Top-spec Volvo XC90 Excellence revealed

A new super-luxury trim of the Volvo XC90 is set to go on sale overseas by the end of this year. This high-on-luxury XC90 Excellence will rival the likes of the recently revealed Range Rover SVAutobiography and the upcoming Bentley Bentayga.

On the outside, the XC90 Excellence looks like the standard SUV save for the chrome on the B- and C-pillars. In the cabin, the Excellence has a four-seat layout, with the rear captain seats getting massage and ventilation functions, and the rear passengers also get access to the infotainment system through a retractable touch screen. Other features on this trim include folding tables, a refrigerator, heated and cooled cup holders, crystal glasses, extra sound deadening and Pirelli Noise Cancelling System tyres.

The XC90 Excellence will be available with the 316bhp T6 petrol model, the 225bhp D5 diesel and the 314bhp T8 plug-in hybrid variant.

In India, Volvo will be launching the standard-spec XC90 in September 2015. Mechanically, this India-spec XC90 will initially come with the 225bhp 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, twin-turbo diesel unit. Power is sent to all four wheels via the eight-speed automatic gearbox, and it’s also likely to come with paddle-shifters for the Indian market. In early 2016 though, Volvo will also launch the T8 plug-in hybrid variant. It has a petrol-electric setup – the four-cylinder Drive E engine has been tuned to produce 318bhp, while the electric motor is capable of making 80.04bhp.

Upon launch, there’ll be two trims - Momentum and Inscription. Both trims are feature-heavy, but the Inscription trim takes the luxury factor a notch higher than Momentum. The Momentum trim boasts of equipment like driver’s seat with memory function, panoramic sunroof, a 12.3-inch screen in the instrument cluster, an audio system with USB and Aux function, park assist and hill descent control. The Inscription trim, additionally gets, features like a 19-speaker Bowers and Wilkins audio system, air suspension, heads-up display, ventilated front seats and Nappa leather upholstery.

Volvo India is expected to price the XC90 competitively, to take on the likes of the Audi Q7 and the BMW X5. Whether it gets the Excellence trim to India though, is still not confirmed.

Along with the XC90, Volvo is also adding more variants to its V40 and the S60 range in India.