Volvo XC90 - Interior, design and technology

Volvo says there are ‘Scandinavian influences’ everywhere in the XC90, such as the brand’s now signature T-shaped ‘Thor’s Hammer’ daytime running lights. The narrow light bars give the XC90 an aggressive glare, helped by its deep front bumper and bluff radiator grille.

The Volvo’s interior design has aged extremely gracefully, and it manages to do a reasonable (if not perfect) job of mixing touch-sensitive controls and physical buttons.

What is the Volvo XC90 like inside?

Even almost 10 years on from its initial launch, the XC90 is still a wonderful place to sit. It’s at its best in top-spec Ultra form, where leather trim on the dashboard and the use of differing shades of materials and open-pore woods gives a uniquely Swedish vibe that manages to feel hi-tech yet relaxing, and posh yet not ostentatious.

What is the interior quality like?

Everything feels solid and sturdy inside. The window switches and column stalks are suitably chunky, and most of the materials feel very high-end. When hard plastic does appear, it tends to be found lower down in the footwells, where it’s not really an issue anyway.

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

A digital instrument panel is standard throughout the range. It’s not particularly high-resolution compared with the class leaders, and there’s much less scope for rearranging the layout than you’ll find in an Audi Q7, for example.

The XC90 is due to be updated soon, but when it comes to display sharpness and loading times, the current Android Automotive OS set-up is still very impressive. The mapping looks fantastic on the nine-inch touchscreen, and if you enjoy music, then the Bowers & Wilkins sound system fitted to top-spec models is among the best in-car audio we’ve ever heard. 

Those with Google accounts (which is probably most of us these days) can also log in and access previous destinations stored in other devices, as well as use the Google Play Store to download car-friendly Android apps, such as Spotify.

On the downside, some of the on-screen keys are small and quite fiddly to use, and that includes the climate controls, which are only accessible through the display.