like almost every other vehicle on the market, Volvo's new Sensus system uses a vertically-oriented screen that's about the size of an iPad. The infotainment system is even more impressive.
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