Volvo XC90 Ultimate B6 Mild Hybrid (2023-2026)

Safe, luxurious and practical – As the flagship SUV from Volvo, you’d expect flagship levels of build quality, and you’d be right. The exterior construction, interior materials and technology are all first rate. Tolerances look and feel luxurious, materials feel weighty and soft to the touch, and the user experience offers plenty of control without too much complexity. I will say that my tester had some issues with the sliding rails with the second row, an issue I would have had looked at by my local service centre if this was my car. Aside from that, this car was close to flawless.

This XC90 is priced from $104,990 before on-road costs. Add some options like headlamp cleaners, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel ($700), tinted rear windows ($1050), front massaging seats ($1100), a Bowers & Wilkins sound system ($6450) and a ventilated Nappa leather interior ($3250), and the total cost for our test car was $117,540.

It’s pricey, but at least the metallic paint was a no-cost option. It’s also worth pointing out that despite its higher-than-average price, it still undercuts cars like the Mercedes GLS and BMW X7 by a decent chunk of change.

The warranty is 5 years/unlimited kilometres and servicing will cost you either $1750 for 3 years of servicing or $3000 for 5 years.

In true executive SUV fashion, the XC90 is near silent when cruising around in this leather-filled interior. There’s lots of sound deadening to enjoy that $6000 upgraded speaker system, making it an ideal place to listen to the latest new music drop on a Friday.

I did find the sound of the B6 petrol motor to sound a little abrasive under heavy acceleration, but it wasn’t anything too dramatic or excessive.

This new B6 motor comes in the form of a 2.0L mild-hybrid turbocharged four-cylinder producing 220kW (299hp) and 420Nm. The mild-hybrid system provides some electric power via an itty bitty battery that’ll fill in the gaps a petrol engine would have upon initial acceleration, gear shifts and coasting.

0-100km/h occurs in a claimed 6.7 seconds, so this isn’t a slow seven-seater, but it’s got nothing on the more affordable XC60 Recharge.

This 8-speed automatic transmission offered the same experience I had in the XC60. You rarely experience any mishaps in shifts, and find yourself rolling around in relative smoothness.

You can shift your own gears, but there aren't any paddles on the wheel to do that. Instead, you push the crystal shifter - yes, a crystal shifter side to side to move manually through all 8 gears.

There was no air suspension on our car; instead, it just had traditional springs and dampers. You’ll need to pay extra for that.

I found the ride to be extremely compliant and comfortable for the most part. But I did pucker up when approaching an unavoidable pothole when riding on these 22-inch wheels.

The claimed fuel efficiency is 8.2L per 100km. I saw figures as high as 10L per 100km, but those could easily get down to the 8L range when out on longer drives on the highway. There’s a 71L tank on board, and a mild hybrid setup should help return a healthy range for those school holiday road trips.

There’s 680L of boot space with the third row folded, but there’s just enough space with all seats up for nearly two golf bags.

Seats fold in a 40:20:40 split in the second row, offering more than enough space for whatever you might need to fill this Swedish family truck with.

There’s an included folding booster seat for the middle seat in the second row, and climate controls for the second row as well as those optional heated seats. You can even block out the sun a little bit with the included sun shades.

The third row seats are fairly comfortable for adults, but these aren’t the best seats in the house. That would be reserved for the heated and massaging front seats.

This is hands down one of the best looking, easy to live with family SUVs you can own today. Volvo knows what they’re doing in the design and ergonomics department and throws in some features and tech to add to that.

You can’t beat the fact this is one of the safest cars on the road and has the build quality to make you feel like you’re driving in something just a little more special than your average family car.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.