VOLVO S90 D5 INSCRIPTION AWD

FOUR EVERYONE

After successfully launching what was, to this publication at least, 2016’s best urban family SUV, Volvo adapted that winning formula to the luxury sedan market. The result is another stellar outing for the Chinese-owned Swedish manufacturer. If you want to know what the company’s secret is, it’s simple: limited engine options and a common platform. That allows it to sell cars that feel like a million rand for slightly less than a million rand, undercutting the German competition while still outmatching them with features.

With the semi-autonomous Pilot Assist system now capable of speeds up to 130 km/h – a mere 10 km/h shy of the equivalent Mercedes-benz solution – there isn’t much more Volvo could offer. A glaring omission, if you pull out the magnifying glass, would be adjustable suspension. I can imagine a few instances where a slightly raised ride height would’ve come in handy. Although that may tread on the toes of its V90 Cross Country wagoneer sibling.

In the cabin, it’s standard new age Volvo fare. Our test unit had the metal trim, but I did have a go in one with a woodgrain finish and it is quite elegant. The 9,5-inch Sensus touchscreen dominates the dashboard, continuing with the irritating trend of putting the aircon controls in the digital interface instead of having physical knobs or buttons. What’s new with Sensus this year? A software update that now adds in Android Auto (go to apkmirror. com and download it manually; it works fine, but also check back regularly for updates because Google doesn’t seem to have plans to release it officially) and Apple Carplay by default. Though those two interfaces don’t take over the entire screen, merely displaying as a good-sized panel, it’s good to have fully integrated access to your smartphone on the in-dash display. Not saying that Sensus is bad at all.

There’s enough space for five adults, but I never loaded more than two children in the rear. One of those was with the aid of a child seat that highlighted another mild grievance I have with Volvo. The rear headrests can’t be removed because the company equipped those seats with its proprietary whiplash mitigation system WHIPS. My son’s car seat goes up quite high, but luckily we have another one that lives in the grandparents’ car. Volvo will happily sell you a design of its own invention.

On the drivetrain side, you have a choice of two two-litre four cylinder turbopetrols and two two-litre four-cylinder turbodiesels, which transmit power via an eight-speed automatic gearbox and drive your choice of front or all wheels. This is where Volvo really wins. Because the company isn’t obsessed with shoving every conceivable engine size into its product ranges, it is more focused on refining the substantial technological advancements in vehicle occupant safety.

The D5 turbodiesel in our test car was spirited, but that really isn’t the point. Yes, it’s important to be the first one to get away from a traffic light, which it can, but I found the S90 best suited as a cocoon that shields me from the horrors of the morning and evening commute. With Pilot Assist engaged and my favourite podcast or album channelling through the well tuned Bowers and Wilkins audio system, encased in premium materials, I arrived at work in the morning or at home in the evening in a far better mood than usual. On a weekend trip to a market in the Winelands, my children’s lunchtime meltdowns faded away when we went for a leisurely drive.

This calming effect is partially because of my confidence in Volvo’s attention to passenger safety, but mostly because of the level of refinement shown by a company with a clear vision. The S90 is magnificent and worth well more than this model’s R 829400 sticker price.–LINDSEY

Local laws still require a person to operate a car at all times. Be careful when going autonomous.