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The Exterior
Exterior: Still Ahead of Its Time
The XC90 received a full redesign in 2016 and a refresh in 2020 — and honestly? It still looks brand new.
It’s elegant. It’s refined. It’s uniquely Volvo.
- Concave vertical grille with the iconic Volvo badge
- Signature LED headlights (the “Thor’s Hammer” look 👏)
- 20-inch two-tone wheels (on this Inscription trim)
- Stunning full LED rear taillights
- Clean chrome detailing throughout
First Row
The design is minimalist but luxurious. Exposed wood trim, glossy chrome accents, high-gloss black buttons — everything feels intentional.
One of my favorite tiny details? The Swedish flag tag on the seat and the “Since 1959” seat belt detailing (a nod to Volvo pioneering the three-point seatbelt). Those touches make the car feel special.
Tech & Infotainment
The vertical touchscreen was ahead of its time when it debuted. It’s very Tesla-like and user-friendly overall.
My only complaint? Climate controls are fully integrated into the screen. While it’s clean aesthetically, I do wish physical climate buttons were left out for easier adjustments while driving.
Second Row
Second Row: Let’s Talk Car Seats
Here’s where things get exciting.
The second row bench is surprisingly flexible and clearly designed with families in mind:
- All seats slide independently
- Available built-in booster seat (YES PLEASE)
- Lower anchors on the outboard seats
- Three top tether anchors
That built-in booster should honestly be standard in every family SUV. It’s such a smart feature for booster-aged kids.
The Reality Check
If you are a tall driver (I’m about 6 feet), and you’re planning to use rear-facing car seats — bring your car seat to the dealership.
It works. But it’s a little tight.
The door opening also doesn’t swing super wide, which can make lifting a heavier infant seat in and out more challenging over time.
Bottom line: It’s doable, but test it first.
Third Row
Third Row: Functional, But Not Effortless
The XC90 is a true seven-seater (or six with captain’s chairs), but accessing the third row isn’t my favorite setup.
- Manual levers (no power folding)
- Two separate levers that do different things
- Not the widest opening for kids to climb through
Once back there, it’s actually more comfortable than I expected. You get:
- Side vents
- Cup holders
- Extra cubbies
However, there are no USB ports in the third row, which feels like a miss in a luxury vehicle.
Trunk
Trunk Space & The Stroller Test
With the third row up, the trunk is decent for groceries and everyday errands.
But let’s talk stroller test.
I fit my UPPAbaby Vista back there… but not easily.
When you’ve got two tired kids and you’re trying to load up quickly, “technically fits” isn’t always enough. It passes the test — but it’s tight.
With the third row down? Much better. Plenty of cargo room for real-life mom life.
Safety
The 2021 Volvo XC90 continues Volvo's long-standing reputation for prioritizing safety. It has earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+, the highest award, and also received a 5-Star overall rating from NHTSA. It has strong crash protection and crash avoidance performance. The XC90 also stands out by offering seat belt pretensioners in every seating position--a rarity and an important safety feature. Pretensioners remove slack from the seat belt in the nanoseconds before a crash, dramatically reducing injury in frontal and near-frontal collisions. This feature has been standard in front seats for nearly two decades, but not in most back seats. While this doesn’t affect children in harnessed car seats, it does affect other passengers. I applaud Volvo's dedication to safety by adding these in every seating position!
Other standard safety features include:
- Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) with crash avoidance, or severity reduction, for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and even animals
- Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with steering assist
- Lane Keeping Aid and Oncoming Lane Mitigation
- Run-Off Road Mitigation
- Cross Traffic Alert with Auto Brake
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