Volvo XC90 vs BMW X5: Plug-in hybrid SUVs go head-to-head

there was a time not that long ago when imposing four by fours like the bmw x5 and volvo xc90 behind me were known as gas guzzlers and they became calls for concern with anyone with an environmental conscience well these days even gas guzzlers have become greener yes these plug-in hybrid versions of the bmw x5 and volvo xc90 still run on gasoline but rather than guzzling it these ones can drive a considerable distance without taking so much as a sip and that's thanks to electric motors and sizable batteries concealed beneath that handsome sculpted bodywork question is which one is best that's what we'll be finding out during this cargo is uk twin test but before we begin please do remember to subscribe to our youtube channel and switch on notifications so that you'll be automatically informed whenever a new video goes live hybrid or no hybrid people like large premium suvs like these for their style and desirability you'll make up your own mind whether you prefer the bmw's muscular brashness or the volvo sense of scandinavian sophistication but we would say that both cars have the required amount of visual impact style is only one part of the equation though because large suvs also need to dazzle as family cars so let's start with the boot and the first thing you'll notice is this split tailgate this does make life easier when you're loading in heavy items and it also doubles as a handy bench when you need to take off muddy wellies in terms of space there's 500 liters in here which is pretty good but bear in mind it is 150 liters less than you get in a non-hybrid bmw x5 and that's because all of the electric bits and bobs have to live somewhere and that somewhere is underneath the boot floor and when you fold the rear seats down you get 1 720 liters of space but the backrest do lie at a slight angle and when the seats are used for people and not luggage or anything else then those people are well catered for because well i'm only five foot four and a half so i'm probably not going to struggle but even if you're over six foot you will find that there is plenty of leg room and plenty of headroom it's also comfy for carrying three in the back because both the middle seat and the cabin as a whole are wide and there's enough space for your feet it's a similar story here in the volvo although it's not quite as spacious but the seats slide and recline so that you can maximize your comfort and when you fold down the rear seats they go flatter than in the bmw leaving you with a perfectly level load bay now this is where there's a much bigger difference between our two cars first of all the size in the boot we have got 640 liters as opposed to the 500 in the bmw now although we don't have the split rear tailgate what we do have and that is my second point two extra seats you shouldn't bank on being able to carry half your rugby team in the xc90 as these two extra seats are a bit too tight for folk of that size but children and not so big adults will be fine for short journeys now it's important to note that you can get seven seats on the x5 that's only if you choose the regular x5 not the plug-in hybrid so if you want to have a plug-in hybrid and seven seats you'll have to pick the volvo oh some interesting noises going on in this car well life in the front of the volvo is pretty sweet first of all volvo makes some of the most comfiest seats in the business and there is no exception with the xc90 plus there is plenty of adjustment in the seat and it's electric which is brilliant so you can spend quite a long time getting a comfortable driving position and the steering wheel also has plenty of adjustment as well in terms of reach and rake the minimalist interior design is very stylish and the quality of the materials is top-notch so the big volvo also feels like an impressively sophisticated and classy car because of that minimalism most of the functions are controlled through this nine inch portrait touch screen which isn't as great as it sounds and that's because a lot of the menu icons are small and fiddly and because there's no separate controls for the aircon system you need to find it through this touch screen and that can be a little more distracting to use while on the move than really it should be the bmw's infotainment system is much better yes it still has a touchscreen however it's far less distracting and easier to navigate your way through the menus if you use this rotary controller and look real life physical buttons for the aircon controls who are the menus are logical the graphics are sharp and the responses are fast making the system a joy to use from start to finish if there's a better one anywhere in the car industry we're yet to encounter it bmw doesn't do too badly on the seat building stakes either they're very very comfy and there is plenty of adjustment electric again just like the volvo so you should be able to find a very comfortable driving position but where the bmw really sets itself apart is quality as good as the volvo is on that front the bmw is just another step up again the materials are denser and of a more uniformly high standard while the assembly and finish is even more high grade so that's how our interiors stack up but which one of these two cars has the edge on the road which one should we drive first um the volvo [Music] now before we start on how our two cars feel to drive let's look at some of the facts and figures both have four-wheel drive both have an automatic gearbox and although the bmw has a three liter six-cylinder petrol engine and the volvo only has a two liter four-cylinder engine both have similar power outputs and that's when you tally up the power produced by the electric motor and petrol engines combined 394 horsepower for the bmw compared to 390 for the volvo look at the official efficiency figures though and you'll find that the volvo actually has quite a big disadvantage average fuel consumption is given at up to 104 miles per gallon compared to a figure of 235 miles per gallon for the bmw of course both figures are comparatively useless in the real world because the mpg you actually end up getting will depend on how often you call upon the petrol engine basically the more you can drive on electric only power the better you'll do and this is where the bmw has a slight advantage too because it can go 54 miles on its electric only power whereas the volvo can do just 30 miles and that means the bmw is more likely to drive more on its battery power alone there's a slight caveat to mention here and that the volvo is just about to introduce an upgraded battery and motor package to the xc90 that'll greatly increase its electric only range putting it much closer to the bmws as well as adding another 65 horsepower these cars are due to arrive in january 2022 so if you buy a new xc90 from stock right now it'll have the older power chain but if you were to factory order nxt 90 today it'll be the new and improved version that you get so that's the numbers taken care of but how does the car actually feel well it feels great there's an overall impression of comfort and relaxation for example the standard suspension does a very presentable job of smoothing out even the roughest of road surfaces and the eager performance and smooth automatic transmission help to make your progress feel effortless chuck in the car's excellent suppression of wind and road noise and things are even more relaxed most of the time you can detect when the petrol engine chimes in to help out but it's still impressively smooth and quiet considering how much work it has to do in lugging the xc90's enormous body around [Music] [Music] tackle a few corners in the bmw and you'll instantly notice a difference in its character from the volvo this is a car that feels pointier more assured more alert and more eager to change direction granted you probably won't forget that you're in an enormous two and a half ton suv but even so the x5 turns way more sharply than anything this big and heavy has any right to what's perhaps even more impressive is that it combines this agility with a level of ride comfort which is on a par with the volvos and it does this with its sophisticated air suspension not only that it manages to suppress wind and road noise to such a level that it's actually quieter than the volvo and therefore it is a more relaxing and quieter car to drive in terms of outright pace there's very little in it between the two cars which is no great surprise when you consider the similarity in power the bmw does feel a fraction quicker to respond to a prod of the accelerated pedal though which helps add to the feeling of dynamism and although it's not the most satisfying soul stirring six cylinder ground you'll ever listen to the x5's engine does sound a wee bit sweeter than the volvos when you call for maximum acceleration so which one of these cars should you spend your hard-earned cash on well that kind of depends on what you want if you simply must have seven seats but you also simply must have a plug-in hybrid drivetrain then it simply has to be the volvo however if five seats will suffice and you'd prefer a car with a more polished driving experience and a plusher interior then we'd point you towards the bmw either way both of these are truly fantastic cars and certainly not the gas guzzlers that some expect them to be which one would you pick we'd love to know what you think about the xc90 and x5 so please let us know in the comments and remember to like and subscribe as well and if you fancy actually buying one of these cars or any car for that matter visit cargurus.com uk to find lots of great deals from top rated dealers

Channel: CarGurus UK

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Id: DI3o3Ad4CrU

Length: 11min 26sec (686 seconds)

Published: Tue Oct 12 2021