Volvo XC90 Owner's Manual page 409

From Park - P
To move to another gear from P (Park), the brake
pedal must be depressed and the ignition in
mode II.
From Neutral - N
If the gear selector is in N and the vehicle has
been stationary for at least 3 seconds (with or
without the engine running), the gear selector will
be locked in that position.
To move the gear selector from N to another
gear, the brake pedal must be depressed and the
ignition in mode II.
Related information
• Gear selector positions for automatic trans-
missions (p. 404)
The kickdown function
Kickdown can be used when maximum accelera-
tion is needed, e.g. when passing.
When the accelerator pedal is depressed all the
way to the floor (past the normal full accelerator
position), the transmission will automatically
engage kickdown, i.e. immediately shift down to a
lower gear.
If the accelerator pedal is released from the kick-
down position, the transmission will automatically
shift up again.
Safety function
The transmission control module is equipped with
a downshift protection feature to help prevent the
engine from overheating.
In some conditions, the transmission will prevent
downshifting/kickdown if this would lead to such
high engine speed (rpm) that the engine could
be damaged. If the driver still attempts downshift-
ing or kickdown at a high rpm, nothing will hap-
pen and the original gear will remain selected.
With kickdown, the vehicle can downshift one or
more steps at a time depending on the engine
speed. The vehicle upshifts when the engine rea-
ches its maximum rpm to prevent engine dam-
age.
Related information
• Gear selector positions for automatic trans-
missions (p. 404)
STARTING AND DRIVING
All Wheel Drive (AWD)*
5
All-wheel drive (AWD ), also called four-wheel
drive, means that power is distributed to all four
wheels, which improves traction.
To achieve the best traction, power is automati-
cally directed to the wheels that have the best
grip. The system continuously calculates the
need for torque to the rear wheels, and can
immediately redistribute up to half of the engine's
torque to the rear wheels.
All-wheel drive also has a stabilizing effect at
higher speeds. In normal driving conditions, most
of the engine's power is directed to the front
wheels. When the vehicle is stationary, all-wheel
drive is always activated in preparation for maxi-
mum traction during acceleration.
All-wheel drive reacts differently depending on
which drive mode is selected.
Related information
• Drive modes* (p. 408)
•
Low Speed Control* (p. 420)
• Transmission (p. 403)
407
* Option/accessory.