The origins of the all-electric Volvo EX90, the model set to supersede the current, second-generation XC90, can be found in the Swedish automaker’s 2001 Adventure Concept Car, first shown at the Geneva Auto Show.
The production version, named XC90 and Volvo’s first SUV, was introduced early in 2002 at the Detroit Auto Show. Although a late entry into the luxury SUV segment, the XC90 was well received and awarded more than 100 international distinctions, including “SUV of the Year” as early as 2003.
Before sales started in 2003, Volvo dealers already received 15,000 orders for the XC90. It introduced some innovative solutions to many of the problems experienced with earlier SUVs, including the potential to create a flat cargo floor behind the front seats, driving properties equivalent to those of a sedan and leading fuel economy within the segment.
It also presented global innovations, such as RSC (Roll Stability Control) and ROPS (Roll-Over Protection System), inflatable side curtains for all three rows of seats, integrated, adjustable booster cushions for children in the second row, seat belt tensioners for all seats, and a lower crossbeam at the front to activate the safety systems in the event of a collision.
The first generation XC90 was available for 12 years, with many updates during its lifecycle, including a Yamaha-designed transversely mounted 4,4-litre V8 engine before reverting to a naturally aspirated six-cylinder. Altogether 636,143 units of the original XC90 were produced. The second-generation XC90 was introduced in 2015 with turbocharged four-cylinder engines and a hybrid drivetrain.
Report by FERDI DE VOS | Images © VOLVO CARS