The first-generation Volvo XC90 is one of those cars that you hardly notice on the road. It is, after all, a large family SUV that has plenty of practical appeal that’s all very normal. Pick the XC90 V8, though, and this otherwise normal SUV becomes a whole lot more interesting.
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It represents a time in the mid-2000s when car manufacturers were not afraid of being a bit bold. You see, when it was launched in the mid-2000s, the XC90 V8 cost around £54,000 brand new. Which is a lot of money. For this vast price tag though, you got plenty of under-the-radar appeal, a burbling V8 engine, and all of the same practicality and safety kit as the regular car. Elements that, when combined, make it one of the coolest models ever built by the Swedish brand.
Yes, Volvo made a V8-powered family SUV
When the XC90 arrived in 2002, it could be had with a pair of turbocharged five-cylinder petrol and diesel units, a straight-six twin-turbo, and the 4.4-litre V8 arriving in 2005.
Officially given the engine code B8444S, this 4.4-litre V8 engine was developed by Yamaha for Volvo and was built in Japan using the Swedish brand’s own designs.
The B8444S is a bit of a stormer of an engine – and one that later found its way into the S80 Saloon as well. Despite only being a 4.4-litre, or 4,414 cc, it produces 311hp and 325lb-ft of torque, enough to propel this 2,199kg behemoth from 0-60mph in a scant 6.9 seconds onwards to a top speed of 130mph. Power runs through an Aisin six-speed automatic gearbox, going to all four wheels via a Haldex all-wheel drive system.
While these numbers may not sound like much today, at the time, the XC90 V8 wasn’t that far off the Porsche Cayenne S for pace back in the day, a model that boasted 340hp from a slightly larger 4.5-litre V8 engine.
V8 longevity with a Volvo badge
When it was introduced, the Volvo XC90 became SUV genesis for the brand as its first ever high-riding model. It was a tough and dependable car that had longevity engineered into it as standard. In fact, the first-generation XC90 was so good that it remained in production until 2014, with a continuation model badged as the XC Classic being sold in China until 2016.
This XC90 V8 is a part of the brand’s brilliant heritage fleet. However, it’s not a car that’s had a pampered life of occasional drives; it’s been very well used. How well exactly? At the time of driving it, the odometer was showing a grand total of 257,574 miles. A lot of miles for any car.
According to the lovely people from the Volvo UK PR team, this example was first registered in 2006 and has had one owner since new who was responsible for at least 255,000 (or so) of the accumulated mileage on the clock. This was until the car suffered a gearbox fault, at which point the owner part-exchanged it in for a new XC90 Plug-in Hybrid – after which Volvo UK PR became the second custodian of this rare V8.
So what’s been done to it? Very little as it turns out. The gearbox was replaced with a refurbished unit, the front seats were retrimmed, and the car was given a full detail. But apart from this work and regular servicing, it’s pretty much the same as the day it was part-exchanged.
So how does a moon mileage XC90 drive?
Considering this XC90 V8 has covered more miles than it takes to get to the moon (a distance of 239,000 miles, so I’m reliably informed), it drives very well. The steering feels quite slow, not unexpected for a car of this type, but it handles securely with a respectable amount of agility and poise when cornering. While it’s not as sporty to drive as a first-gen Cayenne, the vast engine upfront provides plenty of entertainment whenever you plant the throttle pedal.
The real star, of course, is that V8 engine. It emits a noticeable burble when pootling along at low speeds, and while pressing the throttle hard initially seems to increase the noise without much improvement in pace, revving it hard gives full access to the torque on offer, resulting in this large SUV gaining speed at a respectable rate. It’s not rapid by any means, but if you don’t care about fuel economy, a sharp stab of the throttle makes it feel plenty quick enough.
The gearbox was also excellent, with silky smooth gear changes in normal driving and a quick enough kickdown when requesting the lower gear ratios.
On a short test drive on the roads of the South Downs, I managed 19.8mpg with some spirited driving. A pretty respectable figure considering the size and heft of the thing.
So, how has the interior held up during all of the miles?
On the inside, the interior of this XC90 V8 is a testament to the excellent build quality that we’ve come to expect from the brand.
Accounting for the re-trimmed front seats, which are very comfortable, the remainder of the interior is in excellent shape throughout, including all of the surfaces and trim pieces. Another testament to the way Volvo engineered the original XC90.
It still feels luxurious by today’s standards, and everything worked as it should, including the air conditioning. On the move, the cabin does a great job of insulating you from the outside world as well, with only a tiny amount of creaks and rattles noticeable when driving. Nothing major for a car with so many miles on the clock.
Verdict: Volvo’s mad V8 moment has stood the test of time, literally
If ever there was an example of how to build a car properly that’ll last a lifetime, this Volvo XC90 V8 is it.
From the burbling engine to the premium interior, it feels special. It’s decent to drive, and the accompanying soundtrack from the V8 engine is fantastically fun. It’s also very comfortable, luxurious, and it still looks classy, even by today’s standards.
It also serves as a brilliant reminder of the time when mainstream brands used to do daring things with production cars by squeezing a vast and powerful engine into an otherwise ordinary family car just because they could, regardless of whether anyone would ever buy one.
My short test drive was enough to convince me of its brilliance, although it did leave me feeling rather sad as there will never be another Volvo like it.
Volvo XC90 V8 review: gallery
