13/07/2025

theSunday Special XIV ON SUNDAY JULY 13, 2025

The Thor’s Hammer DRL have been redesigned.

The SUV is powered by a 2.0-litre, turbocharged engine.

Rear passengers get their own air conditioning settings.

the engine and electric motor are working in unison to propel the car forwards. And if the electric motor runs out of battery, you have two options to recharge. Being a plug-in hybrid, you can either recharge the 18.8kWh battery by plugging in to a 3.7kW or a 6.4kW AC charger. The former will charge the battery in just five hours while the latter will do it in just three hours. There’s no option for DC charging. But if plugging in is not your thing, you can still recharge the battery using a dedi cated mode that recharges the battery as you drive along. This uses the engine as well as the brakes to charge the battery. And when fully charged, you get an all-electric drive range of 77km. Is it worth buying? The next time you are on the road, keep an eye out for the number of Volvo XC90’s you come across. There’s a very good rea son why there are so many of them, and that is because they are good cars. Some say the XC90 is the best pre mium 7-seater SUV you can buy today, and I will not argue against that. In fact, I will go further to say that the PHEV model is the only SUV you need if there are three things you want in a car, the first being for the family – to keep them safe; second to enjoy driving and third to be driven in. The XC90 has all of them in a beautiful package. And being a Volvo, I don’t even need to mention safety. It is as synonymous with Volvo as a Ramly Burger is with Malaysian street food culture. So it is not a matter of whether or not it is worth buying, if you are looking for a Premium 7-seater SUV, it simply doesn’t get better than a Volvo XC90 T8 PHEV. Specifications: Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylin der, petrol Power: 462PS and 709Nm (combined with electric motor) Transmission: 8-speed automatic Fuel consumption: 1.8-litres / 100km Recharging: 3.7kW & 6.4kW AC charging We like: Drive quality, power, comfort. We don’t like: Blind Spot Monitoring could do with acoustic warning.

on Volvo’s colourful history in Malaysia. It is available in two variants, the flag ship XC90 Ultra T8 PHEV priced at RM434,888 and the Ultra B5 priced at RM418,888. The two offer different powertrains, the flagship is powered by a plug-in hybrid while the latter offers a more con ventional internal combustion engine for propulsion. Besides the powertrain, the modern icon also features several design updates that have transformed the car to an ele gant big SUV that exudes regal class on the road. It literally turns heads. For one, the entire front end is new. The fenders and the bonnet has been redesigned. The criss-crossed grille is now wider and more elegant than ever. The T-shaped daytime running lights is now longer and makes the entire front end appear wider than the predecessor. But in actual fact, the overall dimensions of the car remain the same. The side profile and the rear of the car remain largely the same while the 20 inch wheels have been slightly redes igned. Updates inside the XC90 The interior of the new XC90 retains the same minimalistic design which first debuted with its predecessor. It does not try very hard to impress and retains an elegant charm along the way. Everything is there to serve a purpose, and everything feels well-built and to the point. No unnecessary drama here. Even the updates feel purposeful. While the interior may feel familiar with the same layout as before, the big gest update inside is the new 11.2-inch infotainment touchscreen system. While previously it was embedded into the dash, now it comes across as if it is free-floating on the dash. It even looks like it can be unlatched and taken along with you. The design of the infotainment system is not the only thing that is new, it also has a pixel density that is 21% higher for sharper resolution. It still runs on a Google operating sys tem which to me is the best in-car system, ever. It even has one of the most accurate voice command systems in a car. Apple and Android users will both be

The new XC90 retains the same minimalistic interior design.

while the air suspension makes mince meat of road undulations and such. You hear or feel nearly nothing of the world outside save for the loudest of exhaust or deepest of potholes. The refinement levels and ride quality are among the best in the business. In fact, competitors like the Mercedes Benz GLE and BMW X5 will struggle to match it while the dearer Porsche Cayenne has a firmer, sportier ride qual ity. So, if comfort and refinement is what you want then the XC90 is the Premium SUV for you. As for the powertrain, the T8 PHEV is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, tur bocharged engine, in fact both T8 and B8 variants are powered by the same engine. In the T8, the engine produces 317PS and 400Nm of torque, driven to the front wheels through an ultra-smooth eight speed transmission. But there’s also an electric motor at the rear axle that churns out a further 145PS and 309Nm of torque. This catapults the total system output to a gargantuan 462PS and a whopping 709Nm, which is the same output num bers as the pre-facelift models. These power figures are good to sling shot the XC90 to 100kph in just 5.3 sec onds and onto an electronically limited top speed of 180kph. You feel the powerplant at work every time you flex your right foot. There’s a gentle push into the seats as a slight hum encroaches into the cabin, indicating that

able to appreciate the onboard operating system, so you don’t really need Apple Carplay and Android Auto, but the car does offer both, just in case. Navigation is provided by Google Maps as well, which is arguably the best in the business, for me at least. But you can download applications if you prefer something else. Besides that, there is a new bottom chrome frame underneath the dash board, while the air-conditioning vents have been redesigned. Further updates include new cuphold ers at the centre console, a repositioned wireless charger and upgraded ambient lighting. If music is your thing, you will love the 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound sys tem. You can quite literally feel the bass in your heart and the treble at the very edges of your eardrums. Topping it all off are some of the best seats in the business wrapped in Nappa leather with full electric adjustment and ventilation function as well. The second row is generously spaced while the third row will fit teenagers and shorter adults comfortably. The good thing is the second and third rows have their own air-conditioning vents so no one will be left wanting. How does it drive? I have only driven the XC90 T9 PHEV, so I’ll focus on that instead. It is one of the most refined cars in the business. Sound insulation is exemplary