What a wonderful SUV. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Several years ago, when I was covering advanced automotive manufacturing technologies, Volvo invariably came to the fore in one area: Laser welding.

I can’t think of a conference where there were presenters from other companies talking about that subject.

While you might be thinking, “Erm, ah, good for Volvo. Good for laser manufacturers,” it really is significant in terms of the product.

Typically, vehicles are assembled with spot welds.

And the spot welds go along a seam like this:

•   •    •   •   •   •   •

Laser welds go like this:

______________________________________________

Or sometimes there are spaces:

______________   _______________   _______________

The point being that the long(er) laser welds are superior to the spots make with resistance welders.

And again you’re thinking, “Gee, that’s just swell for manufacturers, but I’m not a builder or a welder, so. . . .”

Why I bring this up is because lasers provide a better build.

One of the consequences of this is encompassed in statements like this:

“Safety is at the core of everything we do at Volvo Cars. As part of our company’s longstanding commitment to safety, we constantly strive to raise safety levels. The Volvo XC90 reflects our safety legacy, and we are proud it was recognized by the IIHS given our shared dedication to the advancement of automotive safety with the goal of reducing traffic related deaths and injuries.”

That’s Mike Cottone, Head of USA and Canada at Volvo Cars, this past August after the XC90 received a 2024 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Among the reasons why the vehicle did well are:

• Solid structural performance in the updated moderate overlap test
• Excellent passenger protection for the driver
• Good ratings in the small overlap front and updated side tests

All of this goes to the point of how the vehicle is put together.

Of course, it isn’t just about the welding (and I don’t know the extent to which lasers are used), but the types of materials used in construction. And again, I recall Volvo presenters being ahead of the curve when it came to discussions of things like boron steels.

To be sure, a stronger structure is a safer structure. And using the right materials can help assure that the structure is stronger where it needs to be.

Yes, but. . .

No one likely buys a premium midsize SUV thinking, “Yes, I think I’ll get this because when I get into an accident I’ll be safer.”

But that safety is an advantage, even if it isn’t thought about.

There is a characteristic that all of this leads to that is experienced each time you’re behind the wheel of an XC90, one that is highly satisfying: It feels solid. Substantial.

And going back to the “right materials,” it doesn’t feel like something that is overbuilt and wallowing.

It feels right.

Hush

What’s more, there is something that the structure brings that’s less: noise.

Think of the silent solidity of a vault and compare it to something like a mobile home.

A huge difference.

And when in this trim level, that structural silence makes the 1410-Watt, 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system sound all the better.

Power & economy

The XC90 Recharge, which has seating for six or seven (depending on the type of seats selected), is a plug-in hybrid. Which essentially means that when the battery is charged up the SUV has the ability to travel up to 32 miles on electricity alone. But once that’s depleted, then the vehicle operates as a hybrid, meaning the turbocharged four-cylinder engine works in concert with an AC motor: together there is a system horsepower of 455.

Yes, this vehicle moves with alacrity when needed.

A word about fuel economy. Because it can go on electricity alone, there is an EPA rating of 58 MPGe. Then there is the gasoline-alone rating, which the EPA has at 27 mpg combined. Conceivably you could go 530 miles with a full lithium-ion battery and a full fuel tank. Unless you are fairly diligent you’re probably going to let that battery run down and simply operate the vehicle as a hybrid most of the time.

In a Detroit-Chicago round trip I got an average of 25 mpg, lower than the EPA estimation, but given factors like the air conditioner working hard to deal with the ambient temperatures and the wildly fluctuating speeds predicated on extensive I-94 construction, I was more than pleased, premium gasoline notwithstanding.

To the point of several hours behind the wheel I found the seat (heated (didn’t need) and ventilated (did)) to be both supportive and comfortable. While there is Google built-in and accessed through a nine-inch touchscreen well integrated into the IP, I used CarPlay for Waze rather than Google Maps and listened to Spotify.

Sizable

While I was on a quick trip and certainly didn’t need it, there is a cargo capacity of up to 85.7 cubic feet.

The vehicle is 195 inches long, 69.9 inches high, 84.3 inches wide (with mirrors), and has a 117.5-inch wheelbase, which means it is sizable, yet it was easy to drive in congested Chicago traffic and in comparatively compact parking structures. (The blind-spot information system helps with the former and a four camera system for a 360-degree view around the vehicle the latter.)

The long run

The starting MSRP for the top-of-the-line Ultra trim is $80,895.

Which brings me back to some of those manufacturing conferences.

Another topic that was frequently discussed was the “life-cycle assessment.” When it came to investment in things—say laser welding equipment—while the upfront cost might be more, when considered over the life of the system, it very well could be more economical than something that was less expensive at the start.

I suspect that someone investing in the XC90 Recharge is going to have it for a long time. Consequently, spread out over a number of years, that initial price is more than made up for—especially when the attributes of the vehicle are taken into account.