VOLVO XC90

Facelift makes an appealing seven-seater even better

- MURRAY SCULLION

There are physical wing mirror switches. You can turn off the speed warning chime with a click on the steering wheel. It has separate front and rear window buttons. The XC90 is mostly an ergonomic delight, much to my pleasure and slight surprise.

Before I drove this facelifted version, Volvo's UX guy (user experience, to you and me) mentioned that it had borrowed a lot from the EX30, a car whose dearth of buttons really irked us. It turns out that he largely meant the software on the screen. Phew.

Sure, the SUV has had a few midlife updates to keep things fresh, but it is reassuringly still a Volvo XC90. Up front there's a new grille and light signature, while inside drivers are treated to a new infotainment system. Volvo is still forging ahead with a portrait-style screen and this one's an 11.2in whopper. The temp dials are on a screen, which isn't ideal, but at least the drive modes are always there at the bottom.