Upping their game
The front of the S90 receives the same styling cues that debuted on the XC90 with a convex grille and the Hammer of Thor daytime running lights. The broad shoulders will be familiar to anyone who’s looked at a Volvo over the last decade or so and the roof flows in one seamless arc into the rear windscreen and, then, the boot.
It’s easy to see the XC90’s influence in the cabin. The centre console is dominated by the large, tablet-like, Sensus touchscreen display. Most of the functions that would normally require physical buttons are now controlled via swiping, pinching and prodding the screen.
It’s a system that, on the whole, works well though you do have to take your eyes off the road to perform some functions that, with physical buttons, you wouldn’t have.
Leather seats are standard and, as a whole, the fit and finish is very good. There automatic gearbox – there’s no manual option – it emits just 116g/km of that nasty CO2 and, on paper, will return up to 64.2mpg.
Refinement doesn’t quite live up to the standards set by the class leaders. When the engine is pressed hard there’s you’ll find a noticeable diesel clatter permeating the cabin but, adopt a more laid-back approach to your driving and it’s a very experience.
The transmission is languid – not lazy, except when it demonstrates a reluctance to kick down when called up to provide a little extra forward momentum – with a unhurried attitude towards selecting the next ratio that appears geared (pun intended) towards encouraging a more contemplative driving style.
The chassis struggles to isolate occupants from larger bumps but the S90 still lacks poise and control through corners. It isn’t helped by steering that’s a little on the light side. The potential is there but the average driver – and I very much include myself in that particular group – will run out of courage long before they can exploit any of it.
Passenger space, as you’d expect in a car of this size, is generous. Rear seat occupants will have no reason to be disappointed with the amount of head and legroom afforded them. The boot is a useful 500 litres. There’s also a decent amount of oddment storage capacity in the cabin with a large glovebox, a tray between the two front seats and large bottle holders in each door.
The S90 is good-looking and well-built car with a comfortable ride. The D4 diesel engine in my test car isn’t the most refined at times, and the handling isn’t the most exciting but the combination of value for money, excellent economy and genuinely low emissions plus, of course, Volvo’s deserved reputation for safety serve to make the S90 a compelling package.