Next year, the second-generation Volvo XC90 will begin its tenth year of production. In that time, the Swedish carmaker has sold nearly one million units of its flagship SUV, which made its debut for the 2016 model year. And yet despite its age, the XC90 remains Volvo’s best-selling model for the US market.
Flash forward nearly a decade, and the marque announces the arrival of the refreshed 2025 Volvo XC90, a carryover of the second-gen model. This decision, although unusual amongst automotive lifecycles, aligns with the carmaker’s 2030 electrification goals. Confusingly, however, the outgoing version is currently sold under the same model year. Its mid-model-year refresh won’t go into production until late 2024 before reaching dealerships in early 2025.
So what’s new? Quite a bit. Although the 2025 Volvo XC90 doesn’t introduce a new generation of the flagship SUV, the carmaker has implemented numerous meaningful updates. These include a new front fascia, a redesigned cabin, and a heavily refreshed tech suite. These improvements aim to modernize it while bringing its material choice and tech offerings more in line with its eventual replacement, the fully-electric EX90.
Although its visual updates may initially appear subtle, a feature of the carmaker’s minimalist aesthetic, the 2025 Volvo XC90 wears an all-new front fascia. This includes a new hood, bumper, fenders, Matrix LED headlights, and a redesigned grille. Familiar motifs, such as the carmaker’s T-shaped headlights, remain updated, while new elements, such as the grille’s diagonal lines, distinguish it.
In contrast, this SUV’s rear end remains strikingly familiar, wearing darkened tail lights as the most distinctive update. This pairs with new wheel designs, as well as the addition of a Mulberry Red exterior finish to its options list. And although you won’t be able to see it, the updated XC90 gains added sound insulation courtesy of acoustic foam placed in its A and B pillars. The result is an SUV that introduces welcomed but ultimately evolutionary changes in keeping with its goals of refreshing the existing model. It looks exactly how you’d expect it to, and that’s a feature, not a fault.
The changes to its interior are far more substantial. The 2025 Volvo XC90 sports a redesigned cabin, drawing inspiration from the EX90’s interior, including its higher-resolution central screen. Measuring 11.2 inches, up from 9 inches in the outgoing XC90, it incorporates Volvo’s latest Google-based interface, first seen in the aforementioned three-row EV, and its smaller counterpart, the EX30. Although this new software debuts in the brand’s latest models, characterized by a more straightforward layout that encourages multitasking, it will make its way to cars dating as far back as 2020 via over-the-air updates. The carmaker plans to begin its retroactive rollout early next year.
There are physical updates, too, with the XC90’s cabin sporting a new dashboard characterized by new air vents, textured surfaces, and an overall emphasis on horizontal lines. However, unlike the display that preceded it, the screen introduced in this update now protrudes from the dashboard thanks to its size and tall aspect ratio. The carmaker contrasts the bright display by integrating new materials alongside it, the same as those available for this SUV’s seats. Two new options, Nordico and Navy Herringbone Weave join the options list. The 2025 Volvo XC90 also sports a designed center console, which now incorporates three cup holders and a relocated wireless phone charger.
On the powertrain side, the 2025 Volvo XC90 doesn’t deviate heavily from previously offered options. The T8 trim remains the flagship offering, pairing a turbocharged inline-four with an electric motor, developing a maximum of 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque while providing up to 33 miles of electric propulsion. Charging up its 18.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack, of which 14.7 kWh is usable, takes around five hours on AC power.
The B5 and B6 trims both utilize the same turbocharged four-cylinder engine as their base, paired with a mild-hybrid system to improve efficiency. These return combined figures of 26 and 23 mpg, respectively, with the only differentiator being the B6’s use of a supercharger as well as a turbocharger, allowing it to shave almost a second off the B5’s 0-60 time, completing the run in 6.4 seconds instead of 7.3. The T8 remains the flagship, though, sprinting by in an impressive 5.1 seconds if you’d like your three-row SUV to do that.
As mentioned earlier, the 2025 Volvo XC90 goes into production later this year, with deliveries scheduled to begin in early 2025. Once it does, it’ll start at $59,745, including a $1,295 destination fee. However, the carmaker will only offer the six and seven-seater options with the Bright Theme.
The refreshed Volvo XC90 arrives as the carmaker’s portfolio expands to offer fully electric, partially electrified, or more conventional engine options on its way to full electrification. Although the XC90 will likely be phased out in favor of the EX90 when the Swedish brand lets go of gas powertrains entirely, it receives what will likely be its last update before bowing out.
