The All-New Volvo XC90 – Auto Express Car of the Year 2015
The All-New Volvo XC90 – Auto Express Car of the Year 2015
After just one month in the UK and 12 years after the original XC90 took the title, the all-new Volvo XC90 has been named Car of the Year 2015 and Large SUV of the Year category winner at this year’s Auto Express New Car Awards 2015. The award ceremony was held at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London on Tuesday 30th June 2015.
Volvo Cars’ award-winning XC90 has already made its presence known by almost selling out its entire first year’s planned production run of 50,000 cars. To date over 44,100 cars have been ordered, with over 4,000 in the UK alone.
“This award reflects the great passion that Volvo Cars puts into its new cars. We understand our customers’ desire to have beautiful cars – cars that make their lives easier by delivering the latest technology - but in a user-friendly manner. We also understand the driving need for powertrains that deliver efficient performance, and a chassis that provides a balanced and engaging driving experience that ensures the driver is always fully in control,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Car Group, accepting the Car of the Year 2015 award.
Steve Fowler, Editor-in-Chief of Auto Express, said “We’ve been waiting a long time for the XC90, but it was well worth the wait – it’s a sensational SUV. It not only sets new standards for Volvo, but for the car market in general, leading in terms of technology, efficiency, style and safety. It’s also got an element of style – inside and out – that you might not have expected. If the XC90 points the way for the future of Volvo, the future looks very bright indeed.”
Nick Connor, Managing Director at Volvo Car UK, who collected the award for Large SUV of the Year 2015, commented, “The original Volvo XC90 revolutionised the SUV market when it launched back in 2002, and the new XC90 is making an equally strong impression. It introduces Volvo’s new design language, intuitive connectivity and class-leading powertrains but retains the practicality of the original and the usability that made it a firm customer favourite.”
The all-new XC90 is the first car to be built on Volvo’s own in-house designed and built platform, called SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) and solely uses Volvo’s own in-house designed and built engines, called Drive-E.
A blend of rich Scandinavian design elements, both inside and out, helps the XC90 stand out from the mainstream. With the help of its front ‘Thor Hammer’ daytime running lights and new larger grille, it gives off a commanding road presence. The interior’s crowning glory is the centre tablet control system, labelled Sensus. The intuitive system controls all the major functions of the vehicle, from the infotainment, phone, navigation and connectivity features. The interior is the epitome of Scandinavian design, a serene and relaxing environment, combining the finest natural materials available such a leather and wood, and at the same time being a practical seven-seat SUV.
For the full story on all the winners and commended runners-up, see the Auto Express Awards Special Issue, on sale today, or go to www.autoexpress.co.uk/awards.