Volvo Xc90

One engine, five designations. From 2016 there is no large engine: T5 is the 2.0 with a turbo, T6 is the same with a turbo and a supercharger, T8 adds an electric motor. From 2022 the letters became B5 and B6, mild hybrids on the same block. So the displacement, which on any other car tells you something, here tells you nothing. A 3.2 six or a 4.4 V8 means the previous generation from before 2015 — a different car, to which none of the below applies.

The diesel is European, full stop. D5, later B5 Diesel — an XC90 with a diesel engine was never offered in America. If you want an economical diesel, the American import is ruled out by definition rather than by price. The reverse does not exist: there is no American engine Europe did not get.

The drivetrain is the small difference that nonetheless creates a car Europe never sold. Here the XC90 is almost always all-wheel drive. In America the T5 was also sold front-drive — and we do hold such cars, though they are a minority. Check the individual lot, because the trim does not tell you.

On the T8 the year costs money and it is the most important check on this model. At the end of 2021, model year 2022.5, Volvo changed the battery from 11.6 to 18.8 kWh and fitted a more powerful rear motor — total output became 455 hp instead of 390. America got the change immediately, badged Extended Range. So 2022 is the year in which two cars carry the same name and are not the same thing. Look at the individual car, not at the year in the listing.

The equipment diverges in both directions. Until 2022 the trims are Momentum, R-Design and Inscription; from 2023 Core, Plus and Ultimate, with Bright and Dark packs for chrome or black detailing. The American Momentum leaves the factory better equipped: panoramic roof, leather and four-zone climate control as standard, where the European base is often cloth and two-zone. The reverse holds for the suspension — Four-C air is far more common in Europe, while American cars even in the high trims are largely on the standard setup. The six-seat configuration with two captain's chairs in the second row is an American phenomenon; Europe runs sevens almost without exception, so a six-seat XC90 here is an import by definition. And one practical point: the American tow hitch is a square receiver and needs converting or an adapter to take a European trailer or bike rack.