- All-wheel drive, seven seats and ultra-low emissions of around 60g/km
- Up to 400hp and 640Nm of torque
- New Volvo-developed Twin Engine technology
Volvo Car’s All-New XC90 will offer an unrivalled combination of power and clean operation when it is launched later this year. The all-wheel-drive seven-seater offers drivers up to 400 horsepower but with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of around 60g/km (NEDC driving cycle). There has never been an SUV offering this level of power this cleanly.
“There are no compromises when you drive an All-New XC90,” said Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development of Volvo Car Group. “In the past you could either have power or low CO2 emissions. But with the All-New XC90 you can have both.”
The new XC90 offers a range of Drive-E engine options, all of which provide an outstanding combination of performance and fuel-efficiency. The main distinguishing feature of the Drive-E engine range is that they are all four-cylinder engines.
“With our new Drive-E powertrains, we have created a family of intelligent petrol and diesel engines with 
power curves that give exciting driveability at the same time as delivering world-beating fuel economy,” added Dr Mertens. “With seven people in the new XC90, carbon dioxide emissions per person and kilometre are outstandingly low.”
The CO2 performance of the All-New XC90 will reinforce Volvo Car’s leadership when it comes to bringing more environmentally-sound technologies to market. According to figures monitored by European car industry association ACEA, Volvo Car Group delivered an industry-leading reduction of average fleet emissions by 8.4 percent from 2012 to 2013.
Twin Engine technology
Volvo has made it possible for a four-cylinder engine to provide all the driving pleasure associated with a much larger engine, and do so far more efficiently and cleanly. Drive-E engines will over time be introduced across Volvo’s entire range.
For the All-New XC90, the top of the range ‘Twin Engine’ will carry the badge ‘T8’ and be a plug-in electric car, hybrid car and high-performance car rolled into one.
Normal driving is conducted in the default hybrid mode. This utilises a two-litre, four-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged Drive-E petrol engine that powers the front wheels, and an 80hp (60kW) electric motor that drives the rear wheels.
It uses the supercharger to fill in the bottom end of the power range to give the engine a big, naturally-aspirated feel, while the turbocharger kicks in when the airflow builds up. The electric motor on the rear wheels provides immediate torque.
But at the push of a button the driver can switch to quiet and emission-free city driving on pure electric power, where the range will be around 40 kilometres. Then, when needed, immediately revert back to the combined capacity of the petrol engine and electric motor, with its combined output of around 400hp and 640Nm of torque.
Full range of other engine options
The All-New Volvo XC90 range also includes the D5 twin turbodiesel engine with 225hp, 470Nm, best in class fuel consumption of around 6L/100 km, and the D4 turbodiesel engine with 190hp, 400Nm and a fuel consumption of around 5L/100 km.
The range also offers two petrol engine options. The first is a T6 turbo engine with supercharger and turbo with 320hp and a maximum torque of 400Nm. The second is a T5 with 254hp and 350Nm. Please note that final engine and specifications for the Australian market will be communicated in due course.
Not only is there no compromise in terms of performance or efficiency, but Volvo Car’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) chassis technology also allows for far more flexibility inside the car. Other carmakers have struggled to combine the bulk of a battery pack with a luxurious and spacious interior, something that Volvo has managed to overcome.
“Since our new SPA technology is designed from the start to accommodate electrification technologies, the Twin Engine installation does not compromise luggage or passenger space,” said Dr Mertens.
The All-New XC90
The original XC90 was launched in 2002, and it revolutionised the SUV segment with its combination of space, versatility and safety. It went on to become a global sales phenomenon. The All-New XC90 will also be a transformational vehicle in its market segment.
The new XC90 is the first Volvo to use the company’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which creates a far wider range of design possibilities, improves driveability and permits the inclusion of the latest safety features and connected in-car technologies, while at the same time increasing interior space.
For more details on the All-New XC90 please check out the online media kit on the Volvo Cars Global Newsroom.
Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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