Volvo took off the wraps of the new XC90 Armored halfway. We say halfway, because many of the details still remain secret for security reasons. But who doesn't like a bit of mystery?
What we do know sounds pretty impressive. It is classified for "VR8" protection, which means it can handle a lot of very bad things. The three-row crossover, for example, has a 360-degree ballistic resistance and an explosive resistance. To get extra grainy, this Volvo is resistant to rounds of all-steel sheaths, but you need VR9 protection to stop the full bullets of the copper alloy, according to the armor company that works with Volvo. Anyway, if someone tries to come in, it will be hard to do that. The great thing is that it looks exactly like your everyday XC90 T6 SUV from the outside, so no one can tell with a quick glance.
This specific project is two years in the making, according to Volvo. The Swedes build it together with TRASCO Bremen in Germany, a company that specializes in building armored vehicles. We are told that the high-strength steel is 0.4 cm thick and the glass thickness is no more than 2 inches thick. That is a serious glass. Volvo did not provide many extra details for safety purposes, but it has an emergency exit at the rear hidden by the center rear seat, reinforced hinges and fire extinguishers in the engine compartment. We knew that using that small 2.0-liter car would pay off for Volvo one day.
All the extra armor adds 3,086 pounds, which when added to all other extra equipment and an estimate for five occupants, brings the final curb weight to 9,899 pounds. The basic weight of the XC90 T6 AWD in the United States is 4,663. There may be differences here with regard to European and American standards for measuring the weight of the weight, but wow.
And that brings us to power. Volvo did not say whether the four-cylinder with turbocharger and turbocharger was adjusted to handle all that extra weight, but we hope it has a little more work. The XC90 was not previously a jack-rabbit in T6 form, and the potential to add twice as much weight will not do it any good. Volvo has said it hardens the suspension to cope with the weight and that it needs to get bigger brakes.
Beyond the car itself, a piece of the press release reached us. Volvo says: "At the moment there is a growing global market for armored vehicles." We will write it down as somewhat disturbing. Volvo says the cars are intended for Latin America and Europe, so people in the United States may not feel that vulnerable. If you have had special requests for armor or other protection, Volvo says that this can most likely be mandatory. The XC90 Armored is now available for ordering, with deliveries starting at the end of 2019.