2006 Midsize SUV : Volvo XC90

Volvo introduced an available V-8 engine for its sport utility vehicle during the 2005 model year. First seen at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, the 311-horsepower V-8 version featured new 18-inch wheels, a graphite-gray grille and twin exhaust pipes. Volvo said the engine emitted a distinctive sound. The 2005 model year also brought improved Rain sensor wipers with flat blades and a standard Home-Link transmitter. Long known for safe, solid sedans and wagons, Volvo joined the SUV fray in 2003 with its car-based XC90.

The Swedish automaker claimed the midsize XC90 with Roll Stability Control would be the safest SUV on the market. Volvo offers a five-cylinder 2.5T edition of the XC90, while the T6 has been discontinued for 2006. Available all-wheel drive permits operation on a variety of terrains, but the XC90 isn’t intended for serious off-road driving. For 2006, a new all-wheel-drive system with Instant Traction is optional on 2.5T models and comes standard on V-8 versions. Rear park assist is now a stand-alone option for the V-8 version, and a tire-pressure-monitoring system is standard.

The XC90 can seat either five or seven occupants and is equipped with a 40/20/40-split second-row bench. In seven-passenger versions, a child booster seat in the second row slides forward, nearly between the front seats. Volvo’s Roll Stability Control system employs a gyro-sensor. Inflatable side curtain-type airbags drop down to protect occupants in all three rows of seats. Side-impact airbags and Dynamic Stability and Traction Control are standard. The solid, refined XC90 handles more like a taut European sedan. It reacts masterfully on twisting roads and functions with precise control.