Photo: Catalin Garmacea
We won’t lie, we got excited when Volvo announced the XC90 Excellence edition earlier this year. After reading about what the Swedes promised to bring on the SUV, the fine print said that this model was going to be bound to China alone. That’s when disappointment ensued. To see exactly what we were going to miss, we travelled to Shanghai to see it in the metal.
The thing is, up close, the Excellence edition looks poorer than Volvo promised. Sure, every new detail is in there but overall, the package doesn’t feel all that convincing.
The rear bench has been modified to accommodate only two people whereas on the standard model up to five persons could squeeze themselves in there. The Swedish company also claims that this will be the most luxurious car they ever made, but that might all be just marketing talk to justify the incredible price tag it will probably have in China.
There’s also a high-end infotainment system thrown in the mix as well as hand-cut crystal tumblers for champagne and other expensive drinks. Ventilated leather seats, wood trims and heated/cooled cup holders complete the package.
On the entertainment side of things, a 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system will make sure the music sounds right, especially since the Excellence model also comes with noise-canceling technology.
Engine-wise things are unchanged compared to the standard XC90. The choice is still down to the same petrol T6 plant (320 HP), D5 diesel (225 HP) and T8 400 HP hybrid.
Overall, the Volvo XC90 Excellence is an incredibly well-equipped car but as a whole package it can’t keep up with other similarly priced cars in this segment like the new Mercedes-Benz GLE, BMW X5 and Audi Q7.
The rear bench has been modified to accommodate only two people whereas on the standard model up to five persons could squeeze themselves in there. The Swedish company also claims that this will be the most luxurious car they ever made, but that might all be just marketing talk to justify the incredible price tag it will probably have in China.
There’s also a high-end infotainment system thrown in the mix as well as hand-cut crystal tumblers for champagne and other expensive drinks. Ventilated leather seats, wood trims and heated/cooled cup holders complete the package.
On the entertainment side of things, a 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system will make sure the music sounds right, especially since the Excellence model also comes with noise-canceling technology.
Engine-wise things are unchanged compared to the standard XC90. The choice is still down to the same petrol T6 plant (320 HP), D5 diesel (225 HP) and T8 400 HP hybrid.
Overall, the Volvo XC90 Excellence is an incredibly well-equipped car but as a whole package it can’t keep up with other similarly priced cars in this segment like the new Mercedes-Benz GLE, BMW X5 and Audi Q7.
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