Volvos are known for their plush seats, pungent leather upholstery, and perfect driving positions. That’s what made our XC90 V8 test vehicle an anomaly. Though comfortable and supportive, the seats aren’t plush. Though exhibiting a hint of traditional Volvo aroma, the cloying scent of the leather doesn’t cling to clothing. Though fine for shorter folks, the driving position for longer limbed people is hampered by a lack of seat track travel.

Space in the rear seats is unimpressive, too. With four six-foot-tall people aboard, the two passengers in the second-row seat will have their knees and shins contacting the front seatbacks, though there’s plenty of foot room. The third-row seats are virtually uninhabitable by adults, severely lacking in both leg and foot space, extremely difficult to climb into and out of, and facing hard carpeted second-row seatbacks. Seriously – kids only, and even they will be unhappy after a few hours.

With a dark gray exterior and a dark gray interior trimmed with dark brown wood, our 2005 Volvo XC90 V8 test vehicle was as dour as a Michigan winter landscape. We’d probably choose a brighter exterior color with the available taupe interior, especially if ordering the package with wood trim.

On a positive note, ergonomics are quite good for a European vehicle, with clearly marked controls that are easy to find. Plus, the stereo sounded terrific, and featured nine pre-sets for each radio band. However, our sample did not have seat heaters for chilly nights or ventilated seats for hot days. Neither did it have a navigation system, or a rear seat DVD entertainment system. Heated seats, navigation, and entertainment would have added thousands to our test Volvo’s price tag of almost $50,000.

What our XC90 V8 did have is a terrific package of safety equipment. Dual-threshold front, seat-mounted side-impact, and side-curtain airbags for all three rows are standard. Traction control, stability control, and roll stability control are also standard on the XC90 V8, along with a Rollover Protection System that keeps the side-curtain airbags inflated for extra protection. There’s a whiplash protection system, a side-impact protection system, and coming soon, an optional warning system that warns the driver when objects occupy the XC90’s blind spots.