Few car-makers took longer than Volvo to jump into the deep end of the SUV pool. However, the extra time gave Ford’s (at the time) premium Swedish marque the opportunity to assess where the market was going and developed a Volvo appropriate product with which to compete. Although the XC90 shared some engine bay and floorpan architecture with the S60/V70 passenger cars, it was in all other ways an entirely new vehicle. This was no compact: At 188.9 in. long, it resembled the overall package size of Acura’s MDX. It was wide, too, offering exceptional cabin room and comfort. The design team, led by Volvo Design Director Peter Horbury, gave it a handsome, square-rigged face, strong shoulder lines, and a solid looking stance.
Like the MDX, the XC90 was equipped with three-row seating. An interesting innovation was a child safety seat integrated into the second row, which could be moved forward, right to the rear edge of the front center console, so the front seat passenger could tend to , or in other ways interact with the child without having to unbelt and climb in back. Power came via your choice of a five cylinder light pressure turbo or a 272 hp twin turbo inline-six; the former was offered in a choice of front or all wheel drive forms, the latter only AWD.
Appropriately Volvo? The XC90 appeared to be just that.
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