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From Swedespeed.com Events Coverage One of the ‘Big Four’, the New York Auto show ranks somewhere near Chicago in its importance to the auto industry, with Detroit and Los Angeles usually marked for a wider array of launches and buzz. That said, New York is no wallflower… and how could it be?
Subtle evolution is the name of the game with the XC90 refreshening. Casual observers may not even recognize the best-selling European SUV has even changed, but change it has and for the better. Outwardly, there are muted changes that enhance and update the look of the XC90. New light clusters offer a fresh appearance in the rear and at the front, where the XC90’s Bi-Xenon lighting gets the added functionality of tracking the steering inputs of the driver. Turn indicators like those on the S40 have been added to the exterior rearview mirrors and modestly redesigned bumpers appear more integrated, paired with additional body coloring that carries over to the wheel arches.
Electronics have been augmented – from in-car entertainment to functional safety systems. In regards to audio, it appears Volvo has been listening to owners’ wishes. The XC90’s CD player now has MP3 and WMA (Windows Audio) functionality, speakers from Dynaudio have been added, as has the much-requested universal auxiliary audio input jack for devices such as iPods, MP3 players and more. The Navigation system has also been revised – moving to a hard drive-based system from the former DVD-based unit. New for Volvo and the XC90, the DVD screen also doubles as the rearview camera screen, with trajectory lines that show which way the Volvo’s steering wheel is pointed.
Elsewhere inside, the cabin looks more refined and upscale. The new Sapeli wood has a richer feel, while simple elements such as inner-door grab handle covers will minimize wear over time. Two XC90s sat on the Volvo stand – one a silver V8 and the second a blue 3.2 that also featured a new revised body kit from Volvo accessories. Availability of the kit should mirror that of the new XC90, at the model year changeover, however we hear that the new body kit might retrofit to current XC90 models.
After a long year hiatus from new product launches, the Volvo stand this year bore the fruit of their recent debuts. Two new C70s were shown, along with several all-new S80-models. Across the aisle at Mazda, one could see the interesting new CX-9. Unlike the smaller P1-based Mazda CX-7, the larger CX-9 with three rows of seating looks like it could be based on Volvo’s P2 architecture much like Ford’s Freestyle. No one on hand at Volvo or Mazda could confirm this, and most suggested this was not the case. If not, it is unclear what chassis the large Mazda SUV would be based upon. The CX-9 uses Haldex all-wheel drive like all Volvos and some Mazdas, though the CX-9’s production facility being in Japan and its use of an as-of-yet unseen 3.5-liter V6 perhaps suggests that claims of it not sharing DNA with the XC90 might be true.
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