Volvo S90

Overview

The flagship sedan from Volvo, the S90, has been one of the most balanced and underrated cars in its category in all these years. The Volvo S90 has received a mild makeover, which has tried to bring back the sedan in the game of midsize luxury sedans amongst its other European rivals. In Malaysia, the Volvo S90 is offered with two powertrain options – one petrol and one plug-in hybrid, spawning three different variants. There are five colour options available in Volvo S90, namely Crystal White, Onyx Black, Bright Silver, Mussel Blue, and Osmium Grey.

Interior & Features

The Volvo S90 shares its cabin layout and design much with the other new-generation cars from Volvo, this bearing the same family lineage. The layout looks classy with its balanced design and avoids any loud bit.

The multi-functional steering, as well as TFT instrument console, has been shared with the other Volvo cars, as well as the dashboard layout, the centre console of which consists of a large vertically placed touchscreen infotainment system with vertical AC vents placed just attached to it. There is a fine layer of wood flowing across the centre of the dashboard, enhancing the premium appeal of the car even more.

The cabin of the Volvo S90, which is spacious enough for five people, has been equipped with all the essential luxury features like Nappa leather upholstery, push-button start with keyless entry, powered front seats and outside rearview mirrors with memory and heating functions, Bowers and Wilkins premium sound system with 19 speakers, dual-zone automatic climate control, powered rear sunshade and many more.

Exterior

The Volvo S90 might not be as zingy and flashy as other sedans in this segment, however, it has got a certain understated elegance in its design as well as a poised stance, which make this sedan one of its kind.

At the front, the Volvo S90 has got the manufacturer’s traditional scooped-in grille with rounded edges and vertical chrome slats as well as the now-trademark Thor-hammer like LED daytime running lamps placed in the middle of full LED headlamps. 

There is not much visual drama in the side profile of the Volvo S90, with the sedan having a conventional streamlined design and lack of any strong or sharp character line through its door panels. The door-mounted rearview mirrors, as well as rounded edge of the shoulder line towards the rear, do try to make the side look nicer.

At the rear, the Volvo S90 has a clean design for its boot lid with two sharp lines, which blend in with the C-shaped LED tail lamps.

Ride & Handling

The Volvo S90 has been fitted with 19-inch wheels and gets Macpherson struts at the front and multi-link setup at the rear with 2-corner air suspension which is set up on a softer side to ensure that it imparts a comfortable and supple ride quality.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

The Volvo S90 has been made available with two powertrains. The basic T5 variant is equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine which pumps out 254 PS of power and 350 Nm of torque. The higher T8 Inscription and T8 Inscription Plus variants are blessed with a more advanced 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in plug-in hybrid avatar, with an electric motor paired on. The engine produces 407 PS of power and 640 Nm of torque. Both engines get paired to an 8-speed automatic gearbox as standard.

Braking & Safety

A benchmark in its category in terms of safety features, the Volvo S90 is loaded with kit like electronic parking brake, hill start assist, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, front and rear collision warning and mitigation support, pedestrian, cyclist, and large animal detection, driver alert control, lane-keeping aid, run-off road mitigation with road edge detection, oncoming lane mitigation, blind spot information system, cross-traffic alert and front, side, and curtain airbags.

Verdict

The Volvo S90 might lack the snob value of its other European competitors, but then, it surely has got all the ingredients in the right amount. Its understated elegance in its exterior design and sophisticated interiors surely have been designed keeping the mature audience in mind, while the extensive list of comfort and safety features do make it a premium luxury car from the word go.