Age is just a number for XC90

Second generation of Volvo's full-sized seven-seat sport utility vehicle is still going strong in face of electric rivals

- Christopher Tan

The saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" certainly applies to the Volvo XC90. Since the Swedish brand introduced its segment-busting seven-seat sport utility vehicle (SUV) in 2002, the car has undergone only one model change in 2015.

The XC90 has clinched several awards over its lifetime - for design, value and, notably, safety. In 2003, it was named the first Straits Times Car of the Year.

The car you see here is the second facelift of the second-generation XC90, which turns 10 in 2025. Its decade-old Scalable Product Architecture platform remains unchanged, except for additional insulation on the front and back.

In the base B5 Ultra variant tested here, the car's familiar turbocharged 2-litre four-cylinder engine is paired with a smooth and responsive eightspeed auto box. This power plant churns out 250hp and 360Nm of torque more than its equivalent a decade ago.

Its performance is, thus, quite adequate. The benchmark 0100kmh sprint is done in 7.7 seconds, which is brisk for a car of its size and weight, and which even puts it in good stead against a couple of electric seven-seaters.

The XC90 is 4,953mm long, 1931mm wide and 1,773mm tall with a 2,984mm wheelbase and a kerb weight of just over 2,000kg.