Velvet Magazine March 2017

Motoring
The Volvo
V90
Written by Phil Huff
Volvo claims that its cars are made by Sweden, not in Sweden.
It’s a subtle difference, but one that the company is proud of,
meaning that its luxuriously appointed behemoths can cope with
anything the British climate might throw at it without breaking a
sweat.
I wanted to put that to the test, but if I’m going to test things
thoroughly I might as well aim for ‘extreme’ and see what happens.
Which is how I found myself in the middle of a lake in two tonnes
of Sweden’s finest metalwork.
Fortunately the lake, situated just a few kilometres from the
remote ski resort of Åre, was frozen. Or at least that’s what the
Volvo guys promised me, but given the creaks, cracks and moans
coming from the icy surface, I was less than convinced. The
temperatures had been unusually warm before my arrival, too,
although it was a reassuringly cold -12C by the time I’d found my
way to the Copperhill Mountain Lodge for the night.
The drive there showed off the talents of the V90 Cross Country
nicely. Raised by 65mm over the standard V90 estate, its softer
suspension makes the ride even better than usual.
Yes, there’s a little more bodyroll in corners, but it’s by no means
intrusive and doesn’t affect how much confidence you can place
in the car. That said, I was on special studded tyres that, on the
clear stretches of tarmac, actually hindered roadholding slightly
while making a lot more noise. Once I’d turned off the main roads
and was on the way to Åre, the roads turned to sheet ice, where
the studs came into their own.
I confidently navigated my way using the Sensus infotainment
system that’s built into this and the bigger XC90 SUV. It’s a
masterpiece of design: everything you need is displayed on a
HUD in front of you, while less important information is placed on
the large touchscreen in the centre console. Seldom used options
are hidden just a swipe of the finger away, leaving it safe to use on
the road.
The same goes for the rest of the interior. It’s as good as it
gets, oozing minimalist Swedish style while being easy to use,
spacious, comfortable and quiet. How the engineers have
achieved this is a mystery, but they’re absolutely nailing it in
Gothenburg right now.
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Velvet Magazine | March 2017