I have to confess I wasn’t always a Volvo fan. Until the last few years, that is. Even those who aren’t car buffs knew that Volvo was always synonymous with safety. Unfortunately, consumers equated Volvo–and that safety record–with stodgy, professor-types. Why, unless you were a conservative Easterner, or a very practical, frugal kind of guy, you didn’t even consider visiting a Volvo showroom.

Fortunately, for Volvo, that’s all changed. And so have they. To be sure, Volvo still builds a very safe and dependable vehicle, probably the safest on the road. But they are also now building very desirable cars, complete with good looks, sophisticated technological innovations, and class.

Two-thousand-and-two is Volvo’s 75^th anniversary and they continue to break sales records. In 2001, Volvo had its third consecutive record-breaking year in North America selling 134,937 vehicles. The launch of the all-new XC90 SUV is a very important part of Volvo’s upward trend toward sales of 200,000 vehicles in North America by 2005.

Volvo will produce 6,000 XC90 SUV’s this year, half are already pre-sold. The target for XC90’s first full year is 39,250 units; 38,850 in 2004, 39,000 in 2005 and 38,000 in 2006. XC90’s main competition includes the other four premium sport-utes on the market, BMW X5, Acura MDX, Mercedes-Benz ML320 and Lexus RX300. Mercedes’ ML320 led the field, appearing in 1997 and selling 14,569 units, with Lexus RX300 now the segment leader.

According to Volvo’s Vice President of Public Affairs, Roger Ormisher, the XC90 SUV will "close the gap" to selling 200,000 vehicles annually. Adding to Volvo’s already prestigious fleet, the XC90 SUV is joining a relatively young segment, that of the medium premium SUV, all of which have enjoyed successful sales figures (203,906 units all together in 2001). Surprisingly enough, New York leads the nation in SUV sales, followed by Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, Dallas, Houston.

At first sight, the XC90 resembles Volvo’s V70XC wagon. Designed to provide the same ride and road holding as a luxury passenger car, XC90 is based on Volvo’s S80, S60 and V70 cars. The XC90 suspension has been upgraded to handle heavier loads and higher ground clearance. There is no mistaking XC90’s familiar Volvo egg-crate grille. You know its Volvo. The taillamps are also reminiscent of Volvo’s sedans and wagons. Design "Scandinavian style," XC90 seats seven (T6 model) but does it in a compact overall body dimension. Length is 188.9 inches, just 3.4 inches longer than a V70. The observer isn’t about to mistake the XC90 for a wagon, however, with its elevated SUV-like stance.

Climbing into the back seat one immediately feels cared for. This is a beautifully crafted vehicle. The seats conform to your shape, you can stretch out your legs and you’ve got everything at your fingertips, including baby in her forward sliding booster seat.

Volvo has positioned a back seat air vent in the B and C-pillar where it can really do some good. As is standard fare in Volvo, the IP is ergonomically practical and attractive. Simple but elegant and all is within reach. What I like about Volvo’s controls is their simplicity. Only the obtuse would have trouble figuring out the body-shape drawn on the controls for selecting airflow mode. And they are simple; no overly technological do-dads to figure out (and if you’re lucky you can operate it by the end of the week). The controls angle slightly making them easier to read, particularly at night. As with all sport-utility-vehicles, the XC90 sits high and special attention has been given to ease of entry/exit.

Another tempting feature in the XC90 is the folding flat of the second and third row, and front passenger seats. The completely flat luggage compartment accommodates baggage, ladders and bicycles. The middle row of seats has a three-part backrest with a 40/20/40 split. The middle seat can be equipped with an integrated child booster cushion. In the seven-seat version, the child seat slides forward positioned behind the two front seats. The third row features two separate front facing seats. And, there is still room behind the third seat to store gear.

One of the XC90s neatest features is the 70/30split tailgate. This allows for the upper section to be lighter and easier to operate, while the lower section can be used as a seat or platform. One can stand on the edged platform to reach the roof to load luggage, bikes or outdoor gear. Also available as an accessory is a table (somewhere around $250) for tailgate parties and the like. The table legs are fitted in the bottom half of the tailgate, the tailgate serving as a seat. Optional seat cushions are also available. Of course, Volvo has added a 12-volt power outlet in the rear to accommodate such things as a radio or cooking gear.

For those who want to further enhance their XC90, an exterior styling kit is available from the dealer. With aluminum running boards, side décor (color-coded covering the front wheel arch, lower part of front and rear, doors and rear wheel arch); rear skid plate; "Atlantis" 18-inch aluminum six-spoke wheels; roof ribs; mudflaps and crossbars. Also available as accessories are a tow bar with detachable hitch and accessories such as load basket, ski hitch and bike hitch, a protective steel grille to prevent animals being thrown, a luggage compartment mat, and form-moulded floor mats.

Environmentally, Volvo’s XC90 is the cleanest SUV in its category. The all-aluminum six-cylinder engine meeting American ULEV requirements and the five-cylinder all-aluminum petrol engine meeting ULEV II requirements, in all 50 states. Volvo has also given great detail to "selfless compatibility" regarding other vehicles on the road. High priority has been given to designing the XC90 so that if it should collide with a vehicle smaller than it is damage will be minimized. In order to reduce this risk, XC90’s front suspension subframe is supplemented with a lower cross-member, positioned at the height of the beam in a conventional car. The XC90’s cross-member strikes the oncoming car’s protective structure, activating its crumple zone as intended so occupants are given the maximum protection. Risk of injuries from frontal , rear and side collisions is also reduced. The entire front of the XC90 is smooth and gentle, with no protruding parts should it come in contact with a pedestrian or bicycle. In addition, the engine is installed low so that the hood has no less than 3.1 inches of deformation space before any contact with the engine below it. It therefore, serves as an impact-absorbing bumper.

Volvo has achieved several "world firsts" with the new XC90, including leading safety systems with its three-row inflatable curtain, the first Roll Stability Control (RSC) system, pretension seatbelts in all seating positions, an integrated sliding center booster seat for children, side curtain for the third row seat passengers and high-strength Boron steel roof structure.

Flat-folding seats are new to SUV, as is the Dolby Prologic II Surround Sound Stereo System in the XC90 T6. Be prepared when you turn on this system. Wow. With 305 watts of power and 12 premium speakers, this is one powerful system, complete with AM/FM/In-Dash 6-CD Changer. Our CD’s ran the gamut during our 2-hour test drive, giving us a good feel for what this system is capable of. Owners can opt for the Versatility Package that includes among other things rear audio headphone outlets and controls.

Available on the XC90 are five different option packages, as well as 11 single options. The XC90 is available in two models, the XC90 2.5-liter and the XC90 AWD T6.

Complaints? Very few. One question is why Volvo opted for a five-cylinder (208 horsepower) and six-cylinder (268 horsepower) engine when its competitors offer bigger engines. BMW X5 sports a 3.0 liter, Lexus a 3.0-liter, and Mercedes ML320 a 3.2 liter. I was asked by an English journalist if I thought the XC90 had enough power for American drivers’ tastes. I answered ‘yes,’ yet, wondered later if he would have gotten the same response from a male counterpart. For all practical purposes, yes, the XC90’s engines are more than adequate. The only time we doubted it was climbing through the mountains in manual. We had to play with the box a little to get some oomph out of the 2.5. When in fourth with the pedal flat on the floor, we weren’t picking up speed.

One other drawback is lack of visibility out the rear window of the XC90. I found myself a little unnerved when driving in heavy traffic and trying to switch lanes. I didn’t feel as sure of myself as I would have liked. I relied quite a bit on the side mirrors.

Volvo expects its XC90 customer to fit a profile similar to its competitors RX300, ML320, X5 and MDX: 45 percent female, 85 percent married, with a median age of 45 years and median income of $145,000. Forty percent will have three or more vehicles in the home already; 25 percent will live in metropolitan cities and 25 percent will represent a minority, heavily Asian. In fact, Volvo will market strongly to minorities.

The XC90 will be available in showrooms in November 02 in All-wheel-drive (AWD) only. Available in first quarter of 2003 will be the front-wheel-drive version. Pricing for the XC90 will start at $33,350 (2.5-liter) and $39,975 (T6), destination $625. The 2.5-liter with AWD will start at $35,100. Competitively priced, the XC90 T6 version has been the model of choice in the pre-sale orders. Volvo expects this to level off to 40 percent after its been on the market. EPA fuel economy ratings aren’t in just yet, but Volvo expects the T6 to average somewhere between 20-23 miles per gallon and the 2.5-liter between 24-27 miles per gallon.

Standard equipment on the 2.5-liter I-5 will include 16-inch alloy wheels, wood inlays, CD player, DSTC, RSC, electronic climate control, dual zone, fog lights, leather-covered steering wheel, cargo cover, power driver seat with memory, roof rails, tinted windows and trip computer. XC90 T6 AWD includes all of that and electronically controlled AWD, leather upholstery, power glass moonroof, in-dash 6-CD changer, auto dimming mirror, power passenger seat and 17-inch alloy wheels.

There is so much to tell about the XC90. You’ll have to drive one for yourself, grab a booklet and read all about it. Or better yet, tune in to Volvo’s web site at Volvo Cars of North America. We think you’ll like it.