Volvo, it seems, takes exception to the maxim that you don't mess with a winning formula. The XC90 has been the Swedish company's biggest recent success, with demand way outstripping supply, but it's also a product that debuted in 2002, aeons ago in the motoring world. Since that time, we've seen all manner of new entrants in the luxury 4x4 market and Volvo has tinkered with the basic package in an attempt to keep the XC90 fresh.

It's still a seven seater. And it still isn't really designed for heavy off road work. A few years back, there was a facelift, both inside and out. For the latest model year, the improvements are more subtle. There's a lower CO2 figure for the D5 Geartronic diesel variant that most customers buy, the introduction of the sports-inspired R-DESIGN trim level, plus a wider palate of exterior colours, alloy wheels and options giving buyers more choice.

Engines in the luxury 4x4 sector have a lot to contend with but Volvo feels that the XC90s are well up to the challenge. The 183bhp D5 diesel stalwart continues in the latest model with its muscular 400Nm torque rating. This unit boasts a CO2 figure of 219g/km and now in automatic 'Geartronic' form, it puts out just 224g/km. This means that the XC90 is the only premium standard 7-seat SUV available which achieves a sub 225g/km figure in both manual and automatic transmissions.

"Volvo's first V8, the XC90's flagship engine is something rather special"

This CO2 figure means the D5 Geartronic engine falls below the key Band G threshold for Vehicle Excise Duty, saving new Volvo XC90 owners £570 in Vehicle Excise Duty over three years. This model will now also avoid the daily £25 London Emissions Related Congestion Charge (ERCC), saving owners around the Capital several hundreds of pounds in annual congestion charges as well as qualifying for the 90% discount for London residents.

Want a petrol model? The entry-level petrol unit is a 236bhp 3.2-litre straight six powerplant, built at Bridgend in Wales. Largely constructed of aluminium, this lightweight yet punchy engine is smaller than the old five-cylinder lump and thanks to Variable Cam Timing and Cam Profile Switching, it's a good deal more efficient. The 0-60mph sprint takes 8.9s but if you need more speed. Volvo has also unleashed a big hitter in the form of a 311bhp 4.4-litre V8 engine. It can hit 60mph form standstill in under seven seconds with a hefty 440Nm of torque chiming in nicely at 3,900rpm.

Volvo's first V8, the XC90's flagship engine is something rather special. Its narrow V-configuration means that it's possible - as with all Volvo engines - for it to be mounted transversely and still offer excellent crash protection space in the front crumple zone. With the block and the head cast in aluminium, this engine weighs in at just 190kg. Low weight means better handling, sharper acceleration, improved fuel economy and lower emissions.

While it may seem a little counter to Volvo's tree-hugging image to sell a brash V8 'SUV', this XC90 has a social conscience of sorts. One of the cleanest V8 engines on general release, it meets stringent American ULEV II (Ultra Low Emission Vehicles II) standards thanks to four catalytic converters, a lean air/fuel mix for cold starting and a higher idling speed at cold start. Volvo's engineers had identified that the first 15-20 seconds after starting was when the majority of harmful emissions were created and have worked to quell this occurrence. That's the environmental bit out of the way. If you're a little less concerned about polar ice caps, you'll be pleased to know that a heavy right boot will send the XC90 V8 to 60mph form standstill in under seven seconds with a hefty 440Nm of torque chiming in nicely at 3,900rpm.

Onto trim. The SE level has been replaced by an R-DESIGN package that many customers will want. It includes a specially tuned dynamic chassis, stiffer anti-roll bars, firmer shock absorbers and sport tuned speed-dependent steering. The shock absorbers have stiffer rebound rates and the anti-roll bars are stiffer to offer a high level of stability when cornering.

R-DESIGN adds an extra dimension to the Sport styling with 19-inch alloy wheels as standard (with new 20-inch alloys an optional upgrade), quad exhaust pipes, skid-plate, R-DESIGN badge on the grille and rear view mirror caps in silk matt finish. To accentuate the sporty nature further and to create a sleeker appearance, the car is not fitted with roof rails, although these are still available as a no cost option.

Inside the car the seats are covered in either off-black leather-faced sports with cream inlay or calcite with an off-black inlay. The R-DESIGN logo embossed on the backrest and the contrasting stitching aim to reinforce the interior's sporty appearance. Other R-DESIGN interior details include the leather-trim steering wheel with its R-DESIGN logo, aluminium pedals, specially designed aluminium centre stack and door inlays, gear selector and tufted dark sport floor mats with contrasting leather piping.

Safety is of course a prime Volvo strength. Parent company Ford were, after the Explorer/ Firestone debacle, glad to hear that the XC90's innovative Roll Stability Control (RSC) system received the World Traffic Safety Symposium Manufacturers Award. Volvo has approached this thorny issue with a three-pronged attack. In order to prevent the XC90 going dirty side up in the first instance, sophisticated gyroscopically-controlled stability software steadies even the most radical lane changing behaviour. Should you hit a kerb or ditch and roll the XC90, it features a boron-reinforced roof to prevent the upper body deforming. Finally, the XC90 also features curtain airbags that stay inflated ten times longer than normal bags in order to ensure passengers are kept away from flying glass and insulated from doorframes during a roll.

Not a whole lot needed doing to keep XC90 sales strong but Volvo has pre-empted any buyer fatigue with a strong but well-judged package of improvements. Success is virtually guaranteed once again.

TOP 5 XC90 DEALS

The results below show the top XC90 deals on buyacar

	Volvo XC90 2.4 D5 SE Lux 5dr Off Road
	ETR	Mthly £635	Saving £5,359	Price £32,631
	Volvo XC90 2.4 D5 SE Lux 5dr Geartronic Off Road
	ETR	Mthly £657	Saving £5,562	Price £33,828
	Volvo XC90 3.2 SE Lux 5dr Geartronic Off Road
	ETR	Mthly £682	Saving £5,504	Price £33,691
	Volvo XC90 2.4 D5 Executive 5dr Geartronic Off Road
	ETR	Mthly £825	Saving £6,144	Price £41,436
	Volvo XC90 2.4 D5 SE 5dr Geartronic Off Road
	ETR	Mthly £620	Saving £5,257	Price £32,033

typical 11.23% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000