New XC90 first impressions / issues
 

Had my D5 Momentum for 6 weeks now, it replaced a XC60 D5 R-Design which I had for 2 years.

Very impressed with the XC90 so far, it's a considerably bigger car but the increase in interior space is why I went for it.

In no particular order here are a few points I think might be of interest.

One minor rattle so far, think it's coming from the front passenger door.

One recall in the bag already, curtain airbag doesn't deploy properly for third row protection, trim panel has to be modified.

Touch sensitive keyless entry is a backward step from previous push button type, plays up regularly often taking a few 'presses' to get it to lock. Also it's a real pain when washing the car if you have the fob on you as the water will activate the locking / unlocking, cue mirrors motoring in and out all the time.

No Driver profile feature available yet. I.e. You can't have one key for you and one for her yet with seat settings etc assigned. November update will sort this apparently but seems a big omission from the launch spec.

All cars have the wider instrument TFT at launch due to a supply issue apparently. Saves you £400.

Stop start system is the most sensitive I've ever come across, will shut down engine before car has stopped, a nightmare when manoevring. Can be deactivated but not permanently.

Car is extremely economical imo, I'm getting greater than 40mpg in normal A road running. Computer is accurate too, only over reads by 0.5mpg when I checked it brim to brim.

Volvo On Call is not working, dealer and I both stumped. Another one for the November update I think...

Stereo a bit tinny imo, only upgrade option is the £3k B&W one so maybe spec the subwoofer if you are keen on good sound quality.

Road noise is BAD. Not sure if this is tyres related or down to lack of noise insulation. Car on Continental 20".

Ride quality is firm on standard suspension, I wanted to test drive Air but couldn't find one anywhere. £2500 is a big gamble without driving one but ride is pretty knobbly on 20"s and standard springs. Better than my 60 on 20"s but not a great deal. Payback is very good handling out of town, in fact it handles way better than my 60 ever did.

Bluetooth drops out regularly, hopefully November update will sort... Theme developing here???

Overall I'm happy so far, it's a great big comfortable car with good performance and great economy. It does seem to me though that Volvo released it a bit underdeveloped on the software side, the fabled November update may sort a lot of things but I doubt it'll cover everything and may introduce more gremlins.

I'll put some photos up soon and if I think of anything else which may be of interest I'll add them to the thread.

Hope this is helpful, if anyone has any questions I'll try to answer them.

Cheers

Hi Schnorbitz

I think your multiple comments about 'November update' probably point the way that we'll all have to accept in future: cars are now just big boxes with loads of electric motors, computers and software apps in them. There's no 'finished' release of Windows or iOS - each one is just a place holder until the next service pack or update. I think car software will rapidly follow this pattern (if it isn't already.) The big differentiator will be those companies who make the upgrade process flexible, painless and effective.

I've got an XC90 Momentum on order at present - January 2016 delivery. I had one of the previous XC90s about 8 years ago and I was very pleased with this new one when I had it on an extended test over a long weekend. Counting the days already ... !

Regards

After reading the above report our car must have been built on the Friday late shift.

Our car is the Inscription model , Onyx black with the winter pack , Xenium pack, Apple CarPlay which needs to be upgraded in November, Tinted windows, Park Assist, Intellsafe pro, Power folding second row seats, Linear walnut inlays,Tempa spare wheel, Electric front seat cushion extension, 4C electronic air suspension, Drive mode.

We were disappointed by the quality of workmanship after having come from a MY 15 XC60, the leather dashboard was damaged and needs replacing under warranty and also some of the nappa leather on three of the doors need replacing.

The dealer managed to damage the car paint during the PDI by bad valeting. Yes , we have moved to an other dealer.

The car has air suspension but it is not as good as you think it would be like ,especially on Norfolk's roads. Having had a Mercedes before fitted with air suspension unfortunately the Volvo is not upto the MB ride.

The road / tyre / suspension noise is from Bad to Awful, especially for a "Up -Market" car, our car also runs on the 20 " tyres from Continental.

The seats are not as comfortable as in the XC60 , they are thinner overall and the actual sitting area of the seat is not as you would like. And No I am not overweight ,Volvo have tried to save space by making the seats thinner ,a la some aircraft seats.

The fuel consumptiontion is reasonable for a car of this size.

All in all it is a nice car but for all Volvo's hype , they have failed to produce a car on time with the advertised specifications. There is still a lot to be done to bring the car upto the required specification ,such as the Apple Car play, electric 3rd row and the various recalls.

Had the car detailed by Jim White recently and must admit it looks very nice! He did wonders to detail away the damage caused by the dealer.

Would I buy an other XC90 ? We will wait and see . I agree with most of the comments and remarks made by the above contributer . Overall we are happy with the car at the moment but if you ask me is the car really worth nearly 59K ? Then the jury is out on that one.

But having seen some of the photographs of the new Borgward SUV which comes out in 2017 ,it will be close race. Being of an age who can remember the Borgward brand and it's sad demise in '61 This because they always managed to overengineer their cars such as the Isabella.

<immediately hits Google>

Hi,

One of those google results: Linky...
It doesn't look "over-engineered". It would be interesting to know who is building it for them...

Des. . . ;)

The original Borgward's cars were over engineered and suffered because of this . The company was indirectly "destroyed "by the then near bankrupt VW and BMW group.

The new Borgward's SUV will be built in, where else but in China.

Is it an XC90? Is it a Touareg? Is it a Q5? Is it a Cayenne? No! It's a Borgward!

That's sad to hear, I would say the build quality of my car is good, only issue is the very minor rattle from the passenger door as mentioned, my wife can't even hear it so it's probably my over sensitivity to such annoyances.

I suppose early adopters of new models are always at risk of being disappointed but hopefully the car will prove itself good in the long run for you.

Does anyone have any information on the likely UK insurance group for the T8 hybrid ?

First week of our D5 Inscription and both Mrs S and I love it. We went for the blonde interior and realised after a few days that we need the rubber mats, so have them on order. Only niggle, as I posted in pre 14 xc90 forum, is the 12v in loading area doesn't work week ignition off, as it does with 1st gen models.

Haven't tried VOC yet, as Volvo didn't program it correctly in factory, so dealer will sort that, when we pick up the mats later this week.

Overall, it's a great car. Yes, it's a bit of a price hike over 1st gen, but Volvo need to compete with the German alternatives and this they have done and more, yet it's a cost effective alternative and IMHO beats the Germans hands down on design.