SUV Review: 2023 Volvo XC90 Recharge T8 Ultimate

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Recent powertrain updates have brought significant improvements to the driving experience of the 2023 Volvo XC90 Recharge T8, even if my decked-out tester’s nearly six-figure sticker price puts a variety of all-electric competitors within reach for shoppers, too.

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It’s always nice to have choices, and this is a good one if you’re after a solid taste of the full-jam luxury electric driving experience, but not quite ready to make the leap into a full-electric just yet. With partial electric power and the confidence of a gas-hybrid backup for your longer drives, the XC90 Recharge makes a solid choice for its efficient powertrain, strong lighting and safety systems, utility, and creature comforts.

Pricing for the 2023 Volvo XC90 Recharge starts at $82,650 in Core trim, while the Plus trim makes it $87,600 with added must-have features and tech. This tester, the decked-out Ultimate with every box ticked, comes in from $93,550; adding the $1,700 Lounge Package, four-corner air suspension with active chassis control, and a stereo upgrade make it a few bucks short of $100,000 for the machine on your screen.

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Look for standard all-wheel drive with 455 horsepower and 523 lb-ft of torque.

Key gas-powered competitors include the Porsche Cayenne, Acura MDX, BMW X5, and Mercedes-Benz GLE. On the electric side, shoppers might consider cross-shopping an XC90 against models like the Tesla Model Y, BMW iX, or Genesis Electrified GV70.

Driving impressions

Solid control over noise levels, vibrations, and the overall feel of the XC90’s drive prompted me to spend a lot of time relaxing at the wheel, though I did wish for a smoother and more composed ride in a few challenging situations. Some shoppers may also wish for a little more engagement and feedback from the machine.

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Over the course of a few thousand kilometres on this test, I once again enjoyed it the most as a highway tourer. On smooth and winding northern highways, I found my tester’s ride to be solid but gentle, steering to be light and laid back, and seating to be excellent where comfort and support are concerned.

Beneath, my tester’s active air suspension system smooths and stabilizes the ride in real time to absorb small-to-moderate lumps in the road. From the driver’s seat, the XC90 glides where fixed-suspension crossovers tend to jiggle, and sets the driver up for a creamy smooth ride that isn’t easily disturbed. The XC90’s body is stable more of the time, that’s less jouncing and disturbance for the occupants in their seats within. The ride leans hard to the luxury side of the equation; shoppers who find the new Jeep Grand Cherokee or BMW X5 to be a little too choppy and sporty on their feet will likely appreciate the softer approach of the XC90. Despite this softness, it still feels planted and reliable at speed.

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I also noted more consistent control of cabin noise levels at higher speeds, on rough-textured pavement, and over broken surfaces than I expected. Even cruising at good clip, it’s easy to keep a conversation going without raising your voice. Hit a bumpy stretch of road and you’ll hear a dull roar from the suspension.

The audiophile-grade Bowers and Wilkins Premium Stereo System ($3,750) isn’t cheap, but remains both my favourite listening experience on four wheels, and the feature from my tester I missed the most after returning the XC90. Its powerful, vivid playback has a way of encouraging the driver to rediscover new details in their favourite tracks, to sample new kinds of music, and to twist its chrome-studded volume dial ever higher to drench the cabin with rich, powerful sound. In a previous life as a bartender, I spent several evenings a week slinging drinks a stone’s throw from a live concert stage. With that as a reference, I’m happy to report that most listeners will run out of eardrum before this stereo system runs out of horsepower.

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On the highway, my tester’s assist systems feel well-calibrated and on the ball. I noted no alarming or sudden maneuvers from autonomous inputs to steering and brakes, with all interventions sharing a well-considered, smooth and gentle action that makes them feel consistent and easy to trust.

Still, some drivers may be surprised by how much of the driving the XC90 wants to do. With cruise control engaged, the vehicle can self-apply steering inputs to magnetize the vehicle to the centre of its lane, being quite assertive in the process. If you feel the XC90 frequently squirming beneath you, or like you’re arguing with the steering, try to steer ‘less’, loosen your grip on the wheel, and allow the machine to do more of the work. As a hands-on driver, I found this took some getting used to, but resulted in a smoother and more relaxing drive once I did.

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To summarize, so far I left my tester impressed with its ability to keep cabin noise low at virtually all times, and to deliver a consistently relaxing, forgiving, and supportive ride —provided you stay away from the sort of smashed-up backroads common in my part of northern Ontario.

On the worst roads I test SUVs on, I found my XC90s ride comfort and feedback levels to be slightly disappointing. With up-sized 21-inch wheels, I noted a ride that was choppier and often more abrupt than I expected, as well as more feedback than anticipated through the steering system as the front tires encountered potholes, bumps, and cracks in the road.

From the driver’s seat, this means more of the roughness from the road is transmitted to your backside and fingertips. Though both complaints are relatively minor, they do draw away from overall refinement in specific situations like this. It takes a lot to break the XC90’s composure, but those doing plenty of off-road or rough-road driving should consider a model with smaller wheels and thicker tires for best results.

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For perspective, few SUVs handle this worst-case-scenario testing surface without some drama. On previous test drives, I’ve noted the Land Rover Defender and Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy as some of the most comfortable-to-drive luxury SUV’s on this testing surface.

Top marks for headlights, parking system

I’ve noted excellent lighting performance from Volvo for years, and this latest XC90 is no exception.

Poweful LED illumination is clean and white, soaking the road like a floodlight with excellent reach and spread, especially from the high-beams. From the driver’s seat, expect steady eye comfort well after dark, and an enhancement to nighttime-driving confidence. I appreciate the dark-themed, minimal digital cluster here too — it’s hardly distracting at all as you keep your eyes focused up the road ahead.

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After dark, the performance of this tester’s headlights left me feeling very nicely backed up in northern Ontario’s moose country, though I found that the automatic high beams often flicked off for no apparent reason on empty highways, requiring frequent manual overrides.

This tester has what’ll likely be the most comfortable seats you visit all day, and you can activate a massage with a click or two. Feeling stressed? An all-electric evening glide down an unlit winding highway to the sound of Phil Collins, all while and taking in a Level 3 massage will sort you right out.

During the 9-5, the XC90’s parking-lot manners are easy to appreciate. The turning circle is small and light, switching from drive to reverse requires just a half-inch nudge of the shifter, and the shifting is smooth and quiet since you’re usually maneuvering here in all-electric mode. The ultra-wide parking camera and sharp graphics remove second-guessing from maneuvers in tight quarters, and additional useful camera angles (including a 360-degree birds-eye view) are easy to call up.

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From the driver’s seat, expect the XC90 to feel lighter and easier-to-use in tight quarters than its size leads on, even in low-light situations.

High-trim comforts

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The Volvo XC90 T8 is fast, and in all-electric mode with the gas engine offline, the more powerful rear-axle motor makes electric driving much more responsive. Now, you can squash torsos into seatbacks a little, zip more eagerly through traffic, and get deeper into the throttle before the gas engine engages to provide more power. In day-to-day driving, most drivers will find the power available in all-electric mode to be more than sufficient and a fair bit of fun. Even running in the ‘PURE’ (all-electric) mode, the XC90 keeps plenty of power in reserve for everyday driving.

Alternatively, drivers can engage the XC90’s ‘POWER’ mode to bring all 455 horsepower within striking distance. Full throttle here causes the machine to leap urgently ahead, right now. Though the engine’s soundtrack and transmission’s shifting seem calibrated to be more refined than engaging, the ability to instantly (and quietly) apply giant slabs of torque to the wheel never gets old. Even a light prod of the accelerator results in a quiet, lag-free leap for the horizon as the XC90 gobbles up the pavement ahead.

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Enthusiast drivers aren’t likely to find the sporty signals they’re craving from this machine though: the engine is quiet, there are no paddle shifters, the steering is light on feedback, the ride is soft, and the powerful brakes feel somewhat vague at the pedal. This all makes the XC90 easy to drive smoothly and gently for a comfort-first experience.

Still, stuffing the accelerator to the carpet is sure to generate some big smiles every time — especially from a dig where the electric rear motor helps punch the XC90 off the line after a careful but quick initial roll-out. It’s like a road-going rocket-spa.

Interior strengths and weaknesses

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On board, the XC90 hits the mark in most areas but misses it others.

The seating is the star of the show. Volvo’s leather is soft, inviting, and so fragrant you’ll smell it on your clothes all day long. Massage functionality aside, they’re also very comfortable. The second row of this tester features a built-in booster seat for smaller passengers, and third-row seats fold flat when not required to open up more cargo room.

The cargo area itself is flat and wide, and features a useful cubby to keep smaller items in place, as well as dedicated controls for manual lifting and lowering of the air suspension system to ease cargo loading.

Up front, the overall design is clean and tidy, and nothing looks more complicated than it needs to be. Minimal control and button surfaces leave more room for wood, leather, metal, and stitching, and while the vertical touchscreen takes centre stage in the forward dash, it’s still materials and colours and textures that pull hardest for your attention. Hard buttons are few, so you’ll need to use that central screen for most functions, such as after logging into its dedicated Google-based system for phone-free access to apps, maps, and more.

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The recently improved app interface is more logical and responsive than earlier versions of this system (which I’ve complained a lot about over the years), though accessing climate control functions and certain other settings still requires a careful touch on the very bottom edge of the screen. It’s a powerful system that’s generally pleasant to use, I just wish some of the supplemental functions were a bit easier to access.

Elsewhere, expect a consistently upscale feel to everything you can touch and manipulate, right down to the action of the power windows and signal lever. I noted no issues with entry, exit, or space, and found sufficient room for four adults to relax and lounge comfortably, with rear-seat legroom striking me as particularly generous.

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As a whole, I appreciate the cabin’s high-end look and feel without the use of flashy or distracting elements. Much of this interior rewards closer inspection with your eyes and fingertips, but none of it shouts for your attention — most of it simply fades into the background as you focus on the scenery passing by.

When do I charge a Volvo XC90 Recharge PHEV?

Plug-in hybrids can be charged as often or as seldom as is convenient, but recharging is never mandatory; as long as there’s gas in the tank, you’re good to drive.

The more you charge, the more you’ll save on fuel, but with attentive charging, you can drive a PHEV like the XC90 around town for days, weeks, or months without plugging it in. Once the battery level drops below all-electric driving capability, the gas engine automatically kicks back in to keep your drive going and keep that battery sustained for traditional gas-hybrid operation.

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This gives you an all-electric drive for shorter trips, full gas-hybrid backup for longer runs, and a seamless and automatic switch between the two. There’s no effect on performance once the all-electric driving range is depleted, either.

For this reason, an XC90 Recharge can make a compelling alternative to an all-electric model for shoppers after a strong taste of the EV driving experience, as well as the confidence of gas-hybrid backup for towing, extreme cold, and making longer trips with fewer interruptions.

Understanding Volvo terminology

When you’re shopping for a Volvo, models that start with XC are crossover SUVs. The XC90 is the largest of these, taking a place above the smaller XC60 and even-smaller XC40. The entry XC40 model is available with both gas hybrid power or in an all-electric version, while the bigger XC60 and XC90 are available in gas-hybrid and gas-plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions. The XC90 will soon be joined by the EX90, which fulfills a similar role with an all-electric powertrain.

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Volvos with plugs are designated ‘Recharge’ and include both all-electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) machines, both of which have a charging port. If the Volvo you’re considering is wearing this badge, it’s either all-electric or a PHEV like this tester.

All Volvo PHEV models run the automaker’s most powerful engine, the T8. The T8 PHEV powertrain initially launched for 2015, combining the efforts of a 2.0L four-cylinder gas engine with turbocharger and supercharger to drive the front wheels, and an electric motor to drive the rears. Recent updates to the T8 were applied for model-year 2022, meaning this tester runs the latest, greatest version of this plug-in hybrid powertrain. Towing capacity is rated at 5,000 lbs.

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Specifically, there’s a larger-capacity battery, and engineers ditched the 87-horsepower rear electric motor for a considerably more powerful 143-horsepower unit. That’s 56 more electric horsepower at the rear axle, which makes a major difference in how this machine drives.

With that big boost in rear-axle power, there’s no longer the need for a supercharger on the gasoline engine — now that two-litre, turbo-only affair.

The end result is a hybrid engine that’s not only Volvo’s most powerful, but also one that’s able to cut fuel consumption every time you drive, and that can even travel 50-60 kilometres on stored battery power if you plug in and recharge overnight. That’s enough to get most Canadians off of gas for their daily commuting and errands, meaning XC90 Recharge owners could visit the gas station just a few times a year instead of a few times a month. According to the onboard computer, a full charge gave me 48 to 55 kilometres of range in temperatures of 5-15ºC.

It’s a big spend, but shoppers after a taste of the motoring high life from one of the most compelling PHEV SUV models on the luxury scene today will likely find it a strong return on their investment — especially if you’ll make regular use of all-electric driving and run a lot of long-distance trips where that comfortable ride, non-distracting cabin, and monster stereo system will likely draw out new excuses to make road trips.