YOUR car may say a lot about you but so do the customer magazines that come with it.
Renault, for instance, seldom publish a customer quarterly without paying tribute to la belle France’s number one talent. No, not the menage a trios, cooking.
This I find strange. You would not make much of a living selling motoring columns to Practical Egg Whisk or the Food and Drink magazine so what has haute cuisine got to do with the Megane Scenic?
Similarly while Horse and Hound would rightly be expected to feature international polo you are also likely to read quite a lot about it in the Audi magazine.
What then of the man on the Clapham Omnibus reading the Volvo magazine?
Volvo life through the pages of Volvo magazine; earnest, thoughtful and safer than a First World War condom.
To be seen driving an SUV around town these days brings the same stare of disapproval you would get smoking in an infant school. Or indeed smoking an infant.
Bringing us to the subject of schools and the XC90. You will, without a doubt, be glared at for taking your kids to the county primary in something as big as this. What I suggest is that you take your neighbours’ sprogs along too and keep six little hatchbacks off the road.
You see the XC90 is a true seven seater with room remaining for shopping or the dogs. If anything makes clear the Swedish obsession with design, this is it.
Good seats from front to back add a luxury feel and because the Swedes recognise substance as well as style the heater, radio and navigation controls can all be accurately operated wearing a pair of stout gardening gloves. If that’s your thing.
Time now for the open road. Power is from a 2,500cc D-series engine that reaches 118mph via a sedate 11 second 0-60mph figure if you choose the six-speed semi-sequential automatic gearbox. If you want to chase the clouds go for the V8 petrol at £46,000.
At £37,000 without extras like tinted windows and third row air conditioning this is an aspirational car but also common sense. It competes with the Audi Q7, which has less luggage space and the Land Rover Discovery which makes you as popular as a whale meat barbecue at an animal rights conference.
If there is a problem it is a turning circle only rivaled by Battle Star Gallactica.
And what does the XC90 say about the person who drives it? You are not a communist.
Volvo XC90
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Barry Artright wrote...
Steve,
Just tried reading one of your blogs all the way through and couldn't manage it. Think I am going to lock myself in the garage with the engine turned on, windows closed and a hosepipe connected to the exhaust and squeezed tightly through a small gap in the driver's side windows.
Wish you were here!!!
Barry
Proud Renualt owner
Posted by: Barry Artright | September 20, 2007 5:04 PM