Compare the2024 Volvo XC90VS 2023 Audi SQ7

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC90 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Audi SQ7 doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The Volvo XC90 offers an optional built in child booster seat. It’s more crash worthy than an added child seat because of its direct attachment to the seat. Audi doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the SQ7. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

The Volvo XC90 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The SQ7 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC90 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC90’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The SQ7’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The XC90 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The SQ7 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The XC90 has standard CTA Auto Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The SQ7 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The XC90’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The SQ7 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the XC90 and the SQ7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volvo XC90 is safer than the Audi SQ7:

	XC90	SQ7
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Compression	18 lbs.	37 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	31%	44%
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	38 lbs.

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

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 Volvo XC90 is safer than the Audi SQ7:

	XC90	SQ7
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	51	187
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
Hip Force	255 lbs.	350 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	94	337
Spine Acceleration	40 G’s	62 G’s
Hip Force	608 lbs.	888 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
HIC	209	290
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	383 lbs.	557 lbs.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC90 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The SQ7 has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC90 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the SQ7.

Reliability

The battery on the XC90 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the XC90’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The SQ7’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 T8 Extended Range running on electricity gets better mileage than the SQ7 (59 city/57 hwy MPGe vs. 14 city/20 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the SQ7:

			MPG
XC90
	AWD	2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy
SQ7
	AWD	4.0 turbo V8 Hybrid	14 city/20 hwy

The XC90 T8 Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 33 miles. The SQ7 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The XC90 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The SQ7 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volvo XC90 higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Audi SQ7 (3). This means the XC90 produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the SQ7 every 15,000 miles.

Tires and Wheels

The XC90’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the SQ7’s 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC90 offers optional 22-inch wheels. The SQ7’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

The XC90 has a standard space-saver spare (not available on Recharge) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the SQ7; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the XC90’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the SQ7’s (39.7 feet vs. 41 feet).

Chassis

The Volvo XC90 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 700 pounds less than the Audi SQ7.

The XC90 is 4.6 inches shorter than the SQ7, making the XC90 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Volvo XC90 amounts to more than styling. The XC90 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is lower than the SQ7 (.35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the XC90 get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The XC90 has .4 inches more third row headroom and 2.7 inches more third row legroom than the SQ7.

The front step up height for the XC90 is 2.8 inches lower than the SQ7 (15.8” vs. 18.6”). The XC90’s rear step up height is 2.7 inches lower than the SQ7’s (16” vs. 18.7”).

Cargo Capacity

The XC90’s cargo area provides more volume than the SQ7.

	XC90	SQ7
Second Seat Folded	85.7 cubic feet	69.6 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the XC90 easier. The XC90’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.8 inches, while the SQ7’s liftover is 32.5 inches.

The XC90’s cargo area is larger than the SQ7’s in almost every dimension:

	XC90	SQ7
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	21.8”/49.6”/80.3”	19.5”/44.7”/80.7”
Max Width	54.7”	52.5”
Min Width	44.5”	42.6”
Height	35”	30”

The XC90 has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The SQ7 doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Towing

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the XC90 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The SQ7 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the XC90 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The SQ7 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XC90 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the SQ7 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The SQ7’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The XC90’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The XC90 has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The SQ7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

The Car Book by Jack Gillis recommends the Volvo XC90, based on economy, maintenance, safety and complaint levels.

Motor Trend selected the XC90 as their 2016 Sport Utility of the Year. The SQ7 has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the XC90 as the 2016 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The SQ7 has never been chosen.

The Volvo XC90 outsold the Audi Q7/SQ7 by 77% during 2022.

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