Although petrol-powered cars reign supreme in Singapore, their diesel-powered counterparts are slowly but surely gaining popularity amongst local car buyers.
Reasons for the diesel engine's rise in popularity include the better fuel economy they deliver as well as the greater amounts of low end torque that would make perfect sense in our start-stop traffic.
The new Volvo XC90 is also available with a diesel variant but are buyers who are looking to own a luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) really bothered that much by fuel economy? Emphasis here lies on the word luxury. It is no automotive secret that diesel-powered engines are accompanied by more vibration and noise than you would normally find in a petrol.
How, then, does the Volvo XC90 Diesel D5 Inscription fare in terms of performance, noise and smoothness?Up close and Personal
It is forgivable if your attempts at identifying the differences, both exterior and interior between the T6 and D5 Inscription variants leave you looking like Popeye the Sailor Man - because there are none.
Just like its T6 brethren, the D5 Inscription gets all of Volvo's fancy schmancy stuff. Headed by the brand's new iron mark slashed across the grille and T-shaped 'Thor's Hammer' DRL lights, the D5 Inscription looks every bit as charming as the son of Odin himself.
Clad in a blanket of snowy white paint that dramatises the car's hulking sheet metal and a massive set of 20-inch wheels, the XC90 looks smashing from every angle.
The commodious cabin, too, is a reflection of the D5 Inscription's external conceptions. Even the harshest of critics will be scratching their heads trying to find something on the inside to nitpick about.
Once you've settled into the car's luxury-laden confines, you'd probably be tempted to mess with its Sensus 9.0-inch iPad-like centre display that holds the key to your mobile, multimedia and navigation functions.
Elsewhere, the cabin impresses with high levels of detail and quality, such as the gear lever made of crystal glass from Orrefors - a famous Swedish glassmaker. With your hand on that and your back rested comfortably on Volvo's ergonomically shaped seats, this luxury SUV leaves you feeling like a Swedish King.
The Drive
Even though the Volvo XC90 D5 Insciption runs on a twin-turbocharged diesel engine, barely does it cause enough of a diesel racket to make you regret not buying the petrol variant.
Expectedly, there is a trifle of diesel drone upon acceleration but once you get up to cruising speed, it's all fine and dandy.
Getting to that speed, if your ideals of it are 100km/h, will take 7.8 seconds with the assistance of 225bhp and 470Nm of torque.
Given its size and a horsepower figure that isn't much to shout about, the D5 Inscription manages to stay pretty nimble on its feet, thanks to the helpful amount of torque that Volvo has supplied it with.
Matched with a steady-shifting eight-speed Geartronic transmission, the D5 Inscription is as cool as a cucumber in a straight line and you rarely feel any twitches as it works its way up its gears.
Even though the Volvo XC90 D5 Insciption runs on a twin-turbocharged diesel engine, barely does it cause enough of a diesel racket to make you regret not buying the petrol variant.
Expectedly, there is a trifle of diesel drone upon acceleration but once you get up to cruising speed, it's all fine and dandy.
Getting to that speed, if your ideals of it are 100km/h, will take 7.8 seconds with the assistance of 225bhp and 470Nm of torque.
Given its size and a horsepower figure that isn't much to shout about, the D5 Inscription manages to stay pretty nimble on its feet, thanks to the helpful amount of torque that Volvo has supplied it with.
Matched with a steady-shifting eight-speed Geartronic transmission, the D5 Inscription is as cool as a cucumber in a straight line and you rarely feel any twitches as it works its way up its gears.
Only if you give it the beans while approaching a bend (something most XC90 owners won't be doing anyway) does the D5 Inscription respond with a little body roll but generally, the car handles in a poised and authoritative manner.
It certainly does not offer as much driving fun as the BMW X5 or the Porsche Cayenne but in wanting it to would be entirely missing the point of owning an XC90 - incredible refinement and a lush ride.
Conclusion
All in all, the Volvo XC90 D5 Inscription is a graceful, sensibly engineered and immensely refined all-wheeler with the right practicalities and design grandeur that will carve a smile on your face on even the most tiresome of grocery runs.
So should someone looking to dip his or her fingers in the luxury SUV segment consider a diesel variant of the XC90? Well, we certainly would.
