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Past Issues

736: Suzuki Swift Sport
Suzuki’s bargain hatch proves big fun can come in small packages
732: Dualis & X-Trail
Nissan introduces a new SUV while its marquee model continues to play tough
728: Toyota Vanguard
Head off to the concrete jungle with a bit more vehicle than you need
724: Subaru Impreza S-GT
Japan’s automotive loudmouth learns some manners
720: Tokyo Auto Salon 2008
Get ready for some modification mayhem at Makuhari Messe
716: Dodge These!
Chrysler introduces three muscle-bound imports to Japan
712: Licensed to Drive
We guide you through the bureaucratic jungle
708: Tokyo Concours D’Elegance
Exotic autos from the past and present glide into Roppongi
704: Car Knows Best
Automakers are introducing technology that will let your ride decide if you’ve had one too many
700: Range Rover & Land Rover
We put three SUVs from the fabled British maker through their paces
696: Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Channel 007 in this latest incarnation of the marquee automaker’s “baby”
692: BMW R1200GS Adventure
The storied bike maker competes with itself to create a three-in-one masterpiece
688: Lexus LS460
The new sedan is big, fast, safe, classy—and unremarkable
684: Alfa Romeo Spider
We unleash the Italian monster on a 1,200km road trip
680: Ford Mustang
The American classic goes back to its roots
676: Citroën C6
The French automaker's latest eccentricity pushes its own boundaries
672: Nissan’s Pino and Otti
Japan-friendly K-cars pack a big punch
668: Jaguar XK
Forget James Bond—this is the UK’s sexiest export
664: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
660: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
656: Alfa Romeo Brera
This gorgeous Italian coupe is both poised and sexy
652: Premium wheels
Business is good for Rolls-Royce in Japan, with an eagerly awaited convertible due out next year
648: Citroen C3 Pluriel
The quirky French automaker barrels into the 21st century
644: Jeep Commander& Grand Cherokee
Off road and on, these 4×4s do their military heritage proud
640: BMW Z4 M Roadster
Beemer’s monster convertible provides the most fun you can have sitting down
636: Name dropping
What your car is called says something about you—and even more about automakers’ marketing departments
632: BMW Mini Cooper S
All hail the mighty Mini!
628: Mazda Roadster
Redesigned and retooled, this two-seater is now a car for enthusiasts
624: Hyundai Sonata
A rev-happy South Korean import tries to find its niche in Japan
621: Lexus IS350
Toyota brings its upmarket brand to Japan—finally
616: Volvo XC90 V8
A bit sleeker and a lot more spacious, this SUV still puts a premium on safety
612: Chrysler 300C
This black beauty recalls the golden age of motoring
608: The Big Ideas
Tokyo Motor Show 2005 was a concept car bonanza
604: Tokyo Motor Show 2005
The automotive world’s big players zoom into Japan with some high concepts in tow
597: Three brothers
We put a trio of Nissan sedans through their paces
593: Ducati 1000S DS Multistrada
The boys from Bologna deliver an Italian masterpiece for your garage
589: Mazda Demio Sport
A worthy cousin to the Atenza and RX8, this roomy sedan is happy around town and in the country
585: BMW K1200S
The boys from bavaria clothe an iron fist in a velvet glove
581: Chrysler’s Cruisers
The American auto manufacturer concentrates on the body beautiful
577: Suzuki Skywave 650LX
If you thought scooters were just for kids, think again
573: Cadillac STS 4x4
America’s flagship automaker recaptures its former glory
569: Tour de Force
Yamaha’s FJR1300A offers an unbeatable blend of poise, power and price
565: Alfa Romeo GT and 156 GTA
With stunning looks and power to spare, these two Alfas are an enthusiast's dream
560: Driving the Future
The talk of the auto industry in 2004 was hybrids, safe driving and intelligent vehicles
556: Deja vu
Blast to the past on Harley-Davidson’s Road King Custom
552: Sports sensation
Nissan's new SUV breaks out of its class
548: Lean machine
Lighter, faster, stronger and sexier—a diet works wonders for BMW’s R1200GS
544: Kings for a day
The Honda Elysion is master of all it surveys
539: Rules of the road
New traffic laws are on the horizon. Turn off your cellphone, watch where you park and don’t ride in gangs, Chris Betros warns.
537: Open roadster
William Bonds gets up-close with the elements courtesy of the Nissan Fairlady 350Z convertible.
535: Extreme makeover
Volvo sheds its stodgy-but-safe image for sleek-and-sporty with the new S40 T5. William Bonds likes what he sees.
533: Sporting chance
Mazda has brought the station wagon up to speed with its Atenza Sport Wagon 23Z. William Bonds takes one for a spin.
531: Street smarts
Automakers are taking car safety to new levels with sophisticated warning systems that almost do the driving for you, reports Chris Betros.
529: Speed zone
Just down the road from Ueno Zoo, a virtual hog heaven has everything for the motorcycling enthusiast. Steve Trautlein cruises on over.
527: Italian Stallion
The Alfa Romeo 147 carries on its maker’s reputation for hot cars with unmatched sex appeal. William Bonds gets carried away.
525: Hot wheels
A cross between a snowboard and a scooter, the Wheelman is a quirky Australian invention that's grabbing attention worldwide. Tim Colquhoun takes one for a ride.
523: Mean Machine
William Bonds gets behind the wheel of the Nissan Skyline 350GT.
521: Show stealers
Toyota stunned attendees at the recent Geneva and Melbourne auto shows with two concept cars that represent a powerful vision for the future of motoring. Tim Colquhoun reports.
519: Mighty mouse
Subaru goes boldly against the tide with its new R2 minicar. Justin Gardiner admires this latest feat of audacity and engineering.
517: Trail blazer
Nissan's top-selling 4x4 features cool touches for winter sports fans. Justin Gardiner drove the latest X-Trail to the slopes
515: Up to speed
The Formula One circus is gaining momentum as the season opener in Australia draws near. Tim Colquhoun takes a look at the latest developments.
513: Good save
Hybrid cars are the rage this year with Toyota, Honda and Subaru touting their gas-electric vehicles. Chris Betros looks at what they're offering.
512: The road ahead
Despite the lack of a full-fledged Tokyo Motor Show in 2004, domestic manufacturers have a bevy of weird and wonderful offerings in store for this year. Justin Gardiner previews the lineup.
509/10: Top of the class
Justin Gardiner finds his favorites from this year's Metropolis test drives.
507: Mom-mobiles
Japanese mothers are trading in their once ubiquitous mama-chari bicycles for a new breed of K-car. Justin Gardiner tries a couple of the most popular mini-cars.
505: Cubic's rube
Nissan has lengthened its highly successful Cube a few centimeters and added an extra row of seats. But, as Justin Gardiner finds out, the result is a bit puzzling.
503: Globe trotters
Kerstin Gackle and Volker Aldinger left their native Germany on April 1 and pointed their Yamahas toward Australia. Eight months later Justin Gardiner caught up with the couple in Tokyo.
501: Back to the future
Cutting-edge technology and futuristic vehicles highlight the 37th Tokyo Motor Show at Makuhari Messe through November 5. Justin Gardiner offers a guide.

ISSUES 499-
ISSUES 449-
ISSUES 399-
ISSUES 349-
ISSUES 299-

Cars&Bikes

Text and photos by William Bonds

Volvo XC90 V8

A bit sleeker and a lot more spacious, this SUV still puts a premium on safety

I learned to drive on my father’s tank-like Volvo 164 before he upgraded to the much more refined 265.

“Look,” my dad said. “We’ve got air conditioning.”

“What’s that, dad?” I asked in innocence. “Er, it’s like a fan for cooling down the interior of the car.”

“But dad, this is England. The temperature never gets above 20 degrees. Turn that thing off!” I’m sure we were the first on our block to get hypothermia.

The 265 also had a sunroof so you could see the rain properly, rich velour seats, headlights that didn’t turn off, and enough steel to protect London. Call me perverse, but I preferred the tank. So when I was promised an intimate weekend with Volvo’s new XC90 V8, I wondered what I would get—a tank or refinement.

Many people regard SUVs as tanks, but in the hands of a company like Volvo, that’s exactly what you’re not going to get. Remember, this is a company that allowed a bunch of women to design a car all by themselves, and it was brilliant (other manufacturers could be seen jumping on the bandwagon at the recent Tokyo Motor Show). If Volvo did design a tank, you can be guaranteed that it would have a make-up mirror, child seat and a place to store your handbag. Volvo is almost perversely considerate: The XC90 almost falls over itself to be user friendly. Fully loaded, it carries seven people in not inconsiderable luxury, and it seems like every seat or attachment can be clicked and slid into a different place, allowing for a dizzying array of permutations.

“Feel that leather,” the Volvo man, Mr. Blom, insisted. “Go on, touch it. Sit on it. Lie on it. Take your clothes off. Make love to it. It’s gorgeous, right?” Yes, it’s nice (“So I can’t get velour, then?”) and goes some way to explaining why this car costs nearly ¥10 million. (For some curious reason Volvo is not marketing the entry-level V8 model in Japan, which would have cost around ¥2 million less.)

Both driver and passenger will relish the comfort offered by the XC90. (The vehicle is currently only available in left-hand drive, but Volvo is “thinking” about a right-hand drive option.) There’s room for five big adults and two others in a third row of seats, which, of course, can easily be folded down to increase the luggage space. The middle row can also be folded down individually to give you a variety of cargo options. There’s plenty of entertainment apart from folding down seats, including TV monitors in the back of the front-seat headrests and complimentary headphones that can be plugged into jacks on the door posts. The AV systems are exclusive, so rear passengers can watch DVDs while everyone else enjoys Temple of the Dog (Mr. Blom fails to convert me to Swedish ambient music) on the booming surround-sound audio setup.

Of course, as an all-wheel-drive SUV, the XC90 markets itself as a rugged all-rounder, but the truth is it’s probably too refined for that. For a start, you don’t want to be getting mud on that beautiful soft off-white leather interior, and the automatic/semi-automatic gears may not be suited to a rough cross-country hike. The XC90 does have the power of a serious workhorse (0-100kph in 7.3 seconds), but the presentation suggests that this animal is all about dressage and appearance rather than hard work and sweat.

The Volvo image is one of those factors that prevents me from loving their cars. It’s all about, well, Swedish ambient taste. Hence, the dullest color schemes outside of Laura Ashley shops (and most Volvos have an intense physical attraction toward Laura Ashley shops). In short, no risks are taken. I suggested to Mr. Blom that Volvo do a real makeover on some of their cars. He told me they’ve done this. But, unfortunately, they do it in a very Volvo way—a little more power, maybe, and blacker tires. These Swedish cats need to get down and pimp their rides. You won’t get gangbangers in LA trading in their Escalades for an XC90. Gangbangers don’t do headphones.

And maybe that’s the point. Volvo may be playing safe, but they’re doing so for a good reason: their customers want safe. For them, a T5 version of a Volvo is living dangerously; with the XC90, these people can get a large ultra-solid 4x4, a good 4.4-liter V8 engine, impressive performance, style, comfort and safety. In the ambient world, Volvo has cache. So if the lines on the XC90 shriek elegance, that’s loud enough.

And it is a very fine looking car. In the old days, Volvo would have kept the front end big and solid. Now, the lines curve in and, together with the sleek roof rack, running board and the huge taillight cluster, they seem to be offering an envelope of security. With impact resistance and airbags all over, occupants are cocooned and protected from the outside world. The gangbangers may be trying to get in your face in their Caddies; the ambients in their XC90s are trying to get out of it.

Would you like to comment on this article? Send a letter to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp .

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