We test and offer unfiltered opinions of the new 2025.5 XC90 from Volvo. This electric vehicle blends practical EV benefits with a surprising personality.
Follow us today...
Stolid means calm, dependable, showing little emotion or animation, according to Google’s online dictionary. That’s sort of what we expected from the "2025 and a half" Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Ultra. However, based on our testing, that’s not a great description for this three-row plug-in EV. Here’s our take on this surprising vehicle.
2025.5 Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Ultra - What Is It? Who Builds It?
The XC90 is a three-row, full-size, luxury SUV. It’s built by the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group’s Volvo brand. The assembly point is Sweden, 50% of the parts are Scandinavian, and the transmission is made in Japan.
2025.5 Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Ultra - What Does It Cost?
The XC90 we tested had a cost inclusive of the Destination Charge of $88,695. This price does not include dealer Doc Fees or any recent price changes resulting from new tariffs.
2025.5 Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Ultra - What’s Its Powertrain
The XC90 we tested is a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV). Many authorities, such as the International Energy Agency and the State of California's CARB, consider vehicles of this type “EVs.” The XC90 has a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and also electric motors. It can be plugged in and store enough energy to travel about 32 miles. We saw 35 miles of EV range on more than one trip. The vehicle’s total range is 535 miles according to the EPA. It earns a 58 MPGe rating. AWD is included, but it must be manually selected from a settings menu to operate. This is an on-pavement setup, not an off-road SUV. Guess the torque rating, and we will reveal it at the story’s conclusion*.
2025.5 Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Ultra - How Does It Drive?
The XC90 is snappy in all situations. Acceleration is either steady, brisk, or exhilarating, depending on how you wish to operate it. We didn’t expect the last two. When operating in all-EV mode, which Volvo calls “Pure,” the power and torque are more than adequate for a satisfying, fun driving experience. In Hybrid mode, which mixes in all sources of thrust, the XC90 is very quick, and can offer explosive bursts of speed from a stop, or when you want more power, such as when passing. We were very impressed with the powertrain overall.
The suspension is perfect 90% of the time, but over some spring potholes and broken road surfaces, it was harsh. The feeling is great when the roads are smooth. No lean in turns, super sharp steering, and a decent brake pedal feel given the vehicle's size and mass.
Although large, we didn’t have any difficulty using our normal-sized garage, and the XC90 is pretty easy to park in normal spaces, such as in a tight parking garage. It’s as big as can be and still work in normal situations. The visibility is outstanding, and with our manner of driving, had no blind spots.
2025.5 Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Ultra - Living Electric
The 18.8 kWh battery is easy to charge quickly using Level 2 charging. On our Emporia J-plug charger, it was filled between drives every time we used it. 35 miles is a good range for a PHEV. It covers almost all of our suburban trips using EV power only, and you can also recharge in many locations while out and about. It does not have DC charging capability, nor should it. During our week with the XC90, it was in EV mode for all but one of the trips we used it for.
2025.5 Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Ultra - Interior and Infotainment Features
One way all Volvo vehicles feel special is the interior appointments. This one is no exception. The seats are both comfortable and pleasing to the eye. The cloth on the dash is fantastic. The jeweled shifter is elegant. Nobody does luxury interiors better than Volvo.
We are infotainment super users here. We test a new car every week, sometimes more than one per week. Volvo has recently switched to Google Built-in. We are not fans of that path because it eliminates Android Auto and means a paid subscription down the road. If you are team Apple, you likely won't notice the change much. If you are team Android/Google, you will wish that Android Auto had been carried over.
We found navigating the various menus and settings to be more confusing than prior Volvos and more than most modern vehicles. We never found the HUD adjustments. We never found the tire pressure display. There’s always the dealer and the manual if you need help, but should you? When we used “hey Google” to assist us, it was no help.
2025.5 Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Ultra - What’s Missing
Android Auto and a spare tire were the only two features we looked for and could not find in the XC90 we tested.
2025.5 Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Ultra - Conclusion
Much of the magic of the XC90 is that it is an EV most of the time you use it. With a whopping 523 lb-ft of torque*, you never wish for more power. Driven in an adult manner, the XC90 is fun, satisfying, and feels decidedly luxurious. If you start pushing it around like a sports car, you probably won't end up a happy owner. That’s not the role of a 3-row SUV, and nobody in their right mind would expect it to act like a sports car. However, we enjoyed every mile we drove in the XC90, and it certainly drives smaller than it looks. We would recommend the 2025.5 Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Ultra to any shopper looking for a full-size, three-row EV that comes with no charging hassles.
John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools.
Follow us today...