The S Factors in the 2018 Volvo S90
VOLVO describes the S90 as an “oasis of seclusion,” a sedan that is “elegant, uncluttered and crafted from natural materials.” While the S90 portrayed as Volvo’s new premium fourdoor flagship sedan, it shares a common DNA with its siblings the XC90 and V90 through the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) — an advanced modular product platform — that underpins all new Volvo cars in the 90 and 60 Series.
The S90’s exterior style includes the iconic “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlight, a new grille design, and the recognizable Volvo mark on the rear.
The cabin accommodates five in plush leather seats, with power-folding rear head restraints and front seat ventilation. The instrument panel includes a user-friendly portrait-oriented touchscreen that uses Volvo’s “Sensus” connectivity. Sensus delivers an intuitive interface that combines car functions, navigation, connected services and in-car entertainment applications such as Spotify, Pandora, Baidu or TuneIn. Soon, the S90 may also include Google functions.
Last June, Volvo announced it is working with Google to embed the voice-controlled Google Assistant, Google Play Store, Google Maps, and other Google services into its next-generation Sensus infotainment system. The strategic relationship between Volvo Cars and Google began in 2017 when Volvo announced that the new generation of its infotainment system will be based on Google’s Android platform. Volvo’s first Android-based system is intended to be launched a few years from now.
Volvo’s intended partnership with Google will modify the way Volvo users interact with their cars. Apps and services developed by Google and Volvo Cars are embedded in the car, in addition to the numerous apps that are available through the Google Play Store. Since the next generation of Sensus will run on Android, new apps and software updates will be available in real-time. This allows future Volvo cars to react to customer needs and offer drivers up-to-date information and predictive services.
The Google Assistant provides a central voice interface that allows drivers to control in-car functions (such as air conditioning) and use apps to play music and send messages — an integration that can reduce driver distraction. Google Maps will also enable the next generation of Sensus to provide refreshed map and traffic data in real time, keeping drivers informed about upcoming traffic situations and proactively suggesting alternative routes.
“Bringing Google services into Volvo cars will accelerate innovation in connectivity and boost our development in applications and connected services,” said Henrik Green, Volvo’s SVP of research and development.
Engine-wise, the S90 is powered by Volvo’s Drive-E powertrains (including petrol, diesel and Volvo’s T8 Twin Engine, a petrol plug-in hybrid) mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with a power output of 410hp. Volvo’s T8 Twin Engine is fuel efficient and environment-friendly at just 44 g/ km CO2 emissions.
When it comes to the safety that Volvo is renowned for, Volvo’s overall safety offering (called IntelliSafe) encompasses both active and passive safety systems. The S90 offers semi-autonomous drive with Pilot Assist, which works up to 130 km/h on clearly marked roads. Volvo’s City Safety Technology combines automatic breaking functionality and collision avoidance systems to cover a range of potential accident scenarios. The S90 also has an auto-steer functionality which helps keep the car on the road (called Run-Off Road Mitigation).
Seclusion, Scalable Product Architecture, Sensus Connectivity, Safety… whether or not it’s intentional that S is the primary letter in the S90, the Volvo S90 has the S factors that matter for a sedan.