Volvo XC90 - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The interior and boot space of the Volvo XC90 has always been a strong point, and very few rivals that have arrived since have managed to significantly improve on either.

Dimensions and size 

The Volvo XC90 is a very big car, at 4,953mm nose to tail. However, the Audi Q7 and Land Rover Discovery are even larger. The XC90's shape is essentially boxy and practical, unlike more overtly ‘rakish’ rivals such as the Audi Q7, and this shows against the tape measure. 

With a 1,776mm roof height the Volvo XC90 stands tall against the 1,762mm BMW X5 (both without roof bars), and falls in-between the 1,737mm high Audi Q7 and 1,796mm Mercedes GLE (both of the latter have standard-fit roof bars).

How practical is the Volvo XC90? 

Seats & space in the front

A lofty driving position gives the XC90 driver a commanding view of the road ahead, and the large glass area all round means that visibility is reasonable for such a large car. The seats are very supportive and comfortable, and offer lots of adjustment to suit a wide range of body types. 

A long sliding cover on the centre console hides two cup-holders, a slightly awkwardly positioned wireless smartphone charging pad (you need to hold the phone in place by wedging it against that sliding cover) and a 12-volt socket, while behind it sits a roomy bin beneath the armrest. The glovebox and door bins are a decent size, and there’s an extra cubby just to the right of the steering wheel.

Seats & space in the back

Middle-row passengers get similarly comfortable seats to those sitting up front. Both knee room and headroom are excellent, even when the seats in the middle row are moved forward slightly to make more space for those sitting right in the back. 

The middle chair is slightly narrower and firmer than those on the outside, but it’s more accommodating than many similar seats in rival SUVs. Manual sun blinds in the rear doors are standard on all trims except the base Core model, where they’re a £195 option.

Move a row back, and things are similarly spacious. The middle row folds and slides forward to improve access, and once inside, the stadium-style seating places those right at the back a touch higher than the occupants ahead to give a slightly better view out. 
Seats six and seven get their own cup-holder, air vent and storage bin, but unlike rivals such as the Kia EV9, no USB ports. Also slightly disappointing for a car of this size is that the XC90 gets just two ISOFIX points; an EV9 has four, and an Audi Q7 has five.

Boot space

Even with all seven seats in place, the XC90 offers up 302 litres of boot capacity. The third row of seats folds down easily and completely flat (albeit manually, unlike the electric seats of some alternative models) to expand that volume up to 680 litres at the window line. When configured in two-seat mode, the XC90 offers a vast 1,856 litres of load space to the roof. 

The XC90’s boot divider and tethering hooks prove to be very useful when securing slightly smaller items to prevent them from moving.

Towing

When it comes to hauling a trailer, the XC90 is a decent performer. The Volvo is rated to handle a braked trailer weighing up to 2,400kg in T8 PHEV guise – this compares favourably against the wave of electric seven-seat SUVs, led by the Kia EV9, which only has a 900kg limit in rear-wheel drive form (2,500kg with four-wheel drive). The mild-hybrid petrol XC90 B5 can tow 2,400kg, while the B6 is capable of hauling 2,700kg. To make the most of this ability, Volvo offers a foldable towbar as a £1,400 option. 

Few SUVs can match a Land Rover Discovery; a maximum towing limit of 3,500kg, plus the hefty 700Nm of torque from the D350 diesel mild-hybrid engine, makes it a better option than either when it comes to pulling power.