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Volvo XC90 vs BMW X5

What's the difference?

VS
Volvo XC90
Volvo XC90

$53,990 - $92,900

2021 price

BMW X5
BMW X5

$134,900 - $241,900

2024 price

Summary

2021 Volvo XC90
2024 BMW X5
Safety Rating

Engine Type
S/C & T/C 4CYL, 2.0L

Turbo 6, 3.0L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

-
Fuel Efficiency
8.5L/100km (combined)

9.2L/100km (combined)
Seating
7

5
Dislikes
  • Hybrid battery could be bigger
  • Media screen is overly busy
  • Charging cable storage bag seem an afterthought

  • Space-saver spare
  • Busy control panel
  • Passenger dash glare
2021 Volvo XC90 Summary

The last time I reviewed a plug-in hybrid Volvo I pretty much got death threats. OK, not quite, but my review and video of the XC60 R Design T8 made some readers and viewers very angry and they even called me names, all because I never charged the battery. Well, there’ll be no need for me to flee to a safe house this time, because not only did I charge the XC90 R-Design T8 Recharge I’m reviewing here, but I plugged it in nearly all the time I wasn’t driving it. Happy now?

I say nearly all the time, because during the three-week test of this plug-in hybrid XC 90 we took it away on a family holiday and didn’t have access to power and you’ll most likely face that situation too as an owner.

So how was the fuel economy of this big seven-seat SUV PHEV over hundreds of kilometres and being used as a family workhorse? The result blew me away and I can see why people were so furious with me in the first place.

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2024 BMW X5 Summary

The BMW X5 is a leading contender in the ‘Over $70K Large SUV’ division of Australia’s new car market, which is a hotly-contested segment boasting 15 marques and 25 models.

The X5 has hit an enduring sweet spot with Aussie buyers in terms of size, performance and price. BMW prefers to call it a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) as distinct from its Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) rivals.

Clearly, any word association with a utility is something BMW Group Australia wants to avoid after recently launching its latest X5 range, which brings numerous enhancements including design revisions, increased standard equipment, refreshed powertrains and more.

We were entrusted with the digital ‘Comfort Access’ key to one of the latest X5s, to understand from a family car perspective why this model range enjoys such enduring popularity with prestige SUV (sorry, SAV) buyers.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Volvo XC90 2024 BMW X5

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