Volvo XC90

Volvo XC90
Manufacturer	Volvo Cars
Parent company	Ford Motor Company
Production	2002–present
Assembly	Torslanda, Sweden Shah Alam, Malaysia
Class	Mid-size luxury crossover SUV
Layout	Front engine, four-wheel drive
Platform	Volvo P2 platform
Engine(s)	2.5 L 210 hp turbocharged I5 2.9 L (straight-6, 272 hp), 3.2 L 238 hp I6 4.4 L 315 hp V8 2.4 L 185 hp (163 hp) Diesel I5
Transmission(s)	5-speed manual, 5/6-speed automatic
Wheelbase	2003-04 & 2007-present: 2857 mm (112.5 in) 2005-06: 2859 mm (112.6 in)
Length	2003-06: 4821 mm (189.8 in) 2007-present: 4807 mm (189.3 in)
Width	1909 mm (74.7 in)
Height	1784 mm (70.2 in)
Fuel capacity	80 L (21.1 US gal/17.6 imp gal)
Related	Volvo S60 Volvo S80 Volvo V70 Volvo XC70

The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by Swedish automaker Volvo Cars since 2002, it was unveiled in Detroit Motor Show 2002. It is based on the Volvo P2 platform, shared with the Volvo S80 and other larger Volvo cars. It is Volvo's top-selling vehicle in the United States accounting for roughly 25% of the company's sales there. It is also Volvo's best selling model worldwide with 85,994 cars sold in 2005. It was launched at the same time as the Infiniti FX and Porsche Cayenne. A new Volvo/Yamaha V8 engine was added in 2005. This 4.4 L Yamaha V8 engine produces 311 hp (232 kW) and 325 ft·lbf (441 Nm) of torque. The XC90 V8 will be priced at just over US$45,000 and it is expected that more than 15,000 would be sold per year. The XC90 won the North American Car of the Year award and Motor Trend magazine's Sport/Utility of the Year for 2003. The XC90 was updated for 2007 with a subtly-restyled front and rear and a more luxurious interior. The 235 hp 3.2 L SI6 straight-6 engine replaced the 208 hp B524T2 straight-5 in the base model for the US market. The 2007 XC90 debuted in April 2006 at the New York Auto Show. The XC90 is produced at Volvo's Torslanda plant in Sweden.

Safety

2007 Volvo XC90 V8

The Volvo XC90 SUV is one of the world's best safety performing luxury SUVs to date. The Volvo XC90 has been used as bench mark when it comes to safety features such as the front, side, and rear impact crash tests. The XC90 is also known for the world's best performance in the SUV roll over test, as many other premium brands neglect to test this feature on their models. The Volvo XC90 front end is specifically designed to absorb frontal impacts and also deflect any pedestrians up on to the hood of the vehicle rather than underneath the bonnet. Volvo has patented the unique frontal structure that has renowned crumple zones, and a pre-determined positions for the engine and other ancillaries during a frontal impact. The XC90's roof is reinforced with ultra high strength steel to help prevent a collapse in the passenger cavity in the event of a roll over. This Volvo system is called ROPS, and is closely associated with the RSC, DSTC, and SIPS systems of Volvo to prevent and ultimately minimize effects of a pending accident. This Volvo SUV has been designed on the rear end to absorb impact energy, but the occupants are also protected by one of the world's most advanced whiplash protection systems. This Volvo WHIPS system cradles the entire body of the occupants when jolted in a rear end collision. The XC90 has scored the highest rating of "Good" in the IIHS crash test; notably the rear impact, side impact, and roll over; for numerous years since its debut and most recently on July 3, 2007. The XC90 also contains the first built in booster seat.

The 2007 recall

At the end of July 2007, Volvo Car Corp. announced the recall of 42,211 2005 year XC90's in order to check their batteries to avoid the risk of an internal short circuit and fire. The vehicles were manufactured in the Swedish Torslanda plant between June 7, 2004 and May 13, 2005.^[1] The recall only applies to cars in the U.S. and Canada.^[2]

Second Generation

The Volvo XC90 is said to be undergoing a major facelift for 2010, then it will be completly replaced by a new XC90 SUV in 2012.^[3]

References

1. ^ "Volvo recalls SUVs due to fire risk", Bloomberg News / The Arizona Republic, 2007-07-25. Retrieved on 2007-07-27. 
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ http://money.cnn.com/2007/12/17/magazines/fortune/motorworld_suv.fortune/index.htm

External links

• XC90 Gallery - FamilyCar.com