Volvo XC90 review - Practicality & boot space

Owners of the previous Volvo XC90 will be delighted to learn that the latest model has even more space inside than its roomy predecessor. You could just about contemplate putting adults in the third row of seats – not something that can be said for many seven-seat cars – and the boot is generously sized whether the second or third-row seats are up or down.

Unusually, choosing the hybrid version doesn't make the car any less practical. Often hybrid models have a smaller boot and less rear legroom due to the location of the batteries. Not so here.

Volvo XC90 interior space & storage

Interior space has always been a Volvo XC90 hallmark and that hasn’t changed with the new model; in fact, it’s better. Unlike many seven-seaters, the XC90’s seats are all the same size – even the two in the third row – and each row of seats is slightly higher than the one ahead of it, like a cinema, giving everyone a great view out the car’s big windows. There's slightly more knee room in the third row than you'll find in a Kia EV9, and an airier feel.

One bugbear is that the floor beneath the second row of seats isn’t completely flat, due to the presence of a tunnel for the car’s four-wheel-drive system (and the batteries in the T6 and T8 Recharge plug-in hybrid models). On the plus side, there are plenty of storage spaces dotted around the cabin, although we’d like the glovebox to be slightly bigger.

Boot space

Even with all seven seats in place, the new XC90 boot can hold up to 302 litres of luggage, which is more than you’ll fit in most MPVs. Folding down all the second and third-row seats frees up a huge 1,856 litres of boot space – ideal if you’re heading to IKEA to replicate the XC90’s classy Swedish design in your home, but the EV9 offers even more room.

Towing

Both the XC90 B5 and plug-in hybrid T8 can tow a braked trailer weighing up to 2,400kg, or an unbraked load of 750kg.