Intelligent Scandinavian executive
The luxury sedan market is an exclusive club. It is mainly dominated by the German triumvirate of the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class. There are a few other contenders, such as the Jaguar XJ, Lexus LS and Maserati Quattroporte. But a Volvo? The company, famous for its safety and Scandinavian finishes, has tried to play in the segment before with its S80, but it never matched its rivals.
However, the company is not what it once was. Yes, safety is still at its core, but when it revealed its XC90 SUV the automotive industry lifted their heads in astonishment.
Before it tackles the lower end of the market, the company is aiming high. It wants to have halo products that establish its new image and the second of these is the new S90, which has now been launched in SA.
“This time we are doing it properly,” says Jörgen Svensson, technical director of the company’s 90 cluster.
It all starts with design and the S90 has the hallmarks of an executive limo. The radiator grille is inspired by the famous P1800 coupe of the 1960s and the headlights feature the new Volvo signature in the form of the Thor’s Hammer daytime running lights. It breaks the rules, but within limits, and has bulges and angles in all the right places. It has a level of presence Volvos haven’t had in the past.
“We are driven by design, but it has to have Volvo practicality. We put more emphasis on interior space, particularly rear seat comfort,” says Svensson.
And it is the interior that impresses the most. Not only does it have a feeling of space, but it is classy — not in a German way, but in a Scandinavian way. The design and quality of build appear to be exemplary. Each trim panel fits elegantly into another and you have the option of Germanic-style black interiors or wood and beige leather.
Like the XC90 it is also an exercise in simplicity.
“The functions are benchmarked against the Germans, but done in our own way,” Svensson told us. “Germans have lots of buttons. Customers don’t want to feel stupid because they can’t find a button.”
The solution is to reduce the layout to a handful of buttons, with almost everything else accessible through the Sensus touchscreen infotainment system or buttons on the steering wheel. These buttons also allow you to flick through the displays on the digital instrument panel.
“The car works logically, which is a new way of thinking,” adds Svensson.
I would hazard to think the German rivals probably think they are working logically too, but there is clear evidence that Svensson is right in his comments. The interior is beautiful and in spite of narrow windows and high door panels, even with the black interior option there is sufficient light in the cabin to ensure you do not have that slight feeling of claustrophobia that often occurs.
Another example of the interior’s logical design is that the wing mirrors are mounted slightly further back on the
IT BREAKS THE RULES, BUT WITHIN LIMITS, AND HAS BULGES AND ANGLES IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES
doors. This is Volvo at its best. We have criticised a number of luxury sedans for having massive blind spots around the A-pillar. Volvo has left a gap between the pillar and the mirror, putting safety first without compromising on the overall elegance of the design. It is, as Svensson says, logical.
REFINEMENT
The company also appears to have left the German trio to fight among themselves when it comes to driving dynamics.
The S90 might be Swedish, but it is Swiss in its neutrality on the road. It puts comfort ahead of performance, but that does not translate into compromise.
There is double wishbone suspension front and rear, with the option of rear air suspension. Do not expect a wallowy American ride — this suspension is perfect in its refinement.
With Franschhoek Pass ahead of me, not once did I feel the typical urge to hurl the car through the twists and turns as though I was Jason Statham at the wheel of a luxury barge.
It must have been all that Scandinavian wood. The cabin ambience is relaxed and the S90 is in no rush.
Cruising through the pass, the soothing S90 allowed me to disconnect from the hectic world while still driving a wellconnected car in the infotainment sense.
The steering is well weighted, but not overly heavy, even in sport mode.
Turn into a hairpin and the car takes it in its stride with a level of confidence that is inspiring and relaxing, helped in part by the all-wheel drive on the models we experienced.
It could be pushed harder, but the inclination was just not there. This solid and confident car doesn’t need to show off.
There are a choice of engines, all of which are the company’s lauded 2.0l Drive-E units. Petrol options include the 187kW T5 or the 235kW T6. Both are surprisingly strong engines, but in the T6 we drove, the power only comes in at 2,200 revs.
After that you can push on to your heart’s content, but if it is easy, low-down power you are after then opt for either the D4 or D5 diesel units. Both provide their torque much earlier, from 1,750r/min, and in the D5 we experienced the earlier response on the throttle proved much easier to live with while adopting that relaxed Scandinavian attitude.
With pricing starting at R698,500 there is yet another element to look at and that is, of course, safety. This is a Volvo after all.
We don’t have the space to go into it all here, but it scored a full five stars in the EuroNCAP safety test and has a long list of intelligent features. These include pedestrian and cyclist detection, animal detection, auto braking at intersections (useful in a country where someone always jumps the red light), distance alert, lane-keeping assist and more.
SEMI-AUTONOMOUS
It also has a number of semiautonomous driving elements. Volvo is pushing ahead with its autonomous driving trials, with tests in Sweden, the UK and China. The S90 is a step in that direction, with adaptive cruise control and Pilot Assist.
The latter allows the car to control the steering at speeds up to 130km/h, although there need to be clear road markings.
Once at your destination, the car can park itself.
Volvo says it is in a period of a “new dawn”, but in the S90 it has also created a new era of refined intelligence.