There are cars and there are automobiles. The Volvo XC90 is definitely an automobile. What’s the difference between a car and an automobile? An automobile like the XC90 – I like to lovingly call it a space cruiser – are the ones we like to get into, that don’t just serve the purpose of bringing us from A to B in our daily professional lives. In our case, the space cruiser brought us to Lech-Zürs am Arlberg, in no lesser hotel than the Zürserhof.
There, I collected the 5 things that nearly led me to fight tooth and nail against giving the Volvo XC90, with all its luxurious features, back to Volvo Austria.
Sound, Acoustics, Sound System
The standard sound system from Bowers & Wilkins is probably one of the most brilliant refinements. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the menu setup and reached the sound area, the XC90 quite subtly offers you the opportunity to play the sound of the “Gothenburg Concert Hall” in the car. For me, there was no doubt that the sound in a real experience and very likely better than the home stereo system that sits in your apartment and was affordably purchased at the electronic retailer around the corner.
Large and yet sporty
Large and especially long automobiles appeal to me, though I have no objection to wagons or especially sport wagons. That the Volvo XC90 is then 5 m long and has a standard weight of 2 tons surprised me. But it surprised me even more, or to put it better, convinced me, was that the “D5” motor, despite the data, the car moved through the curves in a way that was not just sporty, but also elegant. Mind you, these were curves that would make many a wagon give up…and on top of that, in winter driving conditions. In my little video, which is really just a small summary, I wanted to show my driving skills.
Safety thanks to the EURO NCAP victory
Once again, Volvo has shown what is possible on our streets in the matter of safety. To the best of my knowledge, the XC90 is the best in class of the EURO NCAP test. Without any inhibition, I can say that this feeling of safety is present when in the cabin. In fact, I only heard that they won the test later. This SUV, which you could almost call a living room, gives you the feeling of being safely underway on the streets and in severe weather conditions that, to tell the truth, might have left me considering whether I could make a slope with that amount of snow or whether the second sharp left turn after a tight right would work at that speed if I had been in another car. I didn’t doubt for a second that the XC90 was up to the conditions. I would have liked to test the same roads in the Range Rover. Apparently, Gregor / The Vienna Blog, on the seat next to me with a great panorama view (also when parking, thanks to the 360° camera) also felt comfortable.
Traveling at the highest level – Luxury
Luxury and living are probably the best descriptions for this topic. Some living rooms aren’t as well furnished and not nearly so well equipped. Here, the interior designers truly gave their best. Every button is in the right place. You can also control almost everything in this Volvo using the touch screen, which seems larger than in almost any other vehicle that I’ve been in (except for the Tesla S). I especially like the way Volvo attaches importance to little details – you have the feeling that it is more important for them than for many other manufacturers. For example, sewn happily and proudly in the seam of the very comfortable passenger seat (which plays every game you could wish in a car) is a little Swedish flag.
Attracting attention – Eyecatcher
Anyone who knows me in real life knows: I like to attract attention. Regardless of whether it’s clothing or cars. That means that the XC90 is definitely right for me. Although I would have preferred one in a flashy color, such as a strong turquoise blue or orange. But it was also well suited to white. A white space cruiser in the middle of the snow, and it’s still easy to see – that says everything. No matter where you park it: it makes everyone who passes by take a second look.
All pictures were shot on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.
Devilish Tip: Pay attention to product placement.
Supported by Volvo Austria with the XC90.
Hotel Zürserhof