2015 Volvo XC90 Luxury SUV – India Launch Details Revealed

The flagship new Volvo, the XC90 Luxury SUV, is months away from touching down on Indian shores. As touch down implies, the 2015 XC90, like all other Volvo cars sold in India, will be imported as a completely built unit (CBU) even as the Swedish automaker is in talks with multiple Indian automakers for a joint assembly operation. While India-assembled Volvo cars are at least a couple of summers away, the XC90’s pre-bookings will officially begin from May 2015, even as some dealers have already begun taking bookings from interested customers. The SUV’s official launch will happen in September, with deliveries to commence from October 2015, in time for Diwali.

The 2015 Volvo XC90 is based on the Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA). The SUV that will be initially imported into India will feature the D5 twin turbo diesel engine, with 225 Bhp-470 Nm outputs. This diesel engine is a four cylinder unit that is a part of Volvo Drive E powertrains, which focus on outstanding fuel efficiency and low tail pipe emissions, along with the usual complement of high performance. This engine uses the i-ART injection technology that essentially is to direct injection what variable valve timing is to the valvetrain. Next year, the T6 turbocharged petrol motor is expected to also find its way into the India-spec XC90’s engine bay, while the T8 hybrid variant is also said to be in the works for the market here.

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If the XC90 T8 Hybrid materializes soon enough, Volvo will have another feather in its cap, of that of being the first luxury car maker in the country to step into the hybrid SUV space. The T6 petrol engine uses both supercharging and turbocharging, to make for thrilling performance with impressive numbers on tap – 320 Bhp-400 Nm. The petrol and diesel motors will be mated to 8 speed automatic transmissions, across front and all wheel drive layouts. The real performance stalwart is the T8 Hybrid variant though, which combines the 320 Bhp-400 Nm outputs of the T6 petrol with 80 Bhp-240 Nm outputs of an electric motor, to make for 400 Bhp-640 Nm. The XC90 will continue to be a 7 seater, with impressive exterior and interior design features, and of course a bevy of safety aids.