Brendan Seery

IDRIVE a lot of cars doing this work. A lot of cars. But I would be lying if I said some didn’t bore me – either on first acquaintance or throughout a week-long road test.

There are times, though, when I look forward to the delivery of a car and I’ll even go out later just to look at it parked there. But seldom do I ever have one of those “love at first sight” moments when I can barely talk to the delivery driver or sign the documents so smitten am I by the car.

And, when it happens, (like love’s first “across a crowded room” moment of chemistry) it’s even more stunning. I was gobsmacked and stood gulping at the long, lean and lithe Volvo S90 as it sat in my driveway. With enormous, bling 21-inch wheels, the metallic paint changing colour from black to deep blue depending on the angle and the light and with cream upholstery (in executive cars, the light colour always seem to add a touch of high luxury), the 5m-long Volvo seemed to be just so right in every respect.

It goes without saying I didn’t expect it to be so striking. Don’t misunderstand me, I have great respect for Volvo cars and love their understated elegance. But I do not expect them to be so heart-in-themouth gorgeous.

So, you can imagine the disappointment when, barely 20 minutes later, the driver re-appeared with the news that I was not the Brendan due to test the car… and away it went.

I would have to wait another month before I got a Volvo S90. Having seen the black interior of another, I prevailed on Volvo SA to provide me with the exact same one that was delivered on the first day.

What the muscular Volvo proved, right from the first instant it rolled out of my gate, was that it was a head-turner and conversa- tion-starter.

I gave some friends a lift (all women) to a function and they loved it… even if they did make the odd cruel remark about the car being way above my sexiness station.

Other people, including strangers in parking garages, passed approving comments. But most surprising was the young driver in a Polo who pulled up alongside me in traffic, rolled down his window and extended his arm with a thumbs-up of approval… “Lekker car!”

Take a look at the main picture above. This is the very car I drove and one of the models unveiled at the launch earlier this year. If you do not think this is art on wheels, then may I respectfully suggest you visit an optician or stick to Tata as your brand of choice.

I think the shape works so well because it is so balanced: the traditional “three box” design (bonnet, passenger compartment and boot) is executed near perfectly here. This is a car which will age very well, because this is classic design. That applies to both the interior and the exterior… and these days Volvo’s cabins seem to be well able to hold their own with the best the three Germans – Mercedes, BMW and Audi – can produce. If anything, though, the Swedish cars have become more mainstream European than they were inside, with less of that elegant Scandinavian minimalist elegance on display.

The cream upholstery definitely made a difference, lifting the mood of driver and passengers alike and contrasting perfectly with the multifaceted blue outside.

As you’d expect from a car in the executive class, the S90 has all the bells and whistles you’d want. A lot of those – including superb Bowers and Wilkins sound system; powered boot, power-folding rear seats; rear camera; Blind Spot Information System and hands-free parking – come in the R65 000-extra Premium pack.

In addition, the test vehicle packed a further R130 000 of goodies, including air suspension, head-up display, sun roof, boot spoiler and four-zone climate control. The bling 21-inch wheels alone are a R67 000 addition. It sounds like a lot but when the whole package all in is just over R1 million and the wheels really set the car apart, then it is an amount I would happily pay.

Technically, the most interesting thing about this Volvo is the powerplant. The Swedes have put together a range of diesel and petrol engines, all off the same 2.0 litre, four-cylinder aluminium block. The range has petrol motors with turbos and turbos plus superchargers, which put out between 187 kilowatts and 235kW, while there are two diesels, one of 140kW and the one in the S90, which produces 173kW.

It is quite remarkable that so many different versions and outputs have been extracted from a motor with the same bore and stroke and comparatively small capacity.

It is something you have to get your head around, to be honest: a four-cylinder 2.0 litre diesel lurking under that gorgeous S90 skin.

It makes you feel a bit better when you understand this engine has twin turbos, which helps in eliminating lag – and, on the move, the engine produces the sort of shove you’d expect from a V6. It is also quiet, even under full-bore acceleration, which is again the benchmark for this class. Only at start-up – and with the windows open – can you hear that characteristic diesel clatter.

It does the job, though, in terms of performance: Volvo’s official figures put the 0 to 100km/h sprint at 7.0 seconds, but I reckon you can add at least half a second to that at