Home » Car Reviews » Volvo » 2003 » 2003 Volvo XC90 Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle
2003 Volvo XC90 Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle
…Continued
Brings comfortable quarters and safety gear
Jump to page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Electronic automatic transmissions -- a five-speed for the T5 and four-speed for T6 -- employ adaptive gear shift patterns which eliminate the need for separate economy and sport modes. A Geartronic add-on permits shift-it-yourself maneuvers by throwing the gear lever to the left through a gate, then pushing it forward to bump up a gear or pulling back to drop down one gear at a time.
XC90 models with AWD equipment land first in North America, with a T5 version in front-wheel-drive (FWD) also due but arriving late in the model-year.
The AWD system, developed for Volvo by Haldex, a Swedish pioneer in AWD mechanisms, is classified as an active-on-demand system with power split between front and rear wheels through a wet multi-plate clutch.
An electronic device on the rear differential governs the system while also communicating with the car's engine control module and brake controller. When spin sensors at wheels detect rotational differences between front and rear tires, this mechanism reacts by sending more power to non-slip wheels and less to spinning ones. Ultimately, the unit brings both front and rear wheels back into equilibrium -- and the vehicle continues in a straight-line path.
The design of the cabin for XC90 is impressive -- it's stocked with comfortable seats and plenty of cargo room.
Standard is a five-seat arrangement with twin front buckets and a bench for three. A third-row bench for two is optional and folds flat into the floor when more cargo space is needed. Second-row seatbacks also fold flat, as does the front passenger seat, so the compartment ends up with numerous combinations for hauling people and gear.
Volvo tags the front-drive XC90 at $33,350, plus a delivery fee of $625. The T5 AWD comes to $35,100 and a T6 AWD is $39,975. Premium gear like leather seats and deluxe audio equipment cluster in packages as options.
Jump to page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
