We were going to go a little bit left-field this year but after flicking through page after page of car magazines, articles and online images, we came back to this – the Volvo XC90. The SUV has been on the map as just about the most popular body shape of a vehicle that you can buy, so it seems fitting that the latest effort from the Car Articles Car of the Year Award 2015.

We’ve written about this car several times already throughout the year and so regular readers probably aren’t all that surprised that it’s taken the top spot. For others who don’t know much about this simply stunning vehicle, here’s a little bit of information. The previous Volvo XC90 was on sale for 12 years. Few cars survive a single iteration for so long, which is a great testament to build quality, desirability and strong residual values. However, times moved on and Volvo, with much fanfare, brought the new model to the stage in 2015.

The car is built on a whole new platform which features scalable architecture. Other Volvos will therefore benefit from the same base substructure. This is a good thing as the Volvo XC90 is immensely safe. This is in line with the company project of Vision 2020, the aim of which is to ensure that there are no deaths or serious injuries in a Volvo by the stated year. Not only is this big SUV incredibly well built but safety features are in abundance. Auto-brakes, queue assist, self parking, lane departure and many other new pieces of tech will keep you from harm.

Whichever engine is your choice, the Volvo XC90 will have power enough for all the weight (which is by the way a few hundred pounds lighter than the previous car). There are several flavours on offer but they come with from around 200 BHP all the way up to around 400 BHP for the hybrid. Economy won’t blow you away but it is very respectable for a car of this size.

Cabin quality, materials and overall build is of a very good standard. It may not quite be a Rolls Royce but it is up there with just about every other manufacturer going for the luxury angle. Seven usable seats just add to the sense of being able to manage anything, as does the go-anywhere ability of the four wheel drive system. A fake this car isn’t.

We at Car Articles are absolutely sure that the 2015 Volvo XC90 will be just as highly sought after as the previous generation car. Whether it is used to ferry around little George and Tamara or indeed to take a diplomat to their embassy, neither driver (or the passengers for that matter) will be disappointed. Whilst the price tag is not to be sniffed at – the car starts at around £46,000 – we’re absolutely sure that this is a motor that’s worth the money. We at Car Articles would very rarely state this and that shows how impressed we are with this car.

Volvo – we salute you. The Volvo XC90 is more than worthy to take the Car Articles Car Of The Year 2015 Award.