MODEL ON TEST: ULTRA T8 PLUG-IN HYBRID AWD AUTOMATIC – MILEAGE – 2,801

I learned to drive in a split-screen, side valve, 1954 Morris Minor Traveller and liked nothing so much, when not driving it, as servicing it. I topped up the dashpot, greased the suspension, changed the oil and filter, and even rebuilt the semaphore indicators. Because – at least in my mind – it always ran so much better afterwards.

So I was chuffed when the ‘Maintenance Due’ message flicked on in the Volvo, to find out what was involved (not that it’s a DIY job, that’s virtually impossible on a modern motor). It signalled the need for the first service, necessary after 12 months or 18,000 miles. My local Volvo dealer in south London was booked up so we headed to the one at Swiss Cottage in north London, where it was a very streamlined and friendly procedure (we just had time to walk the dog in nearby Primrose Hill and grab a late breakfast before we received the ‘all done’ text).

Sadly, they have no cleaning facilities so it was as grubby as when I left it (one of the advantages of a service can be a ‘free’ clean), but they had run through a comprehensive check list. Scrutiny of the service log (they email you the result, with their ‘Health Check’) shows that they flushed and replaced the oil and renewed the filter. They also reset the service indicator (it flashes on each time you start up if you’re due a service) and changed the cabin filter. 

That’s good news in London where in recent weeks everything has been covered in fine pollen (wash your car on Saturday, find it smothered again on Sunday) and where the air is, as we all know, less clean than in the country. Even in rural-sounding Swiss Cottage… (clue: parts feel more like a motorway). Apparently, one of the benefits of the XC90 is that its cabin air filter, costing between £50 to £70, cleans out dust, pollen, smog and mould, using activated carbon to reduce odours, improving overall passenger air quality.

What else did they do? The technicians did a general inspection, emailing me pictures to prove they had looked underneath the car on a hoist, while also checking bodywork and the brakes which are – with 2,801 miles on the clock – just 10% worn, front and rear (that’s all that low-speed London motoring, for you). They checked the tyres, finding a very minor cut to the sidewall (no cord showing) on the nearside rear Continental Premium Contact, with no immediate action required. Finally, there was something I never undertook on that ‘54 Morris Minor; a ‘big’ software update.

This apparently included a ‘refreshed’ central display with more intense pixel count, bringing it closer to the EX90 interface, and faster activation of the 360-degree parking cameras, along with improvements to Bluetooth connection stability and automatic reconnection, which, previously, could be a little flaky. It’s also claimed that audio performance is improved, although I can’t detect any difference. What I did notice (my imagination is as good as ever) is how much more smoothly it drove back to south London, all for the sum of £398, with one of the benefits including 12 months free roadside service, plus replacement car, in case of trouble.

That’s good news, but I have to find out whether that will apply for the next three weeks when I shall load the XC90 onto Le Shuttle, clocking up some 2,000 miles as we head towards Toulouse in southern France, via various handpicked towns and villages, together with our miniature Schnauzer. Kind of ‘Travels with Fergal’, although I’m no Steinbeck. I can’t wait to enjoy the ineffably refined luxury and long-legged performance of the T8 drivetrain, something I could never have looked forward to in that Morris Minor Traveller.

DAVID WILLIAMS

WHAT’S HOT: I’m a sucker for automotive luxury and love the clear glass gear selector knob. They call it Orrefors Crystal. Pure class.

WHAT’S NOT: Quelle horreur: it’s the first Volvo I’ve driven that’s omitted that little plastic windscreen clip, where I aimed to mount the essential French ‘Crit’Air’ vignette.

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FACTS & FIGURES

ARRIVED: 18th December 2025

PRICE WHEN NEW: £84,260

PRICE AS TESTED: £85,055

ECONOMY: 217.0mpg (official WLTP) 33.2mpg (on test)

COSTS: First service (£398)

FAULTS: None