XC90 Series II

VOLVO has had a huge success with its XC90, with the luxury SUV selling strongly all over the globe.

However, renewed activity from a host of premium rivals prompted the Ford-owned Swedish firm to roll out the Series II in September 2006.

Consisting of a new nose, tail-lights and slightly revised cabin trim, the big news was the introduction of an all-aluminium DOHC 20-valve turbo-diesel unit. Dubbed D5, it delivers 130kW and 400Nm of power and torque respectively.

Volvo also released its first-ever V8, a brand-new 4.4-litre unit co-developed with Yamaha.

Heralding the departure of the six-cylinder turbo-charged XC90 T6, the all-alloy DOHC 32-valve 60-degree transverse V8 punches out 232kW at 5850rpm and an efficient 440Nm of torque.

Standard transmission with both engines is a new six-speed automatic which picks up the Geartronic tag, meaning it is a sequential-changer.

The XC90’s all-wheel drive system is an upgraded version of the on-demand Haldex arrangement featured on the original version that sends power more quickly to the rear wheels if needed.

All XC90s come with Volvo’s roll stability control system (RSC), traction control and ABS with EBD and brake assist.