Jump to content
Create New...
  • William Maley
    William Maley

    Interactive Review: 2020 Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription

      Volvo SUV? Check. Plug-In Hybrid? Check. Interactive Review? Check.

    Next up for an interactive review is the most expensive Volvo I have driven, the 2020 XC90 T8 Inscription - as-tested price of $86,790 with a $995.00 destination charge. Sadly, there is no kitchen sink to find, but this vehicle is loaded. It has four-corner air suspension, 21-inch wheels, a Bowers and Wilkins audio system, massaging front seats, heated steering whee, captain chairs for the second row with heat, panoramic sunroof, and 360-degree camera.

    Power comes from the T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain that I tried in the V60 Polestar a few weeks back. While not as potent as the Polestar, the XC90 still posts some impressive numbers of 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet.

    Here are some initial impressions

    • Despite the hefty pricetag, I don't get the feeling of luxury that the Inscription is supposed to bring. I have to wonder if its due to the black leather and dark wood trim being used.
    • Did I mention that this comes with a crystal gearshift?
    • Ride quality seems to be ok with the 21-inch wheels, but there is a fair amount of tire noise on rough pavement.

    I'll have more thoughts as the week goes on. In the meantime, if you have any questions, drop them below.

    A14CD008-07B0-4F6D-9EEB-7641B33A6049.JPEGF616DF6F-5DCA-44AA-B076-F3D391D7D7E2.JPEGIMG_1319.JPGYV4BR00L8L1580554.png

    Edited by William Maley


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    WOW, crazy as I have to agree based on the picture that the dark interior does not say uber luxury.

    Questions:

    • Is the crystal shifter like the one in Cadillac? Looks a bit like it.
    • How is the comfort of the Drivers seat?
      • Is the massage feature distracting while driving?
    • Quality of the camera system?
    • Interior size for large people, any draw backs observed?
    • Does the bottom front section of the drivers seat pull out for longer legs like other autos has on some seats?
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    On 9/25/2020 at 7:23 PM, David said:

    WOW, crazy as I have to agree based on the picture that the dark interior does not say uber luxury.

    Questions:

    • Is the crystal shifter like the one in Cadillac? Looks a bit like it.
    • How is the comfort of the Drivers seat?
      • Is the massage feature distracting while driving?
    • Quality of the camera system?
    • Interior size for large people, any draw backs observed?
    • Does the bottom front section of the drivers seat pull out for longer legs like other autos has on some seats?

    I can answer a few of these questions at the moment.

    2: Strikes a good balance between comfort and firmness. Did a couple of hours behind the wheel and ran into no issues.
    2.5: Did not find it to be really distracting, but I think this may a be a case by case thing.
    3: Very good camera system, although I wished that it was easier to get to the 360-degree view when parking.
    5: There is a power adjustment for this.

    • Thanks 1
    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    These are a truly beautiful day to day ride, size, and luxury.

    But:

    1) Do not do the 21", etc. wheels. Adds an odd noise, etc. that isn't needed, and roughness vs. the others. Still rides well, but too big (on anything) doesn't work ideally, ever.

    2) Highest Inscription, etc. models are not sellers. For good reason. This in the $55-70k range is killer, and oozes luxury and refinement vs. something like a Cadillac Acadia aka XT-whatever.

    The seats...well...every other automaker should just make deals with Volvo to buy their seats, and skip the development costs. The best.

    Edited by caddycruiser
    • Agree 4
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    The $6300 Inscription package seems like a big waste of money, especially since part of it is a stereo upgrade when there is $3200 then added on for another stereo upgrade.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Final Update on the XC90 (Was hoping to get this up yesterday, but got busy with other things).

    • Average MPGe landed around 50.2 for the week. Around 60 to 65 percent of my driving was done on electric power alone. It would have been higher had I not checked if I had fully plugged in the charger into the connection the first night I had the vehicle.
    • Overall electric range came between 20 to 22 miles.
    • Recharging the XC90 T8's charging time, it is the same as the V60 Polestar - 8-10 hours. You can use a 240V outlet to charge it via an adapter.
    • To answer @David question on space for tall passengers, there is plenty of headroom due to the boxy shape. Legroom is fine, provided there isn't a giant sitting up front and has the seat set all the way back. Don't even think about trying the third row - pain to get in and barely any legroom if the second-row captain's chairs are moved all the way back.
    • No problems with Volvo Sensus in terms of freezing or crashes. 

    When it comes to write the full review, I'll likely be doing a "Here's what I would cut from the Inscription" to make the price tag slightly more palatable. Spoiler, the 21-inch wheels are the first to go.

    I should have a new interactive review up later today.

    • Thanks 1
    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • google-news-icon.png



×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search

Change privacy settings