Volvo reveals new XC90; limited diesel, gasoline First Edition on sale only online
27 August 2014
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The new XC90, with “Thor’s hammer” DRL lights. Click to enlarge. |
Volvo Cars revealed the XC90, its new 7-seat SUV, at an event in Sweden. Three years in the making and part of an $11-billion investment program, the new XC90 leverages the new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) technology, and will offer a range of two-liter, four-cylinder Drive-E powertrains. The two launch engines are the D5 twin turbo diesel and the T6 supercharged and turbocharged gasoline unit. Top of the model range will be the XC90 Twin Engine—a plug-in hybrid delivering around 400 hp (298 kW) with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of around 60 g/km (NEDC driving cycle). (Earlier post.)
Volvo Cars also announced the release of a limited First Edition of its new flagship; the 1,927 individually numbered cars celebrate the year Volvo was founded and will only be available for sale online at www.volvocars.com, beginning 3 Sep.
The engines are teamed with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The 4-corner air suspension includes Four-C, an electronically controlled damping system. There is a choice of five modes, including one in which the driver is free to tailor the settings to his or her personal taste.
For the North American market, the suggested price of the First Edition is $65,900. Full details on standard pricing will come later, but Volvo did say that a well-equipped XC90 T6 AWD will have a starting price of $48,900. The XC90 T6 AWD will come standard with such features as Navigation, 19" wheels, a power laminated panoramic sunroof, and car connectivity.
The all-new XC90 features an advanced safety package including two world-first safety technologies: a run-off road protection package and auto brake at intersection capability. (Earlier post.)
In a run-off road scenario, the all-new Volvo XC90 detects what is happening and the front safety belts are tightened to keep the occupants in position. To help prevent spine injuries, energy-absorbing functionality between the seat and seat frame cushions the vertical forces that can arise when the car encounters a hard landing in the terrain.
The XC90 is also the first car with technology that features automatic braking if the driver turns in front of an oncoming car. This is a common scenario at busy city crossings as well as on highways, where the speed limit is higher.
City Safety is the umbrella name for all of Volvo Cars’ auto brake functions, which are standard equipment in the all-new XC90. It now covers vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians in front of the car, day and night.
Volvo is focusing on three areas to help it reach Vision 2020 (no serious injuries or related deaths in Volvo cars): safety, connectivity and autonomous drive.
With the XC90, we take the first step towards self-driving cars. A new function that automatically follows the vehicle ahead in stop-and-go traffic will provide a radically simplified, semi-autonomous driving experience.
—Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President, Product Strategy and Vehicle Line Management of Volvo Car Group
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Volvo’s new face. The new XC90 will be the first Volvo car to carry the company’s new more prominent iron mark, which has the iconic arrow aligned with the diagonal slash across the grille. Together with the T-shaped “Thor’s Hammer” DRL lights, the iron mark introduces a new face for Volvo’s forthcoming generation of cars.
The XC90’s larger hood with its new topography, the beltline and the sharpened shoulders connecting with the tattoo-like, new rear lights are other important design signatures that will be mirrored across the range. To add more visual muscle from the sides, the XC90 comes with a range of wheel sizes up to 22 inches.
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