The luxury midsize SUV segment is perfect for those moving up the corporate and family life ladder. You’ll find a great blend of interior space, performance, and luxury features here. That’s why the segment offers many worthy contenders, such as the 2024 Volvo XC90 and the 2024 Land Rover Defender.
As you’ll see in this Volvo vs. Land Rover match-up, these two vehicles are vastly different in some ways and extremely similar in others. That’s why we will compare their performance, interior, and safety attributes to help you pick the most suitable. Since the 2024 Defender has three wheelbase lengths, we chose the 110 variant as it’s closest to the 2024 XC90.
The 2024 Volvo XC90 and the 2024 Land Rover Defender can seat up to seven occupants, each with 132 cubic feet of passenger space. However, the 2024 XC90’s cabin ambiance is far ahead. You’ll appreciate its cool Scandinavian design language that focuses on simplicity and relaxation. Most major controls, including climate control functions, are relegated to the 9-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen. However, you have physical controls for oft-used features such as media volume.
Meanwhile, the 2024 Defender’s cabin design is dynamic rather than restrained, and there are a lot of buttons, dials, and even a functional bar across the dashboard that’s a structural component of the car. You’ll also note that the infotainment screen partially obscures the center air vents, so their airflow cannot be directed downwards.
Buyers of the 2024 XC90 also get ventilated front seats on higher trims, as well as a handcrafted Swedish crystal glass gearshift knob by Orrefors. A 19-speaker, 1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system is also available. Meanwhile, the 2024 Defender can be specified with a 14-speaker Meridian audio system.
Both luxury midsize SUVs have Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ for infotainment and connectivity needs. The 2024 Defender adds a Wi-Fi hotspot as standard, while it’s optional for the 2024 XC90. However, every 2024 XC90 has Google Built-in, which includes Google Maps, Play Store and Assistant.
The 2024 XC90 and the 2024 Defender offer an identical 11 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row in use. You can also get up to 85 cubic feet of space by folding the second and third rows.
Three powertrains are available for buyers of the 2024 Volvo XC90. All-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox are standard across the range. Meanwhile, the B5 trim gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 247 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Then, there’s the B6 with the same engine but tuned to deliver 295 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.
The most powerful 2024 XC90 is the T8 Recharge plug-in hybrid variant. This uses the same engine and gearbox but adds an electric motor. The total system output is 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque. Furthermore, it can travel up to 32 miles using a 14.9-kilowatt-hour (usable) lithium-ion battery pack. You can recharge the battery via an onboard 3.7-kilowatt-hour charger or regenerative braking.
On the other hand, the 2024 Defender comes with several engine choices. There’s a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 296 horsepower. Then, there’s a hybrid variant with 395 horsepower. Finally, there’s a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 with 495 or 518 horsepower, depending on trim. An eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive are standard.
The 2024 Volvo XC90 has lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alerts as standard. It also has forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking across the range. The 2024 Defender offers many of these features, but some are optional. Higher trims of both vehicles come with adaptive cruise control as well.
The 2024 Volvo XC90 provides a more holistic blend of luxury, capability, and efficiency. It also provides a surprising performance, particularly in the T8 Recharge form. Unless you’re a hardcore off-road enthusiast, the 2024 XC90 is an excellent pick for your daily requirements.
Why not visit Volvo Cars Fredericksburg in Fredericksburg, VA, and check out the 2024 XC90 range? We’ll help you find the best vehicle and do test drives, trade-ins, and financing there.
