DOING things differently is something the Swedes have taken pride in for a long time and Volvo is no exception.

Safety was part of the brand’s mantra before NCAP was even a twinkle in anyone’s eye – four-cylinder engines, big bumpers, daytime running lights, load paths and intrusion bars were de rigeur for Volvos back when Holden was stuffing six cylinder engines into little Torana XU-1s and Ford was building the fastest four-door on the planet.

Now it has delivered its new SUV flagship, the XC90 T8, with a turbocharged and supercharged four-pot engine matched with a plug-in hybrid system and a long list of safety features – some of them even standard.

A genuine seven-seater that even has some boot space with all seats taken, the big Swedish SUV is laying claim to 2.1 litres per 100km and a sprint to 100km/h in 5.6 seconds – numbers worth considering, as is the $122,000 pricetag.

Note: Some images are of the international version.

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