New Volvo XC90 launching by mid-2015

Recently, we got a chance to get a closer look at the all-new Volvo XC90 at the company's test facility in Gothenburg, Sweden. During an interaction with a few company executives, ZigWheels has come to know that Volvo Cars India is looking at bringing the recently unveiled, flagship SUV - the new Volvo XC90 to India in the middle of 2015.

The new XC90 is the first Volvo to use the company’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), a versatile platform which can cater to a wide range of body types of future Volvo models. The all-new Volvo XC90 looks a lot more stylish and upmarket than the outgoing model.

The distinctive part being the narrow and split headlights with a unique ‘T’ shaped DRL that Volvo terms as ‘Thor’s hammer’. Like most Volvo design the 2015 Volvo XC90 features strong shoulder lines culminating into the typically Volvo trademark taillights. The new Volvo XC90 has a good combination of the company's traditional design with oodles of modern lines.

The interior of the 2015 Volvo XC90 is extremely impressive, with its minimalistic approach and top-notch quality. The clean, multi-layered dashboard, dual tone steering wheel and the fine wood facia from door to door make the XC90 look very premium. The neat centre console gets just eight buttons, along with a vertically mounted 10.5-inch touchscreen that has most of the controls. The new Volvo XC90 is expected to feature a top-of-the-line Bowers and Wilkins entertainment system with 19 speakers.

The 2015 Volvo XC90 is a proper seven-seater SUV with flexible interiors, while the third row can seat a couple of average built Indians. In a presentation at the Volvo facility Peter Mertens, Senior Vice-President, Research and Development of Volvo Car Group, said that there has never been an SUV offering this level of power this cleanly. He went on to say that the 2015 Volvo XC90 will be the safest SUV in production in the world.

Internationally the all-new Volvo XC90 comes packed with latest safety features as standard like auto braking to avoid collision with other cars or oblivious pedestrians, or the run-off protection package, but these may not be brought to Indian due to our strict radar norms for civilian use.

When launched in Europe the all-wheel drive seven-seater  will come with a range of engines offering up to 400PS but with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of around 60 g/km (NEDC driving cycle).

For now, India will get the 2015 Volvo XC90 in the D5 variant powered by a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine that produces 224PS at 4,250rpm and 470Nm between 1,750-2,500rpm and claims to consume about 17kmpl.

The 2015 Volvo XC90 will officially go on sale around March 2015 internationally, and a few test mules will be imported to India for homologation which will take about three months. So we can expect the new Volvo XC90 to be introduced in India in July 2015, with an expected priced of around Rs 70 lakh.