Sunday May 24, 2009
Going strong
Story and photos by GEORGE WONG
This Volvo has been a familiar sight on the highways and by-ways for years. But there’s a big difference this time. Think diesel.
FEEL like bashing through the wilderness on a whim and fancy? Or lugging a heavy load – like five crates of beer – for a nocturnal binge with utter strangers at the beach?
Well, if these are silly imaginings of a knackered mind, the carriage of choice for such frenetic pursuits is as real and sober as they come.
Get re-acquainted with the Volvo XC90, people. This time, it drinks diesel on cue.
This layout in the D5 is just for starters. There are numerous ways you can rearrange the cabin space to suit your needs. It’s hardware that has been around for what seems like ages, if only because it has yet to outlive its usefulness.
Known as the D5, the SUV stands out for the simple reason it’s the sole diesel vehicle Volvo is offering locally.
With diesel’s penchant to offer mileage and torque in spades, it was only a matter of time before its distributor was itching to introduce it to this continental outcrop.
Launched at the start of this roiling year, the D5 XC90 is still relatively fresh in the minds of those looking for lotsa space in a tough and (still) good-looking package with excellent mileage to boot.
That last part about fuel economy is essentially why the D5 has made it to local showrooms – our dirty diesel notwithstanding.
It’s Volvo Car Malaysia’s way of telling all and sundry: “Look, you have a choice if you want an XC90. Choose either the 2.5T petrol variant or the D5. Both have about the same equipment levels.
“Price is not an issue as you get to pay RM355,000 either way.”
It’s the alternative in premium SUVs you have been looking for, it adds for effect.
If you are sold on the utility of the XC90, the fuel economy is a big reward.
Taking city and highway driving into account, you are likely to achieve 8.5l/100km in the D5 as opposed to 11.8l/100km in the relatively thirsty 2.5T.
Lasting impression: After all these years, the XC90 in diesel form still manages to look appealing. With a well-tuned engine and properly inflated tyres, some folk have even claimed – with some degree of smugness – to better the official figures.
For what it’s worth, the D5 owner gets to pay RM100 less in road tax compared to the 2.5T owner, while commandeering a vehicle that wallows in a reputation of being strong and protective.
Rip Van Winkle would have woken up to find that modern diesel cars are not like the belchers of yesteryear. Mr Van Winkle would quickly realise that they can actually be clean, torquey and less trying on the wallet.
Europe, the backdrop where around 60% of cars on the road use diesel, is often cited as the reference point for the runaway success of oil burners.
While Europeans are already using Euro-IV diesel cars that are far less polluting than lower grade diesel, Malaysia is only now creeping towards Euro-II standards. Even Singapore is evenly matched with the Europeans in clean fuels that admittedly cost more to produce but are seen as an acceptable trade-off in the larger scheme of things.
Low-grade diesel has high sulphur content that generally results in a performance hit on cars that cannot tolerate much soot-inducing sulphur. Sulphur damages emission-control devices the same way lead spoils catalytic converters in petrol systems.
That was one of the key worries for Volvo prior to introducing the D5 in Malaysia. After over a year’s trial run on local diesel, it was sufficiently confident to go ahead with local assembly of the SUV.
And here we are with the D5, whose petrol-driven sibling has made the XC90 the country’s best selling premium SUV since its 2003 local debut.
Much of what is to come about the all-wheel drive D5 will read like background as it closely mimics the 2.5T in standard equipment and demeanour. Apart from using ordinary halogen lamps instead of bi-xenon lights as in the 2.5T, the equipment levels are the same as its petrol-fuelled sibling. On the other hand, the D5 gets a six-speed Geartronic auto box, while the 2.5T makes do with a five-speed auto transmission.
The D5 complies with the XC90’s tall and handsome cut. Its muscular looks are complemented by the usual menu of safety features expected of a Swedish tank on steroids.
The functional and sombre interior. Expect airbags, anti-locking brakes, whiplash protection, traction control and dynamic stability control to give more than a modicum of security in the event of a collision.
Safety was also an important consideration when Volvo mounted the all-aluminium engine transversely so as to create a bigger crumple zone, and more passenger space as a result.
With 400Nm spread out from 2,000rpm to nearly 2,800rpm, there’s plenty of grunt to propel a heavy vehicle forward, even when burdened with a full load of passengers.
To say the cabin is plush would be an overstatement. The years have rolled by and there’s no fancy stuff in the all-leather interior, which nonetheless remains subdued, comfortable and premium. It does its job of insulating occupants from external noises when on the go.
The diesel clatter is clearly audible at idle but it melts away as the vehicle cruises along at highway speeds. Leather seats are comfortable and the SUV’s 4.8m x 1.8m x 1.6m (length x height x width) proportions ensure space is not an issue.
Like all cars of its ilk, cargo space can be reconfigured to various sizes to suit loads of the day. Third-row seats are hidden in the floor when not in use and second-row seats can be folded forward to transport longish objects. It even makes for a comfy sleeping spot in case the wifey boots her man out for coming home late.
Being tall means the D5 tends to wallow a bit at high speeds. Body roll, especially when veering into bends, are kept in check with gyroscopically-controlled stability electronics.
The D5 is not a serious off-roader, mind you. But the diesel engine makes the SUV think it is, with its massive pulling power down low that’s suited for difficult terrain such as when fording streams or extricating the entire machinery out of a mudpool.
What’s left to say of the diesel XC90 is not puffery. Get used to the occasional white smoke that’s ejected out of the tailpipes as if the D5 is saying it didn’t sign up to gorge on a high-sulphur diet. The only consolation is that it will be a lot less dirt going into 2010.
Volvo says the smokin’ surprise is a byproduct of the catalytic converter’s regeneration process, and is nothing to worry about. The engine will do just fine in the long run, it assures. Well, the D5 buyer should hold the company to its word.
For some, the “puffs of discontent” could prove a deal breaker especially when they are paying so much.
Others will see it as an acceptable compromise in the pursuit of roominess, great mileage and Volvo’s established safety credentials.
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