2013 Volvo XC90 Photos and Info: Minor changes for the Long-Serving Crossover

Volvo’s XC90 SUV is old and nearing retirement—it’s expected to finally get a replacement sometime in 2014—so we’ll consider this mild 2013 refresh something of a 60th birthday party. Of course, the XC90 isn’t 60 years old, but keep in mind it debuted at the 2002 Detroit auto show just months after the first-generation Apple iPod hit the market. Yeah, the one with a scroll-y wheel thing and a black-and-white LCD screen. We’ll pause while you describe to your kids how handheld devices used to be operated via physical buttons. Unlike the iPod, the XC90 is still in its first-gen shell, but Volvo did give its soon-to-be-retiree a shot of botox to keep it fresh-ish for 2013.

Too Old for Skinny Jeans and LEDs

The biggest change for the 2013 XC90 is the application of more paint. Specifically, most everything that was previously black plastic on the exterior—the lower bumper trim, rocker panels, and fender flares—is now painted body color. Volvo also threw some LED daytime running lights at the XC90’s front end and added LED taillights, but the effect is about as successful as your dad squeezing into a pair of skinny jeans. Just as he’s probably not going to be mistaken for Justin Bieber, the LEDs do little to bring Volvo’s large SUV into this decade. Non-R-Design XC90 3.2 models also get some new silver and chrome exterior trim.

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