Where better to test Volvo's new XC90 than deep in snow-clad Volvoland.Michael McAleer went skating in the 7-seater SUV in northern Sweden
At last Volvo has come up with a 4x4 SUV contender. What would seem to be the most glaringly obvious addition to its fleet, it has been a long time coming but will finally reach Irish showrooms this Friday.
Yet, for Volvo, which prides itself on its safety record and ability to handle the most extreme conditions, the challenge is all the greater for its Swedish lineage.
It would be rather embarrassing for a marque from such icy and rugged winter climes to produce a 4x4 incapable of handling the rigours of off-road conditions in the extreme harshness of its northern homeland. So it was, we arrived in the northern Swedish city of Lulea on the Baltic sea, to put the XC90 through its paces, driving on sheet ice, deep snow-covered off-road tracks and racing around on the ice covered Baltic sea.
Could the XC90 comfortably equip itself in the land where we're transported by dog sleigh from the airport to the hotel and take night excursions across frozen lakes on snow scooters - the more favoured off-road vehicle of choice? Or would it handle as well on the ice as any other two-ton lump of metal (however smartly curved) and lead us to an icy grave?
DAY ONE:
The temperature's a balmy minus 10 degrees, and sure to get a lot colder when we take to the forest trails. Yet it lacks the humidity of home and as a result feels fresh and invigorating. That's not to say it invites you to loiter in the open air too long.
It's an early start and we take our first baby steps onto the snow-covered slippery roads. It takes some time to adjust to the road conditions and like any new budding friendship you must build up trust with one another, particularly here where the slightest error by car or driver can quickly become a full-blown catastrophe.
Earlier, Volvo engineers led us through the all-wheel drive (AWD) system, and the XC90's Dynamic Stability and Traction Control System (DTSC) designed to keep you gliding along uneventfully even on ice.
Yet it's only natural to approach all new technologies with a degree of cynicism, particularly where your well-being could be at stake, not to mention your pride. After all, where are the engineers when you're embedded in a ditch with only a road map to dig your way out?
So, as we weave our way through the suburbs of the picture postcard towns, where snow-covered wooden houses reawaken childhood imaginings of Santa's hometown, we note our well-sign-posted route seems to be taking us down to what in summer must be the seafront.
Concentrating on increasing our speed in line with our confidence, it's not until we look at the satellite navigation system we notice we've gone nautical - the map shows us about 1.5kms from the coast. We're now navigating the Baltic Sea.
The "ice road" has been ploughed throw the 1.5 metres of snow that rests on the half-metre-thick sheet of ice, with a few centimetres of snow left on its surface for traction. However, simply digging in your heel reveals the frozen black ice of the Baltic. These roads are part of the public highway system for over four months of the year, joining the island archipelago in the Gulf of Bothnia to the mainland.
By now we've built up a degree of trust in our XC90 that could lead to a warm and lasting friendship. We're motoring along at a steady 90km. But growing confidence only feeds our desire to test the boundaries of this new-found friendship.
A nice wide corner offers us the first opportunity to test the handling at a faster pace. We switch off the DTSC system to test the balance of the car without its technological aids.
On cue the rear slides out wide, but the slightest counter-steer keeps it in check as we approach the apex of the corner. Steering in line with the turn, we gently ease on more power from the 2.9-litre turbo-charged engine. We've made it through the first dance with our new partner without treading on each other's toes.
Throughout the trip the XC90 remained superbly composed. The light touch steering and controlled approach on the ice is more akin to figure skating than driving. The trick is to generate a slight oversteer drift, with the aim to get the rear to become a pendulum. Every directional change is accompanied by a gentle prod of the throttle, pulling it back into line; everything done smoothly, as if a brush stroke on an easel.
We're at ease driving on ice, enjoying the XC90's impressive power balance. But it's a little unnerving when we come across what looks like a puddle in the ice, marked off with bollards. Potholes on an ice road bring forth a great deal more angst for motorists than on the average Cavan back road.
Off the ice and up to the "chocolate-box" scenery of the mountains. The weight of the snow causes evergreen branches to droop onto the road as if trying to stroke the cars that pass.
With its usual efficiency, Volvo has organised a private route through the forest. Here, in these tighter more unforgiving bends the grip and control is exceptional. Where we struggle to stand and get a foothold, this powerful behemoth glides swiftly through at between 80-90km as if on spikes.
Then we make the first of our mistakes. Traversing our route is a cross-country snow track and with over-confidence in our own and the XC90's ability, we decide that we'd like to pull up alongside the skiers. No sooner have we turned left than we get that sinking feeling. While the centre of the track is strong enough to support the right-hand side of our vehicle, the left-hand edge is too soft and we sink beneath the snow. Out we get and immediately sink to our waistline in snow. Attempts to rock back and forward or power out are futile and only manage to dig us further in.
It's time to accept our fate as the rest of the group eases their way past our stranded vehicle, broad smirks on their faces. We soon become a photo opportunity and like costumed monkeys, pose beside stranded Volvo, captioned no doubt, "those silly Irish".
Finally, the Volvo service team arrives, amber roof lights flashing, to dig us out. While we expected a good telling off, we are pleasantly surprised to be greeted with smiles and reassurances that every group of journalists manages to get at least one vehicle stuck. "No problem, all this exercise keeps us warm," we are told.
Our relationship with our XC90 in tatters, we try to win back its trust. It proves Christian-like in its forgiveness. Before long we are the best of pals again and cruising at 120-130km on the frozen roads, catching up with the convoy and working our way up through its ranks. At intervals we feel the slightest loss of grip and a shudder shoots through our spin, but quickly the DTSC traction control makes its adjustments and all is well.
In the fading light of the afternoon we take to the true off-road test: a 1.6km off-road course complete with virtual sheer descents. We have completed such courses before, but never under a thick layer of slippery snow. What's more, we are running on basic winter tyres and with the traction control and gadgetry all switched off.
DAY TWO:
Next morning the vehicles rest pristine and gleaming in the car park, lit by the burning glow of the rising sun. It's off to put the cars through their paces at three specially prepared tracks on the Baltic Sea. The tracks are a mix of hairpin turns, short straights and slight chicanes - all on the ice.
Soon we're serenely swerving through the bends like a mechanised version of Torvill and Dean. Of course we didn't start out like this. No sooner had our more experienced co-driver handed over the driving seat than, ever eager, we apply the power along the first short dash of straight.
Too fast, and the rear slides. But, instead of keeping the steering in line with the corner and powering out of the slide, we return to natural instinct and counter steer. Of course, this heavy-handed steering guarantees only one thing on such a smooth surface, headlongentry into the snow bank.
As our expletives trail off into the plume of snow, we hit the bank with a thud, the windows become sheets of white as if we've been hit by an enormous snowball.
Within seconds we've come to a stop and with the wipers furiously brushing away the clotted snow it's clear we're going nowhere. However, that doesn't stop our ritualistic wheel spinning. We are hoping for some divine intervention to lift us out of this embarrassing predicament. The Gods are busy elsewhere, of course.
The amber light of the rescue truck come into view from behind and out jumps our two smiling helpers, the same duo that dug us out of the cross-country ski route. "You like to keep us busy, don't you." They take it in their stride, feverishly digging the front tyres out of the snow, then tying us to their own XC90 and with tyres spinning pull us out of the embankment. Amazingly there is no physical damage to the Volvo and dented pride is the only casualty. But this is soon soothed when a glance over the rest of the track reveals three other more experienced colleagues embedded in the snow.
After the first hour we are a dab hand at this ice dance and have fallen in love with the fine balancing required to get the rear to glide through the corners sideways, then serenely return to line before sliding sideways into the next corner. As the surfaces get steadily more slippery, our worst endeavours merely kiss the rear of the car off the banks before heading for the corner's apex.
Overall the XC90 held its own on the ice and off-road snow of northern Sweden. We built up a strong bond with this 4x4, and concur with the international jurists who have awarded it several motoring titles including 'SUV of the year' in the US.
Considering our last experience on ice was more reminiscent of bambi, next time we go to the rink we'll be taking an XC90 onto the ice.