The Volvo XC90 is Business Insider's 2015 Car of the Year
Volvo is one of those brands that have firmly embedded themselves in the American consciousness. For a time in the 1980s and 1990s, you could just look at folks from a certain demographic and say, "Yep, drives a Volvo."
The Swedish carmaker's boxy, no-nonsense vehicles appealed to unpretentious, no-nonsense people. And they drove them until the wheels fell off, which they almost never did. In some parts of the country there are well-preserved, 30-year-old Volvo 240s happily humming along with over 1 million miles on the odometer.
But the carmaker's own trajectory hasn't been quite so steady. Volvo was owned by Ford until the financial crisis hit, forcing the American carmaker to sell the brand to shore up its core business.
The crisis among US automakers coincided nicely with the explosive growth of China's car industry, and so a natural buyer emerged. China's Geely Holding Group saw a rare opportunity to pick up an international brand and swept in.
When Geely took control of Volvo in 2010, critics of the $1.5 billion deal were curious whether it would end in tears. After all, Chinese companies have had a relatively poor track record integrating their foreign acquisitions. Many were concerned Geely would meddle with the special Swedish sauce that made Volvo such a special brand for its fans.
Instead, Geely took a hands-off management approach, retained Volvo's existing engineering and manufacturing setup, and even sought to accentuate the brand's Swedishness. At the same time, the Chinese firm gave Volvo the $11 billion it needed to develop its next generation of cars, engines, and technology.
So many things could have gone wrong. None did.
And this year, Volvo refuted any notions that it was undergoing some kind of identity crisis under Chinese ownership — with one car.
We're pleased to announce that the vehicle, the XC90 crossover SUV, is Business Insider's Car of the Year for 2015.
Man, oh man, was the competition fierce this time around. The XC90 found itself up against the new BMW 7 Series, the Audi S3 sports sedan, the Lamborghini Huracán supercar, the McLaren 675LT track-ready supercar, and the Tesla Model X.
All in all, the XC90 is a fine successor to last year's Car of the Year winner, Chevrolet's spectacularly good Corvette Stingray.
The Business Insider Car of the Year is chosen by BI's transportation team: Matt DeBord, Ben Zhang, and Bryan Logan, who took the XC90 on a long West Coast road trip earlier this year. Only cars that have been driven by the reporters are eligible, and we consider everything from the driving experience to the story the car tells.
And it wasn't an easy decision. Matt — who, as the father of three and a former owner of two Volvos, is actually an ideal customer — took some convincing.
In the end, though, it was a week spent sampling the car — in top-level "Inscription" trim, tipping the cost scales at almost $67,000 — in its natural environment, suburban New Jersey, that made it a unanimous decision.
Several major factors guided our choice.
Ben made the strong case that the XC90 demonstrates that a Chinese company can handle the stewardship of a major brand that has built up an impressive level of equity over the decades, especially in the US, where it was for many years synonymous with safety.
The XC90 is the first all-new car to emerge from Geely's cash injection. It features both Volvo's new Scalable Product Architecture platform that will underpin all of the company's next generation of cars as well as the Drive-E engines that will power its complete lineup.
Bryan focused on the XC90's subdued yet impressive level of luxury. This isn't a blinged-out ride for those who want to roll large, but it isn't a dowdy chariot for suburban sports parents, either. Volvos have often been derided for driving in exactly the opposite direction of the rest of the luxury and near-luxury or mid-luxury market, catering to the tastes of folks who think it's a hot time when they get to break out the flannel-lined khakis.
Volvos aren't supposed to be shiny. They're supposed to look good when they haven't been washed for a year and have back seats adorned with old wool blankets, dog hair, lacrosse sticks, and thermoses of homemade hot chocolate.
If Volvo was going to keep on keeping on, it was going to have to appeal to anyone who's eyeing, say, an Acura MDX or an Audi Q7, and asking why Volvos can't cut it in the valet lines.
Matt is used to the whole Volvo thing, but he's also a student of seven-passenger family-transportation contraptions. (His last Volvo, a V40 wagon, was succeeded by a Honda Odyssey minivan.) While the XC90 ticked off numerous boxes on the luxury and versatility front, he had a tough time with the turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine. Although 316 horsepower is nothing to sneeze at, he wanted more obvious oomph, from a good old-fashioned six-banger.
Then he sampled the all-wheel-drive crossover for a week, and had a half tank of gas left when all was said and done. The XC90 made good on its EPA-estimated 22 mpg city/highway combined fuel-economy rating.
That's a college-saving plan right there, folks.
The bottom line is the XC90 has so much going for it that it was ultimately a challenge to not choose it. However, in our rundown of the runners-up, we explain what was great about each of those cars, so check it out if you'd like a window into our decision-making process.
While the Volvo might not be as luxurious as a Mercedes G Class or as robust under the hood as a BMW X Series — and we're unsure of whether its reliability can challenge Acura or Lexus — there's no doubt that it's feature- and technology-packed, a joy to drive, and exceptionally versatile and comfortable.
For Volvo, it's a triumphant move in a new but not radically different direction. It's earned all the great press it's gotten in 2015. And it's a worthy BI Car of the Year!
Volvo's new XC90 is a handsomely styled crossover. Although it's a large, three-row SUV, it's far from intimidating. You might even call it sporty.
But that's part of the XC90's charm. It combines the spacious cabin and commanding view of a large off-roader with the friendly, familiar driving experience of ... well, a Volvo. It adds a bit of pep with a turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine, plus the zippy driving dynamics of a smaller vehicle.
In addition to the new platform and engines, the XC90 is the first model to feature Volvo's new design theme, highlighted by ...
... the "Thor's Hammer" headlights and ...
... a prominent Volvo grille — hiding a forward-looking camera.
From the rear, the XC's styling is highlighted by a pair of dual exhausts and a subtle rear spoiler.
The vertical taillights are a throwback to the first generation XC90.
Overall, the XC90's lines are clean, understated, and pleasing. The XC is a refreshing break from the hyperaggressive, in-your-face styling we've seen recently from its Japanese and European competitors.
Inside, the Volvo is warm and inviting.
An absolutely massive panoramic roof gives the cabin an open and airy feel — ensuring no one will ever feel short of space.
Toggle the switch mounted near the rearview mirror and ...
... open the roof to let in the fresh air and abundant sunshine from the outside world.
Although there's plenty of chrome, lashings of fine leather, and half a Scandinavian forest mounted throughout the cabin, the XC90 doesn't feel gaudy.
The leather, wood, and metallic accents work in unison to create a feeling of understated luxury.
Volvo has a reputation for making some of the most comfortable seats in the business, and that continues with the XC90. The highly adjustable seats make long road trips a joy and slogging through traffic much less of an ordeal. Plus, they're heated and (in the front) cooled.
Up front, the driver is treated to a sleek digital-instrument cluster. The layout of the LCD screen is customizable, and the readout is beautifully rendered.
The center of the gauge cluster shows a rendering of the navigation map, as well as the status of any driver-assistance technology in operation.
The center console is dominated by a massive, Tesla-style vertical touchscreen. To toggle between the various menus on the infotainment system, you can swipe left and right, as on an iPad.
The Bowers & Wilkins stereo sounds terrific — it's among the best listening experiences we enjoyed in 2015. Everything from smooth jazz to classic rock to thrashy pop-punk sounds dandy flowing through the 19 speakers.
To bring the Volvo to life, turn the machined-metal, start-engine knob to the right. This is a sly reference, we think, to the old Saab center-mounted ignition switches. Very Swedish! Drive modes include comfort, sport, eco setting, and an off-road option.
The rear-passenger compartment is roomy and comfortable, with privacy screens. Since this is a Volvo, it comes with a built-in booster seat that can be collapsed to accommodate a fully grown third passenger.
The third row, however, is best reserved for those who don't require a lot of legroom. Both the second and third row can be quickly and easily folded down to create a vast cargo compartment. And the rear of the vehicle can actually be lowered when loading and unloading stuff.
Passengers in the back can control the XC90's climate with a simple, compact touchscreen.
In the coming months, the T6 Inscription — our test car — will be joined by a T8 plug-in hybrid version, boosting horsepower to 400.
All in all, the XC90 is a solidly built, well-designed luxury crossover, outfitted with all the technology almost anyone could want. As a car, the overall package is compelling. We look forward to seeing what Volvo will do next!
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