Volvo has gone all curvaceous with its luxe new V90 wagon
It’s not just about space and safety in Volvo’s latest luxury wagon. There are plenty of sophisticated touches, too, writes Toby Hagon.
There was a time when Volvo was convinced the key to boxesaafamily’sheartwasthroughsharpanglesandbigboxes. Aftfter all, the easiest way to fifit more into a wagon was to get rid of pesky rounded edges. But the squared-offff days of the 1980s and ’90s are long gone for the Swedish brand, now under Chinese ownership.
Volvo’s latest and most luxurious wagon, the V90, is curvaceous and elegant. The tailored tail has LED lights sculpted around its hips. And the nose continues the purity, with a concave grille flflanked by headlights inspired by Thor’s hammer.
Don’t expect bright colours, though; the palette is an earthy mix of whites, greys and browns, with dusty blues thrown in. Thankfully, the black cladding that skirts the lower perimeter adds some visual spice.
But it’s inside that the elegant Swedish design shines brightest. The broad dash showcases wood and metal, interspersed with a nine-inch central touch screen that’s taller than it is wide. Smartphone-esque swipe and scroll functionality pairs with a large volume dial and a couple of buttons to make for easy navigation of the display, which incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Supple leather is abundant, enhancing the comfort of the plush pews, and the rear seats have optional innovative boosters built into their bases, allowing for quick transformation into a spacious kid carrier. Under the bonnet is a refifined diesel engine that pumps out 173kW of power. Pick-up is swiftft, courtesy of the PowerPulse system, which injects air into one of the two turbos, reducing the time it takes to unleash the 480Nm of torque. The result is a swiftfter response once you squeeze the throttle, which is particularly noticeable when ambling in traffiffic or easing on and offff the accelerator on the freeway.
The eight-speed auto dishes up a broad selection of ratios, adding to the effffortless progress. If you’re more hands-offff, partial autonomy monitors lane markings and other vehicles to assist with braking, acceleration and steering; don’t rely on it, though, especially on twisting country roads, where it can regularly miss bends.
As its name suggests, the Cross Country need not be restricted to mundane duties. Riding higher than a traditional wagon, the V90 adds some SUV thinking to the luxury equation to create an interesting crossover. Along with the all-wheel-drive system, it means fuss-free runs to the mountains or along dirt tracks.
While it may not be as overtly practical as those older Volvos, the V90 more than makes up for it with restrained elegance, ample space and a comfortable driving experience.