Volvo XC90 R-Design revealed

Nick Connor, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said: “The launch of the XC90 R-Design makes our premium seven-seat SUV even more distinctive and dynamic than before”. It also features a perforated leather-trimmed steering wheel, leather/nubuck sports seats and gearshift paddles.

The front passenger seat has also been replaced with a powered one that features a memory function, the same as the driver’s seat. The high-performance SUV now sits on 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels and design changes include a glossy black mesh for the grille and silver side mirror caps for contrasting looks.

Volvo has given the interior lighting an upgrade. As you would expect from a Volvo, it comes with a plethora of safety & assistance systems like lane departure warning, front collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, and a full arsenal of airbags. Pricing for the United Kingdom market begins at £49,785 OTR and deliveries should kick off early next year.

The new sporty models also come with Drive Mode Settings and Adjustable Steering Force, which allow you to choose between different settings for the engine, transmission, steering and the optional air suspension.

As for the choice of engine, it ranges from D5 diesel, T6 petrol and the more powerful T8 “Twin Engine” petrol-electric plug-in hybrid.

This includes a 9.0-inch touch screen control system with Sensus Navigation, a two-zone climate control system, LED headlights and power-operated tailgate. The auto is priced at £49,785, or about $75,138. In more recent times Volvo gave us Polestar Performance Optimisation upgrade (£865), which increases the torque and horsepower.