Volvo Car South Africa refreshed its XC90 range in August 2019 boasting efficient yet frugal powertrains. With teh latest models eschewing the diesel in favour of hybrid systems do teh older cars still stand a chance?
Ahead of the curve
Volvo’s forte has long been being at the forefront of technical innovation. From safety and reliability to the latest and best emissions standards, Volvo continues to push the boundaries of what their cars are capable of. Committing to eradicating diesel engines from their model variants, the current flock of XC90 luxury SUVs are only available in petrol with hybrid systems but what of the older models?
The last diesel-equipped XC90 range was in 2020 and offered a range of two-litre and four-cylinder powertrains, all of which provide an outstanding combination of performance and fuel efficiency. These powertrains are coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission and were rather advanced in their efficiency at the time. With diesel variants kicked to the curb the only place you will find them is on the used market and many buyers looking at these luxo-family SUVs may be wondering if the petrol or diesel is the one to have.
Diesel engine
The turbocharged diesel engine equipped to the Volvo XC90 D5 Geartronic AWD puts out maximum power of 173 kW at 4000 rpm and peak torque of 480 Nm at 1750 – 2250 rpm. Claimed fuel consumption was measured at 5.7 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle.
Petrol engines
The XC90 T5 AWD is equipped with a 187 kW petrol engine, which features a high-pressure turbo. It puts out peak torque of 350 Nm at 1500 to 4800 rpm. Claimed fuel consumption was measured at 7.6 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle.
The supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine equipped to the Volvo XC90 T6 Geartronic AWD puts out maximum power of 235 kW at 5 700 rpm and peak torque of 400 Nm at 2 200 – 5 400 rpm. Claimed fuel consumption is 8.0 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle.
The range-topping Volvo XC90 T8 Geartronic AWD has a 300 kW petrol engine that is also supercharged and turbocharged. It works in conjunction with an electric motor, delivering power of 300 kW (235 kW + 65 kW) and torque of 640 Nm (400 Nm + 240 Nm). Claimed fuel consumption is a remarkable 2.1 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle while emissions are a low 49 g/km.
This has all changed with the newer cars as the addition of 48V mild hybrid systems has increased performance and fuel efficiency tremendously.
Verdict
Both diesel and petrol engines have their own positive and negative points. Neither one is particularly better than the other, it ultimately depends on you and the roads/distances you travel. If you travel less than 50km’s a day then opt for the petrol, if the distance is higher than a diesel variant would be better.
Something to keep in mind, diesel cars usually incur low running cost whereas petrol cars are low on maintenance, another to keep in mind is with Volvo kicking the diesel from its lineup, technical support for this option may not be around forever but even their petrol option has a target on its back as teh Swedish automaker looks toward a zero emmission future.
Keyword: Which Volvo XC90 is better: diesel or petrol?