Compare the2023 Audi e-tron SportbackVS 2022 Volvo XC90

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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The Audi e-tron Sportback has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The XC90 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the e-tron Sportback. But it costs extra on the XC90.

An active infrared night vision system optional on the e-tron Sportback helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera and near-infrared lights to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The XC90 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the e-tron Sportback and the XC90 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Audi e-tron Sportback weighs 669 to 1367 pounds more than the Volvo XC90. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi e-tron Sportback is safer than the Volvo XC90:

	e-tron Sportback	XC90
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	44	51
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	117 lbs.	153 lbs.
Hip Force	236 lbs.	255 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	579 lbs.	608 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	8 inches	12 inches

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the e-tron Sportback, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 6.7% to 9.9% less likely to roll over than the XC90, which received a four-star rating.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the e-tron Sportback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 122 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XC90 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Audi vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 17 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Audi higher than Volvo.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volvo With 24 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Volvo.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 4 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

Engine

The e-tron Sportback has more powerful engines than the XC90:

	Horsepower	Torque
e-tron Sportback electric motors	402 HP	490 lbs.-ft.
e-tron Sportback S electric motors	496 HP	717 lbs.-ft.
XC90 T5 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	250 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
XC90 T6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder	316 HP	295 lbs.-ft.
XC90 T8 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid	400 HP	472 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the XC90 running on electricity:

			MPGe
e-tron Sportback
	AWD	Electric Motors	77 city/80 hwy
		S Electric Motors	73 city/77 hwy
XC90
	AWD	T8 Electric Motor	58 city/53 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the XC90 running its gasoline engine:

			MPGe
e-tron Sportback
	AWD	Electric Motors	77 city/80 hwy
		S Electric Motors	73 city/77 hwy
XC90
			MPG
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/30 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/28 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/28 hwy
		2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl.	19 city/27 hwy

The e-tron Sportback can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 212 to 225 miles. The XC90 T8 has to start its internal combustion engine after only 18 miles.

Regardless of its engine, regenerative brakes improve the e-tron Sportback’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. Volvo only offers a regenerative brake system on the XC90 T8.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi e-tron Sportback higher (10 out of 10) than the Volvo XC90 (5 to 7). This means the e-tron Sportback produces up to 19.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the XC90 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The e-tron Sportback’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The XC90 doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the e-tron Sportback’s brake rotors are larger than those on the XC90:

	e-tron Sportback	XC90 T5/T6	XC90 T8
Front Rotors	15.7 inches	13.6 inches	14.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	12.6 inches	13.4 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the e-tron Sportback has larger standard tires than the XC90 (255/50R20 vs. 235/55R19).

The e-tron Sportback’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the XC90’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the e-tron Sportback has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the XC90.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the e-tron Sportback uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the XC90, which uses coil springs in front and transverse leafs springs in the rear. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

Chassis

The front grille of the e-tron Sportback uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The XC90 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The e-tron Sportback has .9 inches more front shoulder room, 2.1 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the XC90.

Cargo Capacity

The e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume than the XC90 with its rear seat up (27.2 vs. 11.2 cubic feet).

Servicing Ease

A Service Interval Display is standard on the e-tron Sportback to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for vehicle inspection based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Volvo doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the XC90.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Volvo. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 11% lower rating, Volvo is ranked 12th.

Ergonomics

The e-tron Sportback’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The XC90’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The e-tron Sportback’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the XC90’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the e-tron Sportback has standard extendable sun visors. The XC90 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the e-tron Sportback’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The XC90 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The e-tron Sportback has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the XC90.