Volvo S90

Overview

For those who want to steer away from the conventional German and Japanese options in the luxury executive sedan segment, Volvo offers one perfect solution in the face of S90. This flagship sedan has got all the traits to make it a viable option for chauffer driven people. In the Philippines, the Volvo V90 is being offered with a standard diesel engine variant (D4) and two petrol engine variants (T4 and T6), each of which comes with two different petrol engines.

Interior & Features

Like on the outside, Volvo has chosen to keep things as simple and minimal as possible on the inside as well. As a result, the interior cabin turns out to be elegant and sober, with the perfect choice of materials and upholstery options uplifting the overall ambience of the cabin.

The S90 gets a very simple looking driver’s cockpit with a three-spoke steering wheel finished in ivory white and a fully digital instrument console which shows analog details in an LCD screen. The dual-tone ivory white and black finish with a wooden trim in between of the dashboard for the interior cabin not only looks premium but also makes the cabin feel airy as well.

At the center sits a vertically standing touch screen infotainment system with vertical AC vents beside it, which looks quite distinctive, with minimal looking buttons for automatic climatic control and slightly higher placed center console below it.

Exterior

The Volvo S90 does deliver a lot when it comes to road presence, primarily due to its humongous dimensions and low slung stance. However, the overall styling somewhat lacks the bling of its other European rivals, with the design somewhat being a bit understated.

At the front, the Volvo S90 comes with a simple layout consisting of longitudinal full LED headlamps with Thor’s hammer-shaped daytime running LED right at the center of them. At the midst of the front fascia sits a rounded rectangular full chrome grille with vertical chrome slats. The mild chrome garnishes towards the fog lamp housings and lip of the front bumper make it look elegant when viewed head-on.

The Volvo S90 looks properly luxurious when viewed from the side, the credits of which can be given to its long wheelbase. The chrome touches around the window frame and door handles do uplift its premium essence, however, the design for alloy wheels could have been better.

The Volvo S90 looks quite plain when it comes to its rear profile. The C-shaped tails lamps with the upper sections of them extending towards the center of the boot lid add some character to the rear, though.

Ride & Handling

In the driving dynamics section, the Volvo S90 does offer a 4C active chassis, which provides a choice of three different driving modes – Comfort, Sport or Advanced. This 4C is controlled by a high-tech electronic management system, which continuously alters the four Monroe-Öhlins shock absorbers and interacts with the DSTC system, engine, brakes, and steering, in order to enhance your driving experience as per your choice.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

The Volvo S90 is being offered in three different variants, each of which comes with different engine and gearbox combinations. Let’s start with the petrol engines first. The T4 variant has been equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which puts up 180 PS of power and 240 Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the more premium T6 variant comes with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo petrol engine under its hood, which develops 307 PS of maximum power output and 450 Nm of peak torque output. The diesel engine is available in a single D4 variant, which is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit and belts out 182 PS of power and 400 Nm of torque. While the T6 offers an AWD setup, the other two variants come with a simple FWD layout.

Coming to the gearbox options, the D4 is being offered with a 6-speed manual and 8-speed automatic options, while the engines in T4 and T6 come paired with a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Braking & Safety

Volvo has always been the biggest pioneer of safety, and the S90 has managed to take the bars only higher. The car is equipped with features like front, side and curtain airbags, Lane Departure Warning, Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control (at all speeds), Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection, Driver Alert Control (DAC), Lane Keeping Aid (LKA), Active High Beam (AHB), Road Sign Information (RSI), Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), Cross Traffic Alert (CTA), Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection, Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) with Advanced Stability Control (ASC), Corner Traction Control (CTC), Engine Drag Control (EDC) and Sport Mode, Anti-locking brakes with Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA) and Ready Alert Brakes (RAB), Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and Active Bending Lights (ABL) with Dual Xenon Technology.

Verdict

If you want your sedan to offer an abundance of glitz and bling, you might steer away from the S90 for its sheer simplicity. However, what it does offer is an understated elegance which will surely appeal to a mature set of buyers, and the level of comfort and convenience, as well as safety features it offers, is almost unmatched in its segment.