[nd4$pd]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Features

A view of the nice and clear reversing camera. I was hoping for multiple cameras giving an all-round view:

This is what I don't like. Volvo is charging a premium and at the same time removing features which are available in other "developed" markets.
The 360 view park assist should have been made available in India.

Unlike their radar based safety systems which the Govt. of India does not allow (only recently has the GOI deregulated some bands), the 360 park assist is just a matter of adding 4 concealed fish-eye lens cameras.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by vishal9999

I agree with all the above points but my perception has completely changed after owning Toyota Camry hybrid, I can hardly imagine going back to any diesel car - feeling the petrol pleasure after 10 long years.

Understandable . A hybrid gives you the best of both worlds. I'm a big fan of the Camry Hybrid.

But it has to be priced well. The XC90 Hybrid carries a GBP 13,000 premium over the D5 diesel. That's 13 lakhs before the additional CBU taxes. Even after the FAME government incentive of ~1.5 lakhs, you're looking at close to 30 lakhs. No one is going to pay that much more for the Hybrid over the diesel.

[karuvally]

Very fine review mate.
I like the looks of this car, but strangely enough, I miss the old one. I am sure that the older one won't win any beauty awards, its just that I love boxy imposing designs.

[jfxavier]

Excellent review of an excellent car. Rated 5 stars.

Originally Posted by Ash_vtec

Great review ! The only flaw I see is the motor, but then again thats a personal preference.

Volvo just announced the Polestar tuning for the new XC90. maybe that will take care of the need for more power.

Originally Posted by srishiva

Are people ready to buy these since you dont know what and how long the support could be given the meager sales?
I would enjoy to drive it but could never buy something with limited sales.

I understand that Volvo has got confirmed booking for all the cars they plan to import this year. As far as I heard, they are not able to deliver all the bookings this year in India.

Originally Posted by Tanveer_2558

I just hope it sells enough in India though, Its a rare sight to see a volvo in india.

Originally Posted by nmenon

It is sad that our public is more worried about the snob value of a badge over the actual qualities of a vehicle. Cars like Volvo's own V40 are stunning to look at and have all the toys that the competing BMWs, Mercs and Audis have, yet you come across one very rarely.

If you look at the numbers of Volvos sold in India, you are definitely guaranteed "exclusivity". The new generation Volvos definitely look good.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Nice review there Akshay! Thanks for sharing. I feel Volvo is slowly gaining as an option in the luxury segment (250 odd bookings for the XC90 is quite good IMO). Their new design language is quite striking yet very elegant.

Does the XC90 comes with run-flat tyres, or do they provide a space saver spare?

My S60 did not have the space saver. that was one of the first "accessory" I bought. They had given a foam type leak arrestor and compressor. I think they seriously believed or Govt's statements that our roads are fantastic.I understand that there is a space saver in XC90. Better than the foam & compressor I think.

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

So does that mean Volvo's claim to the safest car in the world is not applicable in India?

I think they can say it's arguably India's safest car.

[preetamkabra]

Great review. Captured all the details with smallest of details. I know the car now even though I may not own it... Ever
I had heard about the Volvo Radar system to detect pedestrians and vehicles to auto brake or stop the vehicle (pretty useless in India - as you have already mentioned relating the to lane change et al) - was it not part of thus SUV?

Keep it up.

[jinojohnt]

I read somewhere that the long-wheel-base version of the XC90 is going to be launched in India soon. Any idea on this?

[miharbe]

Excellent and crisp review Akshay! Has the right amount of details!

I dont think most buyers will mind the 2.0 litre 4 cylinder engine. The looks and features should probably make up for that. What is beyond me is the ~13-14 lacs price difference between the two variants on offer. I wonder if its a marketing gimmick to pull people to the showroom with the pricing of the Momentum and then sell them only the Inscription trim which seems to be the case as of now.

I hope this succeeds as it has in some other markets. Love the looks on this one and has to be the most good looking car in the segment amongst the Q7, X5 and GLS!

[charthom]

Great review !!

For the chauffer-driven, the power is sufficient. Especially with a speed limiting optional key available :-)

But why are many features removed-"this much is enough for Indians" attitude?!
They should have given cooled seats,park assist etc.

Exciting review-but the car is not hot enough for 250 blind bookings IMO.

[GTO]

Received the following responses from Volvo India:

1. Does the XC90 come with city safety and automatic braking in India?

City Safety in the XC90 is radar based and hence it is deactivated.

2. Are the radar-based safety features built in and just deactivated? What will be the course of action, now that the government has de-licensed low frequencies for automobile manufacturers to use?

Next step is we will apply for permission to use our radar which falls within the de-licensed frequency. The front radar is fitted in the car but deactivated. It is early for us to tell what features will be activated post permission is secured.

[nakul0888]

Just read somewhere that merc got permission from government to activate their magic body control in their s600 maybach. So Volvo could be able activate their safety systems as well....

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by karan561

IMO the momentum variant makes great sense as the 19" wheels are more practical & few features missing here & there wont really matter comparing to the $$$ saved vs buying the top end model.

Also i know that no 6 cyl at this price point is a joke, But just look at the specs of the 4 cyl i.e 225 hp, 470 nm, its really powerful. Few years back the V6s made this kind of torque.

I would do the opposite, and go for the top end. Just for the cooled seats and the B&W system. Its worth it!

While you are right about the specs, that is just on paper. The actual feel is a different story.

Originally Posted by Asta_la_vista

That was a fantastic review!! Rated 5 stars!!

This car should be the game changer for Volvo in India. I will not be surprised if I spot large number of the new XC90 on the roads, as this generation model had got what the last generation model lacked, Intimidating street credibility.

This one certainly has a whole load of street cred. It will grab a lot of attention, and it bought by the right people (read Bollywood actors) it can raise Volvos brand value in the same way Audi brought up theirs.

Originally Posted by srishiva

Its got a look similar to the Touareg especially from the front side view. Are people ready to buy these since you dont know what and how long the support could be given the meager sales?
I would enjoy to drive it but could never buy something with limited sales.

I don't think Volvo is quitting anytime soon. And their sales may be meager, but they are increasing.

Originally Posted by Ash_vtec

Great review ! The only flaw I see is the motor, but then again thats a personal preference.

Wish they at least offer the twin charged 4 cylinder petrol here as an option in this diesel crazy market. It pumps out 320hp and 400Nm. Wont be greedy and wish for the higher performing petrol hybrid (407 hp & 400Nm) !!!

Have they hinted they might be launching the twin charged petrol variant here ? Maybe as an "R Design" ?

The 400bhp petrol would be a fun car to have. I don't see it coming here any time soon.

There are 2 kits available, one is the R design, and one is some offroad thing which gives you partly black bumpers, etc. Both look great in their own way.

Originally Posted by AnInternetUser

I love the XC90! Always felt that the previous version left a lot to be desired especially from a car which is expensive and competes against cars like the ML. However, I am happy to say that Volvo has given the XC90 some much needed change. I hope to see more of these cars on roads. Always loved Volvo as a brand. How hard is it to maneuver this car in traffic?

Well this one doesn't compete against the ML, but the GL. Its pretty big. In traffic its easy to move around, since its light to drive and has good visibility. Also people tend to give you way.

Originally Posted by Pferdestarke

Outstanding review there akshay! XC90 is a well sorted car in all aspects but the motor in diesel variants is a major let down in my opinion. A 3.0L V6 diesel, at least as an option would be much appealing to enthusiasts in India albeit 2.0L TDI would be the one selling in decent numbers. Coming to safety this beast is a hands-down winner.

I wouldn't call the diesel motor a major let down. It may not be the best, but its not bad either. Its sufficient. In terms of safety it is missing all the radar based detection systems.

Originally Posted by Khushrav

I may stick out like a sore thumb but I do not like the interiors. Going minimalistic on buttons and plonking a large touch screen is not the greatest innovation. I would rather have some more buttons and knobs which are easier to operate while looking at the roads, than fiddle with a touch screen.

One crucial point - I always feel that mentioning the ex-showroom price is a bit like not telling the full story. The OTR of this in Mumbai is 1.1CR. Thus the ex-showroom cost, especially for imports or luxury cars are worthless. They just add to the footfalls in the showrooms but do not always convert into sales.

The interiors definitely felt luxurious. And worth the price. I too prefer to have a few buttons, but this was a refreshing change and it is easy to use. But the learning curve will take a week or two.

True about the price, but then how many of these SUVs are even registered in Mumbai, or even Maharashtra for that matter

Originally Posted by vb-san

Does the XC90 comes with run-flat tyres, or do they provide a space saver spare?

It had a space saver if I'm not mistaken.

Originally Posted by sanj947

Akshay1234 --great review!!! felt as if i was there myself!!

For reasons unknown Volvo doesn't seem totally committed towards the Indian market. Poor dealer network is an obvious sign of this.
Another one is the lack of an local factory/assembly line which all its 3 German counterparts have invested in.
Even Landrover is now assembling locally!!
Until Volvo puts this in place; they will find it very tough to compete IMHO

Volvo is committed to the Indian market, as can be seen from their recent slew of launches. Yes it doesn't take much to launch a CBU, but they have been bringing in quite a few cars.

Also I'm not sure how cash rich the company itself is, to be making big investments into setting up a manufacturing facility here.

Originally Posted by harpreetkanwar

Taking sales from the Q7 would probably not happen given the possible better (lucrative) pricing strategy by Audi - and the subsequent dealer discounts and bonuses, and the Audi Badge to the people with money and no knowledge - plus the 3.0 litre (and more fuel efficient engine) for the people with knowledge and money.

Lets see how the new Q7 fares, and at what price it launches. It doesn't have the aggressive look of the present one, and looks more toned down.

The 3.0 definitely won't be more fuel efficient than this though.

Originally Posted by nd4$pd

This is what I don't like. Volvo is charging a premium and at the same time removing features which are available in other "developed" markets.
The 360 view park assist should have been made available in India.

Unlike their radar based safety systems which the Govt. of India does not allow (only recently has the GOI deregulated some bands), the 360 park assist is just a matter of adding 4 concealed fish-eye lens cameras.

Park assist is available. But yes the 360 degree view would have been good. The competition too doesn't office it at this price point, (save for the GLE 350d) so we should be complaining about them too.

Originally Posted by jfxavier

Excellent review of an excellent car. Rated 5 stars.

Volvo just announced the Polestar tuning for the new XC90. maybe that will take care of the need for more power.

Polestar tuning is for the D5 e drive or something, which is lower spec than what we get here. So for the engine in this tune there is no upgrade yet. Lets wait and watch.

Originally Posted by preetamkabra

Great review. Captured all the details with smallest of details. I know the car now even though I may not own it... Ever
I had heard about the Volvo Radar system to detect pedestrians and vehicles to auto brake or stop the vehicle (pretty useless in India - as you have already mentioned relating the to lane change et al) - was it not part of thus SUV?

Keep it up.

As cleared up by GTO in his post, there was no radar based system active on this car (though installed). But hopefully things will look up with the government opening up a few bands.

Originally Posted by charthom

Great review !!

For the chauffer-driven, the power is sufficient. Especially with a speed limiting optional key available :-)

But why are many features removed-"this much is enough for Indians" attitude?!
They should have given cooled seats,park assist etc.

Exciting review-but the car is not hot enough for 250 blind bookings IMO.

Cooled seats and park assist are very much present. In terms of features there is nothing missing that will be a deal breaker.

[harpreetkanwar]

The 3.0 litre of the Q7 is more fuel efficient and the levels of refinement are unparalleled as reported by thousands of reviewing channels. Carbuyer comparison of the Volvo and the Q7 also showed the Q7 to be more fuel efficient. The 2.0 doesn't do justice to the size of the vehicle.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by harpreetkanwar

The 3.0 litre of the Q7 is more fuel efficient and the levels of refinement are unparalleled as reported by thousands of reviewing channels. Carbuyer comparison of the Volvo and the Q7 also showed the Q7 to be more fuel efficient. The 2.0 doesn't do justice to the size of the vehicle.

Are you speaking of the present Q7 or the new one? The new one thanks to the weight which it has shed may be more fuel efficient. But compared to the present one the Volvo beats in hands down in terms of FE.

[harpreetkanwar]

The new one, the 2015 Q7.

I think the Volvo attracts itself to be driven rather than driven in, given the attractive dash and the very comfortable front seats, it's a shame it lets down on the engine front.

Also:
Coming to the Q7, you never know what #dieselgate does to the newer engines in Audi though lol. Hope the cheat software doesn't exist in the new range else FE / Power might be subject to change.

[Rohan24]

Great review! The new XC90 looks absolutely stunning with those "Thor-hammer" DRLs and all-LED headlights. Design-wise much,much better than the older generation. The engine though, does feel inferior to the competition, at least on paper.
Looks-wise, this looks like a proper,butch SUV, and even more so when compared to the new Q7, which seems to have lost its unique charm in its new Avatar. The rear overhang must be the culprit here.

One thing I didn't get is the deactivation of the radar-based systems. What are the govt. regulations against this? Why prohibit companies from employing safety features in their vehicles? I'm sorry if this is a noob question, but I want to know
I know radar uses radio or microwaves, but what is the reason that the govt. has blocked certain frequencies?