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"Volvo is not a luxury car company." That was exactly what the horrified Volvo PR guy, his professional smile now a frozen rictus, did not want to hear. But Pehr Gyllenhammar, Volvo's iconoclastic boss from 1970 to 1994, was never one to pull his punches. In Gyllenhammar's view Volvo built safe, durable, comfortably middle-class sedans and wagons; it did not compete with Mercedes-Benz or Jaguar. More than a quarter century later it would be fascinating to get Gyllenhammar's take on the 2017 Volvo S90. Because this new Volvo sedan is a luxury car, a genuinely credible alternative to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series, and Audi A6. Oh, and Jaguar XF and Lexus GS, too.
The S90 is built on Volvo's highly flexible Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which also underpins the 2016 SUVOTY-winning Volvo XC90 crossover. The front suspension features control arms and conventional springs, while at the rear is a multilink axle with a single transverse composite spring, like the Corvette. Stefan Karlsson, the S90's vehicle dynamics engineer, says the new rear axle design ensures all the energy from wheel motions is directed into the rear shocks, reducing impact harshness. Air suspension, standard all around on the XC90, is available as an option on the rear axle only.
SPA allows Volvo to build vehicles that share components and manufacturing processes but have different wheelbases, front and rear overhangs, and cowl and roof heights. The one dimension that is fixed across all SPA vehicles, however, is dash-to-axle, and this is the key to the S90's upscale ambition.
"Luxury starts with proportion," says Volvo senior design director Tisha Johnson. Compared with the old S80, the S90's front axle has been pushed forward more than 7 inches, and the front overhang has been reduced significantly. Volvo design chief Thomas Ingenlath also insisted the base of the A-pillar be moved rearward, exaggerating the length of the hood. Although powered by 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines mounted transversely between the front wheels, the S90 has the confident stance and studied elegance of a classic-and classy-rear-drive sedan.
That confidence and elegance is reinforced by taut exterior surfaces and a handful of crisply defined character lines. The C-pillar rakes dramatically down to the trunk, stretching the greenhouse and visually reducing the height of the roof, giving this three-box sedan an almost coupelike profile. The concave vertical elements of the bold grille are a subtle homage to the 1972 Volvo P1800's front end, and dramatically geometric taillights emphasize the S90's width. It looks like a big car, and it is. At 195.4 inches long, 74 inches wide, and 56.8 inches tall, the S90 is longer, wider, and lower than the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
The 115.8-inch wheelbase delivers a spacious interior package despite a relatively wide transmission tunnel that in hybrid versions is used to house the battery pack. The interior design is an evolution of themes seen in the XC90, with calm, structured forms and authentic materials. For example, the aluminum strip that runs along the lower edge of the instrument panel isn't there just for show; it's a structural element that supports the whole assembly. There's a noticeable lack of switchgear, as most functions, including navigation, audio, climate control, and vehicle settings, are controlled by the 9-inch, portrait-format touchscreen at the center of the dash.
Two versions of the S90, each available in two trim levels, will go on sale in the U.S. this year. The all-wheel drive S90 T6, powered by the 316-hp, turbo- and supercharged, 2.0-liter four, arrives in July. The S90 T5 with the 250-hp, turbo-only version of the engine and front-wheel drive will go on sale in September. The plug-in hybrid S90 T8, which boasts a total system output of 400hp courtesy of a T6-spec internal combustion engine up front and an 87-hp electric motor driving the rear wheels, will join the lineup in 2017.
The entry-level S90 T5 Momentum will retail for just under $48,000; upgrading to the T6 powertrain costs an extra $6,000. The Inscription trim level adds an extra $3,500 to both T5 and T6 models and delivers, among other things, butter-soft Nappa leather on the seats, hand-stitched leather on the top of the instrument panel, linear walnut inlays, four-zone climate control, and an upgrade from 18-inch to 19-inch alloy wheels. Next to a similarly specced E-Class, 5 Series, or A6, the $57,245 T6 Inscription looks like a great value on paper. But what about on the road?
Volvo had T6 Inscriptions fitted with optional 20-inch alloy wheels for the U.S. media to drive at the car's launch in southern Spain.
Offering nothing but a 2.0-liter four-cylinder internal combustion engine and relying on various combinations of pressure charging and electrification to deliver six- and even eight-cylinder levels of power and performance would seem a risky strategy in a market segment where bigger engines are the norm. But as in the new XC90, the T6 engine is surprisingly refined and performs better than expected. In addition to 316 hp at 5,700 rpm, there's 295 lb-ft of torque available from 2,200 rpm to 5,400 rpm. Volvo claims a 0-60 acceleration time of 5.7 seconds, making the S90 T6 a full second quicker than the 700-pound heavier XC90 T6.
If you're paying attention, subtle vibes at idle and a muted snarl at full throttle make you aware there's a four-banger under the hood, but otherwise you hardly notice the engine's there at all. Wind noise is also commendably low-even with big wheels and tires, the S90's drag coefficient is less than 0.30. But what impresses most is the lack of tire noise and impact harshness from the suspension along with the deft control of secondary body motions.
There are quicker, sportier cars in the segment. But none rides and handles with the deeply satisfying composure of this big Volvo. Even on low-profile 20-inch tires, it shrugs off mid-corner lumps and bumps, effortlessly holding its line through a turn no matter how gnarly the action is where the rubber meets the road. There's not a ton of feel through the electric power steering system, but it's very accurate, and the front end grips the tarmac tenaciously. In fact, the lack of understeer is remarkable for a big sedan that fundamentally rides on a front-drive platform. And the terrific body control means the plush ride never devolves into mushy handling even when flick-flacking the S90 through a series of S-bends.
The Germans own the midsize luxury sedan segment, and almost everyone else-Jaguar, Lexus, Cadillac, and the rest-is racing in their wheel tracks to catch up with near-copycat cars. Not Volvo. The S90 quietly blazes its own trail in everything from design to powertrain to the way it rides and handles. On first acquaintance the Volvo S90 is a uniquely appealing luxury sedan, and not just because it's different, but because it's good at being different.
Wagons have long been a core competency at Volvo, and over the decades more than a few Volvo load carriers have been arguably more interesting/better looking/cooler than their sedan counterparts. The new Volvo V90 wagon is one of them. And it's coming to America.
Volvo designers figure the XC90 offers customers the most practical choice in terms of family load lugger, so they raked the D-pillar to give the V90 a sporty swagger shared with no previous Volvo wagon. The V90 vies with Jaguar's last-generation XF wagon as one of the segment's style leaders. And it drives with the same relaxed confidence as the S90 sedan.
The V90 is available with T5 and T6 powertrains and in Momentum and Inscription trims. A T8 plug-in hybrid version is also on its way. No word on which versions will make it, but Volvo USA sources confirm the V90 will go on sale Stateside in 2017.
2017 Volvo S90 T6 Insciption
- BASE PRICE $57,245
- VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
- ENGINE 2.0L/316-hp/295-lb/ft, DOHC 16-valve turbo + supercharged I-4
- TRANSMISSION 8-speed auto
- CURB WEIGHT 4080lb (mfr est)
- WHEELBASE 115.8in
- LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 195.4in x 74.0in x 56.8in
- 0-60 MPH 5.7sec (mfr est)
- EPA CITY/HWY/COMB N/A
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