The Test: With a nearly $70,000 price tag, this is the sole seven-passenger SUV that includes an electric-only mode and also comes standard with all-wheel drive. And unlike other hybrids, we were able to get the XC90 all the way up to 50 mph in EV mode. Coupled with a 13-mile range, that means you can tackle many of your daily chores using no gas at all.
Another neat trick: the XC90 is relatively short, so it handles adroitly at speed. Yet Volvo managed to squeeze a whopping 32 inches of knee room into the third row. That wise use of space also applies to the XC90’s 86 cubic feet of cargo capacity—24 more than the Range Rover Sport Td6. Collapse the third row, fold down the second row’s center seat, and stow skis for four passengers as well as boots and garb for an entire weekend escape to the slopes.
And lest we forget, you get pedestrian- and cyclist-detection features that can fully stop the XC90 in the event of an impending impact.
The Verdict: A hybrid ride for transporting the family, along with everything else.
$68,100; 53 MPGe