I want to guard your dreams and visions
Exit in the new Big Boss SUV of Sweden
Play the boss. As requested, Bruce Springsteen is now filling the interior of the Volvo XC 90 with his legendary road song "Born to Run". The voice control not only understands the complicated names of the small towns in the south of France to which the navigation system is supposed to take us, but also the nickname of the favorite singer. Those who prefer conventional input for infotainment can use the 9,2-inch screen in portrait format and its intuitive menu navigation. Now it's the well-developed road up to Mont Ventoux.
Twenty-one kilometers it meanders, sometimes in wide swings, sometimes in tight turns, first through pine forests, then through scruffy conifers, until the vegetation is more reminiscent of the Nordic home of our test car than of Provence. Again and again the view falls on the bare cone, up to which more than 1600 meters of altitude have to be overcome. No problem for the seven-seater with all-wheel drive.
The 225 hp of the four-cylinder diesel propel the XC 90, which weighs over two tons, without any noticeable effort. Despite its considerable size of almost five meters in length and almost 2,20 in width, it leans into curves like a normal car. The eight gears of the automatic alternate quickly and imperceptibly. The street is littered with slogans and markings from the Tour de France. The last time in 2013 was Mont Pelé, the peeled mountain, as Mont Ventoux is also called, with its gradients of up to 11 percent part of the tour. This is not the only reason why conquering the “windy mountain” is one of the most demanding mountain routes.
On the long straight at the top of the ridge, the side mirror suddenly flashes hectically and a warning signal sounds. You can rely on the blind spot assistant in the Swedish SUV. A motorcycle approaches and starts to overtake. It's good that there are currently no cyclists on the route. That would have been tight. The next bend seems to end in the incredibly blue sky. But shortly before that, the lane departure warning system steers us back into the right-hand lane without any pardon.
If anyone understands safety, it is the Swedish automaker, which has equipped its largest SUV with everything that is available in terms of assistants. For example, Run off Road Protection is designed to help prevent serious injuries by means of electrical belt tensioners and specially designed front seats in the event that you get off the road. Towards the end of the route, under the summit, one last steep bend. Freezing wind whistles around the car. The sun is slowly setting and the Swede greets the emerging night with his headlights.
Photos: Craig Pusey