The global debut of the all-new S90 flagship sedan was hosted at the North American International Auto Show in January 2016. While not a direct replacement to the second generation S80 early on sale in India, it is the whole new product playing the successor role and was developed from the ground up. It competes against the Mercedes E-Class, Audi A6, Jaguar XF and BMW 5-Series luxury sedans and our Volvo S90 review will explain you its major traits compared to its rivals.
Largely associated with the range-topping XC90 SUV, it shares the latest design language, alluring interiors while being built on the same scalable platform architecture. None can deny the fact that Volvo’s new Chinese owner Geely has injected a fresh flow of enthusiasm into the Swedish brand and as a consequence, the S90 is the second vehicle to come as fresh and awe-inspiring.
It is evident that Volvo has put so much effort in making the S90 as stylish as possible. With that said, the design ethos is carefully crafted as well with a sharper stance that would grab attention among the crowd when you pass by.
We would reckon it as the best sedan design from Volvo in the latest range of vehicles as it’s simple, aggressive and very detailed. The sleeker front grille with numerous vertical slats is influenced by the older P1800 sportscar. It features long bonnet, dropping roofline and larger air dams.
The big bold Volvo lettering written in the middle of the bootlid further substantiates the overall appearance. As each of its rivals has unique individual exterior, the Vovlo S90 is surely one of the best the segment has on offer as the tagline ‘Queen on the Wheels’ suits aptly.
The S90 sedan is the longest and widest vehicle in the top-notch luxury segment compared to Audi A6, BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It measures 4,963 mm in length, 1,890 mm in width, 1,443 mm in height and has ample wheelbase of 1,443 mm (same wheelbase as the XC90 SUV).
As similar to the XC90, the S90 has sumptuous interior elements that would feel you at plush out of the box. Plenty of interior stuff have been carried over which are wonderfully positioned with ease for use and of course the beauty of the designs.
With that said, the generally lucrative fit and finish is there to adore you as much that you won’t notice the very limited downsides at all. With very few downsides, what would hit the jackpot for Volvo is the loads of safety features made available along with the ever endearing premium quality interior when compared to the competition.
The high-spec Inscription will be the only variant offered at the launch and it will be brimmed with features like remote control buttons in steering wheel, full-LED headlights, 12-inch vertical touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and navigation, four-zone climate control, multiple airbags and whiplash protection on front seats.
Emergency brake assist, intelligent driver infotainment system, cruise control, head up display, lane keeping aid, park assist, Pirelli PZero for better grip & low tyre noise, intellisafe, collision avoiding smart braking and run-off road Mitigation.
The new Volvo S90 makes driving on highways easier and safer while leaving you in control of the car. At speeds of up to 130 km/h, the lane keeping aid help you stay in right lane.
At the launch, the Torslanda-assembled S90 sedan will have a single engine option. The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, transversely-mounted, D4 diesel engine churns out 190 horsepower at 4,250 rpm and 400 Nm of peak torque delivered between 1,750 rpm and 2,500 rpm.
When the German competitors concentrated on looks and sportiness and of course ride comfortable, Volvo’s key focus seems to be kept on the ‘comfort’ side which bodes well for a country like India as majority of owners would prefer to sit in the back.
The four-way power adjustable and ventilated front seats with memory function provide comfort that is highly appreciative as the driver and co-passenger sitting areas are wider and taller as well.
The legroom at the back is just massive and the sedan feels extremely spacious on the inside. However, the backrest feels quite upright and stiff which would be slightly bothersome during long drives while the transmission tunnel running at the rear would make the middle passenger strain to sit.
The air spring suspension is versatile for Indian roads as it can master irregular patches and bumps with ease. The Dynamic drive mode stiffens up the setup and maintains the ride seamlessly. For a car of this size, the straight line stability at higher speeds is spectacular – giving the driver confidence to push at the top rev band.
Volvo has certainly upped its ante for India against the German trio with a slew of launches as witnessed this year from the S60 Cross Country to the market’s first plug-in hybrid SUV courtesy of the XC90 T8 variant. The S90 is going to be in the primary focus for the brand’s sales aspirations and from our test drive we would say they are going to succeed.
If you desire over a complete bundle of style, comfort, safety and luxury, the Volvo S90 is the right choice for you. It has the best diesel luxury sedan package in the segment and will send sleepless nights to the German trio when it enters the Indian market.
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