On the open road you are always aware that the car is large and heavy but it doesn't overwhelm. You need extra room to feed the beast through traffic around town and parking is not a quick and easy operation opportunities to park become less common due to the footprint you need to accommodate. The price for this bulk is some unwieldy manoeuvring in confined spaces. Taking cues from the saloons it has many of the hallmarks of modern day Volvos, just bigger! It is a lane-clearing monster on the motorway and a control deck six feet above the road gives an excellent view over parked cars and hedges alike. The XC90 we had on test was the range topping T6 SE at nearly £46k it stands toe to toe with some big hitters from Germany. The launch of the XC90 is a bold move by Volvo, but a sensible and logical one given the brand's base in family cars and load carriers. It is an SUV, a lifestyle vehicle designed to sell as much on image as capabilities and shamelessly aimed at the brands Volvo would love to be seen in competition with, BMW and Mercedes. The XC90 we have on test here is the purest indication yet of this 'new' Volvo. The brand has expanded as part of Ford's Premier Automotive Group and has branched out into new niches with an air of confidence and optimism many would have thought highly implausible only a decade ago. Always comfy armchairs for soaking up miles in comfort and security Volvos have been adding other strings to their bow, namely dynamic ability and, erm, a not insignificant amount of coolness and desirability. My recent softening to the Volvo brand in the form of the C70, S80 and V50 has seen me transformed into something of a closet fan of the brand.

Volvo crossover 2005