What’s new: Volvo has extended its sporty R-design styling/trim-level combination to the seven-seat 4×4 XC90. The cosmetic treatment and sports suspension add £1750 to the price.
Excellent: The XC90 is now (finally) on a par with other large 4x4s for driver appeal. The car feels remarkably well balanced through the corners with hardly any body roll.
Good: The ride is hardly altered by the sports suspension, but avoid the optional 20-inch alloys for a totally smooth ride. As ever, the seats are impressively comfy too.
Average: The R-design styling is far more subtle on the XC90 than it is on the rest of the Volvo range, which seems a shame when the C30 has been done so well.
Poor: The 185PS 2.4-litre diesel is showing its age. High CO2 puts it in the 35% tax band, well off the class-leading BMW X5 3.0d. Poor RVs give the XC90 an 84.9 pence cost per mile figure.
Verdict: The best XC90, and still the top seven-seat 4×4, but not good enough in green terms.
