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28 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday October 8, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED You'll Love Our Service! 905-335-4080 BURLINGTON LINE Volvo XC90- luxury and style the Scandinavian way By Lorne Drury METROLAND MEDIA GROUP The sport utility market is taking a hit these days and Volvo, like many of its competitors, is attempting to buck the trend away from SUVs to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles by adding more value to the package. Case in point: the 2009 XC90, Volvo's entry in the premium SUV marketplace. For 2009, the XC90 has a starting price of $48,595- a drop of $2,400 from the 2008 model- and included as standard features are a blind spot information system (BLIS), retractable side-view mirrors, puddle light and Homelink. The formerly optional equipment is valued at $1,350. While a starting price of under $50K makes the XC90 attractive, be aware that it doesn't take much for the price to rise out of sight. My tester, a V8 R-Design model with a couple of option packages was priced at $69,195. But for buyers where price isn't the major consideration, the XC90 has a lot to offer. As Volvo boasts in its press materials, " this powerful, yet conscientious, Scandinavian will take you places in style." And yes, style, luxury and safety are the three words that best describe the XC90. First, the styling. The XC90 is attractive for a tall wagon, and not unlike most of the Volvo lineup, styling is now one of its strong points. And the Passion Red colour of my test vehicle sure made it stand out in a parking lot. In fact, when we were picking up another couple for a drive into Toronto one evening, my friend Bob remarked, "This sure is a RED car!" Colour aside, the XC90 can be outfitted a variety of different ways, including the R-Design packages, which are available on the C30, S40, V50 and XC90. R-Design includes model-specific design cues for the vehicles. "The possibility of tailoring one's car to suit personal tastes is becoming increasingly important to car buyers today," said Gerry Keaney, senior vice president marketing, sales and customer service at Volvo Car Corporation. "R-Design has been developed for buyers who want a refined and sporty look for their cars." The package includes a choice of exteThe Volvo XC90 for 2009 gives you more for less. Starting at $48,595, this is a drop of $2,400 from the rior colours, an R-Design badge in the 2008 model and includes $1,350 of standard features that were formerly optional on the 2008 version. grille along with a variety of interior and exterior details. Luxury is the key word to describe the are whiplash protection, rollover protecAmong the exterior goodies are a satin interior, which features top-grade materi- tion system, and front and side-impact matte-finish grille, colour coordinated als and outstanding fit and finish. airbags with inflatable side curtains. bumpers and lower side mouldings, rear Electronic climate control keeps the temFive- and seven-passenger variants of or roof spoiler, satin matte-finish door perature constant and there are separate the XC90 come with two choices of mirror caps and five-spoke aluminum settings for each side of the cabin. engine. Standard is a 3.2-litre in-line sixwheels. The XC90 get either 19- or 20- Cinema-style seating gives all passengers cylinder engine, producing 235 hp and inch wheels. Inside, seats are in off-black a good view out the front window, while 236 lb/ft of torque. Optional is a 4.4-litre Vulcaflex with seat cushion and backrest the 12 Dynaudio speakers and Dolby sur- V8 engine with 311 hp and 325 lb/ft of in contrasting cream-coloured leather. round sound provide a superb audio expe- torque. The R-Design logo is embossed on the rience. Electronically controlled all-wheel backrest and the contrasting stitching And it wouldn't be a Volvo without drive is a standard feature. Power is conreinforces the seats' sporty appearance. safety being at the forefront. The BLIS tinuously distributed to all four wheels, Other R-Design details include a leather- system mentioned earlier helps drivers minimizing wheel spin for immediate trimmed steering wheel with R-Design when changing lanes. Sensors detect acceleration and stability in all condilogo, a special instrument cluster, alu- when a vehicle is moving into your blind tions. Both are mated with a six-speed minum sport pedals, specially designed spot and alerts the driver. Other safety Geartronic automatic transmission. aluminum centre stack and door inlays, features include roll stability control, As mentioned earlier, the XC90 3.2 gear selector with aluminum inlay and traction control, four-wheel anti-lock starts at $48,595 for the five-seat model tufted dark sport floor mats with con- brakes with electronic brake distribution and $54,495 for the seven-seater, which trasting light leather seams. and emergency brake assist. Also included Continued on Page 30