A brief glance at the 2005 Volvo XC90 V8’s specifications might lead to the conclusion that an engine displacing 4.4 liters isn’t big enough to propel a 4,610-pound, all-wheel-drive SUV with verve. A test drive dismisses that notion. Though it’s no rocket ship, the XC90 V8 is lively when the driver puts her foot into it, and the V8 produces a pleasing growl when revved.

Though compact in size, the ULEV-rated V8 generates a robust 311 horsepower at 5,850 rpm and 325 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,900 rpm. Volvo says that the engine offers a thick wad of that maximum torque down at the 2,000-rpm level, and given the XC90 V8’s enthusiastic response off the line, we have no reason to doubt it. To extract maximum performance from Volvo’s first-ever V8, premium fuel is recommended, but we topped off with less-expensive 87-octane and experienced no drivability problems.

The EPA says the XC90 V8 can be expected to get 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway, which is exactly the same as the XC90 T6 with a 268-horsepower, 2.9-liter inline six-cylinder engine. We averaged 18 mpg in a mix of city traffic, light off-roading, and long-distance highway driving with a full load of people and cargo aboard. That’s impressive for any V8, and we did half of our miles with all three rows occupied and a trunk full of picnicking provisions.

A new six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission delivers power to all four wheels through Volvo’s Instant Traction AWD system. Geartronic is Volvo-speak for its line of automatic transmissions that can be shifted manually. In the XC90 V8, the manual shift gate is located on the driver’s side of the center console where it’s easy to use, and unlike in a BMW X5, shift action is intuitive with a tap up for an upshift and a tap down for a downshift. Geartronic is great fun to use, and responsive with little shifting delay.

Instant Traction AWD is a fancy term applied to the XC90 V8’s next-generation Haldex all-wheel-drive, which is “pre-charged” with torque to reduce wheelspin, allowing the XC90 V8 to react more quickly to changing road conditions. Instant Traction AWD also includes a winter driving mode for snow- and ice-coated roadways. Another change is that more torque can flow to the rear wheels than in the regular XC90, giving the V8 model an added edge in treacherous conditions.