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By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 72

Volvo's XC90 showcases impressive technology in Recharge T8 Plug-in hybrid guise. There's up to 30 miles of all-electric driving range, a CO2 figure of up to 61g/km and a three-figure fuel return. All delivered with the ability, denied to customers of some other large crossovers, to take seven passengers in comfort. Here's a family-sized SUV more ready than most for a very different world. Here, we look at the earlier 2015-2024-era versions.

Modelsword count: 13

5dr SUV (2.0 turbo & supercharged T8 plug-in hybrid) [Inscription Expression, R-Design, Inscription]

Historyword count: 156

The second generation XC90 was a car that fans of the brand anticipated impatiently and what we got when it arrived in 2014 was worth the wait. Absolutely everything about this MK2 model was fundamentally new and engineered to set fresh class standards. And nowhere was this more evident than with the Recharge T8 Plug-in hybrid petrol/electric variant. The T8 powertrain first arrived for XC90 customers in 2015, then got upgraded with a bigger battery in 2019 when Volvo facelifted the line-up. Here, you get the potential of supermini-style running costs. On top of that, there's the sort of proper full-sized seven-seat versatility that few rivals can credibly offer and the kind of cool, authentic Scandinavian charm that's made a welcome return to the Volvo brand in recent years. This MK2 XC90 was further updated in late 2024, but it's the earlier 2015-2024-era versions of the T8 model we look at here as a used buy.

What You Getword count: 505

The look of this second generation XC90, according to its exterior design manager Anders Gunnarson, needed to be 'timeless'. Hence the considerable depth of thought that's clearly went into a sense of style reflective of brand values both old and new. So many large luxury SUVs appear bulky and intimidating: this isn't one of them. Only very minor visual changes featured with the revised post-2019 version of this model - things like tiny tweaks to the bumper and the air intakes, plus extra black trim on the 'R-Design' version. There was also a slightly redesigned front grille, which as before featured Volvo's traditional Iron Mark logo at its centre. We've always liked the front-of-cabin experience served up by this MK2 XC90. This interior is simple, elegant - and very uncluttered, with only eight buttons on the fascia. The remaining functions you'd normally access through confusing rows of little switches on the dash have been relocated into menu options that lie behind the big, easy-to-use icons you'll find on a smart 9-inch infotainment colour touchscreen that's presented portrait-style on the centre console. You'll glimpse more hi-tech screen technology through the three-spoke wheel courtesy of Volvo's 12.3-inch Active TFT Crystal Driver's Information Display. Otherwise though, this cabin's an aesthetic triumph, immaculately made and full of premium touches like this diamond-cut start/stop control switch and the slatted cover for this centre dash compartment. Your middle row passengers are well catered for, with individual seats that slide and recline for greater comfort on longer journeys. What about this car's proper seven-seat functionality? Well getting to the back row takes a bit of muscular dexterity and as an adult, you'll only be able to install yourself with any kind of comfort if you prevail upon those ahead to move their seats forward a little. But if that's possible, we could believe that a couple of fully-sized adults could cope OK in the very back over short-to-medium-length journeys. As for the boot space on offer, well that falls in comparison to more conventional XC90 variants. With a T8 in 7-seat mode, it's 262-litres up to the window line and 316-litres up to the roof. Most of the time though of course, you'll probably be running the car with the third row chairs folded down, the retracting process much easier than the back-breakingly fumbly machinations you have to go through in a rival Land Rover Discovery to achieve the same end result. Once that's completed, there's a lot of room to play with. On this T8 variant, there's 640-litres if you load to the window line and as much as 967-litres if you load to the roof. You can improve on the figures we've quoted by sliding the second row seats forward if you've uncomplaining middle row passengers on board. Or by making the second row seat backs more upright. Getting more room of course means folding the middle row. On this T8 variant, that frees up 1,005-litres up to the window line or 1,816-litres if you load up to the roof.

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