2005 Volvo XC90 Test Drive

Volvo XC90

Is the XC90 the perfect car? It very well might be.

Is the Volvo XC90 the perfect car? It very well might be.

Of course, we have to qualify that. What we really mean to say is that it might be the perfect SUV for people who: have families, or live in remote, inaccessible places, or especially care about safety features, or hoot at turbo-charged driving, or like intelligent, well-designed vehicles, or are attracted to a good value, or are just Volvo fanatics.

The point is that Volvo has done a great job with the XC90. How great a job can be seen in the sales success it has enjoyed since it went on the market in October 2002: Overall, through the end of July 2004, 61,776 XC90s have been sold. U.S. sales in 2003 were 35,791 and through July of this year, 21,606.

Now, while that may not seem like much when stacked up against sales monsters like the Ford Explorer or the Cadillac Escalade, which have sold hundreds of thousands of units, it is very respectable for a car company that has always been regarded as a niche brand. Considering that Volvo is one of the few divisions of parent company Ford Motor that is enjoying healthy sales, it makes the success of the XC90 more impressive still.

Typically, cars and light trucks with a foreign nameplate -- even if, as in Volvo's case, it's owned by an American automaker -- don't sell in the same kind of volume as "domestic" brands like Ford. However, looked at in proper perspective, since it was introduced the XC90 accounts for 27% of total sales for Volvo -- which is a success by any measure.

Before Volvo introduced its first-ever SUV there were some critics who believed that the company was coming too late to the party. Others felt that it was a stark example of how Ford was trying to Americanize the Swedish carmaker, ignoring its long history of individuality and safety.

They were both wrong. The XC90 is able to incorporate many of the best features of its competitors in an elegant, Nordic style. So instead of being late, it was actually an improvement. As far as losing its "Volvo-ness," that too should not have worried anyone: Not only is the XC90 ruggedly handsome but also, in the best tradition of the company, it earned high marks in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2004 Rollover Ratings.

What else did we like so much about the XC90? Read on.