When it comes to providing utmost luxury, Volvo is by no means inferior to its fancied German rivals in the premium segment. Flagship cars like the S90 sedan and the XC90 SUV are a testimony to that. But with their latest launch the Swedish car maker is giving an option the ultra rich hasn’t seen in India till now. The XC90 Excellence Lounge, according to the company is a unique piece of craftsmanship that gives luxury and comfort a new dimension. From the outside it may not reveal too much but inside the SUV has gone in for a complete transformation, including getting just 3 seats. The name itself says it is a lounge on wheels and it comes at a premium over other variants of the biggest Volvo SUV on sale. And India is the first market anywhere in the world which sees the car.
Luxury
From the outside the XC90 Excellence Lounge looks similar to the other XC90 variants. But inside the lounge configuration ensures the front passenger seat makes way for a big, comfortable footrest. An adjustable lounge console with heated footrest and lockable storage promises an even more exclusive rear seat experience. The SUV comes with some exclusive amenities such as folding leather-clad tray tables, refrigerator and crystal glasses with holder. The luxury list on this car is pretty long as it also gets linear walnut décor and a foldable integrated 13-inch iPad with Bowers & Wilkins headset. The latter also provides the massive 20 speaker 1,400 watt sound system that is surely an experience. The rear seat also gets a pop-up touch screen for convenient control of the seat amenities. The individual Excellence seats feature perforated fine nappa leather upholstery with a Scandinavian style rhomb pattern. Add to that the advanced heating, massage and ventilation functions and luxury just increases a few notches. All these are available at different levels.
Features
The XC90 Excellence lounge sits on the top of the line XC90 Excellence. That means even if the car only comes with 3 seats it gets 4-zone climate control (the 4th could very well be exclusively for your feet. The system comes with iconic air cleaner that according to Volvo gives the interior air an invigorating freshness, while the panoramic roof adds to the impression of light and space. The SUV also gets a 3-spoke steering wheel with unideco inlays, crystal gear lever knob and a 12.3-inch driver display unit. The dashboard is covered with leather and the cabin also gets high level of illumination. The feature list is almost complete with a compass with navigation, heated windscreen washes and hands free tailgate opening.
Engine
The good thing is that XC90 Excellence lounge retains all XC90 Excellence’s key features on sustainability and safety. It is a plug-in hybrid with capacity to run for up to 40 km in a single charge of the battery. Thereafter, the car automatically changes over to a hybrid mode. The 2.0 litre petrol engine (both supercharged and turbocharged) and a 65 KW electric motor ensure a maximum power of 401 bhp and 640 Nm of peak torque. There’s an 8-speed automatic transmission along with the full time all-wheel drive system on offer. In all there are 3 more driving modes—pure, hybrid and power. This plug-in hybrid vehicle can achieve a top speed of 230 kmph and does a 0-100 kmph speed in 5.6 seconds. A ground clearance of 238 mm and 4 corner air suspension will easily make you forget what bumps and potholes are while moving around in this car. Volvo says it has also worked on giving a quiet cabin as extensive sound insulation allows for a complete relaxed atmosphere and gives a feeling of tranquility and freshness.
Safety
Brand Volvo is pretty much the benchmark for safety when it comes to anything automotive and being the flagship the XC90 Excellence lounge is loaded with a host of support systems. These include Adaptive Cruise Control, Pilot Assist, 360-degree camera and Collision Mitigation Support. Apart from these the SUV also gets lane keeping aid, 360 degree camera, hill start assist and hill descent control. The car is built on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) that ensures a whole lot of durability.
Price
The Volvo XC90 Excellence lounge with all those features, luxury and technology is priced at Rs 1.42 crore (ex-showroom). That is more than Rs 60 lakh higher than the base XC90 and more than Rs 10 lakh higher than the XC90 Excellence. Indeed there’s much more luxury than what a regular flagship is able to offer and this lounge on wheels aims to provide that business class feel that you only get only when you’re airborne, at least while on the move. The bad news is that the car is available as an ultra-limited edition in India—only about 15 of these are up for grabs. The bright side is if you’re able to lay your hands on one you’ll own one of the most exclusive and luxurious set of wheels.