Test drive Volvo XC90 2002 - 2006 SUV

Treasurer

What attracts Volvo XC90 in everyday life
 
After all, how - how? Snow on the head is an SUV into the house. And November is the very time not to be late with the acquisition of such a car. Supply on the market - cannot be counted, and the people choose by no means only from the last innovations. So to look at the XC90 is useful, especially since there are a couple of reasons. Firstly, the company, although not much, has reduced the prices for the model (now they start with $ 56,900). Secondly, we got the car for a month, and, therefore, we could calmly figure it out with all its pros and cons.
 
About the main and about private
 
The keeper, what kind of values \u200b\u200bdid you have a XC90? - the reader may ask. Family, we will answer unconditionally and without any quotes. This, of course, does not mean that a bachelor or, say, a company cannot own such a car. But its main purpose, as we see, is to ensure maximum comfort and security in family warriors. This luxury SUV does not have a risky ride, like some of its brothers, it is impressive and at the same time able to instill a sense of confidence - in the driver, and security - in passengers. Well, now about the privileges.
 
First of all, pay attention to: Volvo XC90 has been known for several years, but until now has not lost its external relevance. On the contrary, his exterior is able to attract attention, it seems, for a very long time. A massive front grille of a radiator with a proprietary strip, a kind of lighting technology, smooth body contours - everything is harmonious, elegant, but without unnecessary pathos.
 
In the cabin, even in the most dank weather, as in home kitchen: warm and comfortable. The chair is soft, with servo drives. True, it will have to be paid for electro -regulations, as well as for leather finishes, but additional comfort is perhaps worth it. In addition, a combination of genuine leather and wooden inserts in the interior pleases the eye. And ergonomics at a height. Despite the abundance of buttons on the central console to understand the purpose of everyone is easy: there are pictograms, and the buttons themselves are located logically.
 
The XC90 is already equipped with a separate climate control system for the driver and front passenger, but the electrically folded mirrors and the so -called electric locking of the rear doors are already options. However, there is no doubt about their usefulness. The first often helps out in the narrow streets, in addition to the clogged by, as parked machines, but XC90 is not small. The second is simply indispensable if children go from behind - they probably want to twitch this aluminum lever on the door. In addition, it is much more convenient than the usual switches in the end of the rear doors - there is no need to get out of the car. In general, caring for comfort is felt in everything. For example, you can connect a cell phone to an audio system. To do this, you only need to pull out the SIM card and insert it into a special slot on the central console. You can use loudly and a separate tube installed next to the cup holders. But the audio system itself - Premium Sound Dolby Pro -Logic II (+1045 $) - could, as it seemed to us, sound better. Let us recommend the true music lovers not to pay extra for the Premium audio system, but to opt for the most affordable version, and already independently understand the car with worthy columns, amplifier and subwoofer. Still, perhaps, a light sensor would not be superfluous so that there was no need to independently turn on the headlights.
 
We took turns driving in the back seat - very good! Another thing, if you move the second row forward, remove the crossbar with the curtain and lay out the additional chairs hidden in the huge luggage compartment: it will be less spacious, but still not to say that it is crowded. However, XC90 can be both seven -seater and ordinary, five -seater SUV.
 
You don't have to know about everything
 
And why? - Again, the reader may ask. Because the Volvo SUV is not designed for rally battles, but in order to provide confident and safe riding in any road conditions. It is not interesting to put it sideways in front of the turn, but it is interesting to return home after a hard day, feeling yourself in warmth and comfort and noticing envious glances from cars. Well, if necessary, then let's say that the all -wheel drive transmission gives the car a not quite ordinary character. The XC90 can behave like a typical front -wheel drive car if it just rolls on asphalt, and it can also become rear -wheel drive. If you think about this at all, then know: the process of distributing torque and power between the wheels is in charge of electronics acting in conjunction with the DSTS electronic stabilization system. And, depending on the specific situation, it can direct up to 95% of the engine potential to any of the axes. Although, if someone really wants to control the XC90 on the verge, and this is possible. The transparency of the system allows you to act ahead of the advance, changing the angle of rotation of the steering wheel and the degree of pressing the accelerator pedal accordingly. But, we repeat, too aggressive riding for XC90 is hardly able to give pleasure. In addition, DSTC is always on the alert, it is able to slow down one or more wheels and return the controllability to the SUV. And this system is not at all tuned for the fastest passage of ligaments of the turns.
 
On our test, a car with the weakest engine in the gamut - 5 cylinders, volume 2.5 liters, plus 5 -speed automatic transmission (the standard is offered a mechanical gearbox is proposed). But 210 forces are quite enough for confident movement, both around the city and on suburban highways. Thanks to the use of a low -pressure turbine, most of the torque is available almost from idle speed, and therefore acceleration is quite decent. The characteristic of the power unit itself is quite even, with a small capture in the region of 3500 rpm. As for the machine, it reacts to gas supply with a certain pause, which also does not contribute to the manifestation of sports ambitions. But it provides smoothness when switching from step to step and economy. Although, we would not say that the appetite of the XC90 is too bad: the average consumption of 95th gasoline in capital was 18.2 liters per 100 km. On the other hand, we are still talking about a large and heavy SUV with all -wheel drive transmission, and even with studded rubber on disks.
 
Returning to the running qualities of the model, we note comfortable suspensions. Pretty soft, they, of course, significantly roll the body on the bends, but the pits and irregularities do not annoy. By the way, the XC90 is standardly equipped with NIVOMAT shock absorbers, which automatically level the body and leave the clearance unchanged, regardless of the degree of loading of the car.
 
It is impossible not to notice the good stability of the car at high speeds, and the progressive characteristic of the steering hydraulic power steering - with an increase in the engine speed, and the force on the steering wheel grows. True, with active traveling, there is still not enough feedback, but it cannot be said that this creates any difficulties. Moreover, do not forget about the focus of the XC90 to the overseas market, where powerful hydraulic power possessors are a common phenomenon. But with the brakes of the Volvo XC90, everything is just great - to the best of the hard pedal allows you to clearly control the slowdown, and the power of the calipers with more than enough, even if the car has to be upholstered at high speed, and until a complete stop.
 
There are competitors, but they are different
 
We do not even know whether it is worth emphasizing, but in the month of operation the XC90 in the editorial office with the machine did not arise a single problem. As for competitors, you can call BMW X5 or Mercedes-Benz ML. However, they will cost, perhaps, more expensive. But the main thing is other cars, and their main purpose, we take a chance to notice, is by no means in preserving family values. Well, there is a choice. The main thing is to have time to do it for real cold
 
Text: Andrey Osipov
  
   


Brief technical characteristics of Volvo XC90 2.5
Engine volume, cubic meter. See 2521
The number of valves per cylinder 4
Power, l. With. at about./min. 210/5000
Max. Torque, NM at about./Min. 320/1500
Acceleration to 100 km/h, p. 9.5 (9.9)
Maximum speed, km/h 210
The average fuel consumption l./100 km. 9.6 (12.9)
The volume of the fuel tank, l. 70
Car mass, kg. 1982
Dimensions, mm. 4798x1898x1743
In brackets are given data for the version with automatic transmission
  

 

Source: Newspaper "Automobile Izvestia" [No. 21 (88), 2005]