Car August 2015.pdf

Giant Test: Volvo XC90 vs rivalsMuch higher off the ground than theothers. You don’t step out, you fallWhere the Volvo andBMW shrink aroundyou, the Range Sportfeels enormousThe central touchscreen is the smallest on test, has a clutteredhomescreen, features the world’s ugliest mapping software andis angled to such an unfortunate degree that unshading the optionalpanoramic glass roof renders it unusable on sunny daysdue to the glare. The equally optional multi-view external camerasystem is also exciting in principle, but the optical hardwareis in desperate need of an upgrade – the clarity and resolution ofthe X5’s (equally optional) reversing camera makes the systemseem as sharp as recordings of the moon landings.No doubt the country club ambience of the Range RoverSport has plenty of appeal to plenty of punters, but the Volvostill throws it into relief. Inside this XC90 all is light and airy,with a colour palette dominated by blonde wood veneers andever-paler shades of grey, oh so much space, and the sleek12.3in portrait-format touchscreen interface sitting almostentirely alone in the middle of the dashboard. There is nocleaner interior design this side of a Tesla, and you approachthe XC90 eager to find out if a mainstream manufacturercan possibly have grasped such a contemporary, minimalistconcept with anywhere near the same degree of success.More fuel to that fire comes when you learn CAR’s own elderstatesman, Gavin Green, has described the XC90’s cabin asthe finest this side of a Rolls-Royce or Bentley.I’m not so convinced. Perhaps it’s because this car is inentry-level Momentum rather than highfalutin Inscriptionspecification, but there’s almost immediately a sense thatthe quality goes little deeper than those fancy veneers. The‘diamond-cut’ control knobs for the stereo volume and thestarter switch seem a touch flimsy in this company, andwhile the reaction to reduce the number of buttons is highly100 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | August 2015commendable (the pre-SPA generation ofVolvos surely used up the firm’s quota forthis century anyway), demoting almostevery interior function to touchscreen remainsa contentious decision. Adjustingthe climate control, for example, has beenthoroughly considered – you rarely needmore than one stab at the relevant screenreal estate – but still requires your eyesto linger longer away from the road thantraditional solutions. Other elements ofthe interface suggest the engineers didn’tquite know what to do with the systemonce they’d come up with it. The digital‘buttons’ are big and clear, and you canswipe and pinch and scroll very easily, yetyou can’t always get to the informationyou’re after. With a screen this large andan interface this clever, why doesn’t thereseem to be an obvious way to displaythe ‘now playing’ information from thedigital radio, for instance? In daily use, unresolved detailslike this become disproportionately irritating; to be fair, theRange Rover doesn’t do a great job of this sort of thing either.Irritating is also an appropriate word for the Volvo’s ride.This is the first new XC90 that we’ve driven on the standardsteel-sprung suspension – all-round electronically controlledair suspension is a £2150 extra – and it’s fidgety and thumpyin a manner that again suggests a lack of true depth beneaththe shiny surface. It doesn’t thunk into potholes so much astwang, and although the initial turn-in is keen, the resultingbody roll doesn’t quite keep up that opening promise. Still,the light steering seems to suit the new-age character of therest of the car, and it doesn’t want for actual accuracy. Widestof the three, the XC90 is effortlessly positioned, doesn’tmake you nervous when facing on-coming countrylane traffc, and – aside from the ride – excels aroundtown. As the least heavy (‘lightest’ seems inapt for atwo-tonne behemoth) it delivers determined progressvia its 222bhp, but you do miss the revvy zing of theless powerful BMW and the laid-back muscle of thebigger-lunged Range Sport. And occasionally curse thelack of standard-fit paddleshifters.Where the Volvo – and exceptionally the BMW – willdo the magic trick of shrinking around you, the RangeRover Sport never feels anything less than flinch-inducinglyenormous. Despite that larger engine, theseriously clever chassis tech and standard air suspensionwhich provides an extremely assured ride (if nota flawless one, given the optional 22s), it is strangelyponderous in many circumstances. The long-travelthrottle pedal demands a determined prod when pullingaway from standstill that somehow defies finesse,and being seated so obviously higher than in the othersonly conspires to make you overly conscious of itswidth and more prone to rolling sensations – thoughin fact the body control is very good, as is the fluidityof the steering. There’s also no denying how safe andsecure you feel, lording it over everybody. Which, giventhe Range Rover is way behind the others in terms ofactive safety aids, is perhaps ironic; you’ll be doing yourown pedestrian detection here. 4BMW’s invisibilitycloak designmakes two-tonneX5 incrediblyunderstated. Mightbe better if it actuallywas invisible