Our 2016 Volvo XC90's Engine is a Pint-Sized Powerhouse
CARS.COM — From its intuitive touch-screen controls to its semi-autonomous driving capabilities, the redesigned 2016 Volvo XC90 — our Best of 2016 award winner — is a technological showcase. This trend continues under the hood with its optional supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder.
It’s a small engine for a seven-seat SUV but it generates V-6-like output: 316 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 295 pounds-feet of torque at a relatively low 2,200 rpm. The supercharger and turbocharger work in stages, according to Volvo, with the supercharger providing torque at low and midrange speeds before disengaging when the turbocharger kicks in. The engine drives all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Related: What Gas Mileage Does Our 2016 Volvo XC90 Get After 12,000 Miles?
In the five months we’ve owned our XC90, we’ve gotten to know this tiny engine well on everything from solo daily commutes to road trips with a full load of passengers and luggage. The engine has impressed on the whole, but we’ve noticed a few characteristics that are out of place in a luxury SUV. Our editors sound off below.
Kelsey Mays, senior consumer affairs editor
Even with four adults and some luggage, the XC90’s supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder is up to the task of passing and merging. But loaded or unloaded, it has noticeable accelerator-pedal lag, which gets to be a constant annoyance in stop-and-go traffic. The engine is also noisy for a luxury SUV.
Joe Bruzek, senior road test editor
The engine provides good acceleration from the get-go with little lag and respectable top-end power. While perfectly adequate, it does feel somewhat taxed in the large XC90; outright acceleration isn’t as potent as some six-cylinder competitors. Noise could be improved, too, considering the engine sounds a little harsh as engine speed climbs.
Joe Wiesenfelder, executive editor
It does exactly what you’d hope from a combination of a supercharger and turbocharger, providing broad torque availability. If there’s disappointment, it’s fuel efficiency. Maybe that wasn’t the point. Or maybe we shouldn’t be surprised, because superchargers never were great for efficiency. The transmission is mostly OK but recently I’ve been noticing a little hesitation and inconsistent jerkiness.
Bill Jackson, assistant managing editor
I think it makes plenty of power overall but I noticed some odd transmission behavior now and again. I’m pretty light on the gas pedal and I find that this brings out the worst in high-gear-count automatic transmissions; around town, I’d get a hard shift into third gear. On the highway, it cruises along OK and generally reacts quickly when I need to pass.
Jennifer Geiger, assistant managing editor
I was floored when I discovered that the XC90 uses a four-cylinder; power is robust from a stop and reserves are effortlessly delivered for highway passing. The powertrain feels and sounds refined; the eight-speed automatic is prompt, smooth and well-timed. On a recent road trip from Chicago to St. Louis, I loaded the XC90 with five people and tons of gear and it never felt strained.
Mike Hanley, senior research editor
The engine sounds like the four-cylinder it is, what with the somewhat coarse, gravelly noises that it makes, but it performs like a V-6 with robust torque at low engine speeds and decent passing power at 55 mph or so. The XC90 doesn’t rocket forward when you press the gas pedal to the floor, but it moves quickly enough not to feel slow.
