First drives of Volvo S90 and V90: Can the Swede overtake the Germans?

Volvo's new premium range offers the Swedish brand a real opportunity to compete against the established players like BMW's 5 Series, Audi's A6 and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Its pitch is likely to be as the alternative to the German brands, but in doing so, it then competes with the likes of the Lexus GS and the Jaguar XF. With prices starting at €48,400, it undercuts the key big sellers in this market.

Since parting with previous owners Ford, Volvo has undergone a revolution from top to bottom. What we are seeing now is the fruit of those efforts. It started with the new XC90 and will continue over the next four years until the entire range is replaced and new versions added.

Styling

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 4

New Volvo S90 & V90 interior carries forward the positives of the new XC90 along with key Swedish attributes like natural wood finish

The S90 saloon and V90 estate are striking, stylish new models in the range. The largest saloon Volvo has produced to date, they certainly make a statement on the road and in the car park, thanks to a striking concave grille. Overall my preference is for the V90 version, as the rear of the saloon looks a little unfinished and reminiscent of the back of a Peugeot 407. However, Irish sales will be dominated by the saloon as buyers don’t seem to appreciate the practicality of estates as much as our continental cousins do.

Inside there are some smart Swedish touches, like the option for natural wood veneer, while the controls are mostly taken from the XC90, which has received acclaim for its interior. Here you get the same large central touchscreen, like an iPad, in charge of everything from in-car systems to audio and connectivity. The driver’s console has either analogue dials with an 8.3-inch digital screen in the entry level Momentum grade, or a full digital 12.3-inch console screen in the higher end Inscription version.

High specification

Volvo is clearly out to steal customers away from current market favourites like the BMW 520d SE. Standard comfort features in Momentum specification includes leather seats, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, rain sensor wipers, rear park assist, and two-zone electronic climate control.

Volvo's revolution is being built on two all-new platforms: one for large cars like the XC90, this S90/V90 range, and the upcoming new XC60. The other will underpin several smaller new models including a replacement for the current V40, and most likely a new small crossover aimed to compete with the likes of the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.

New engines

Alongside this is a new engine range, built around four-cylinder blocks and offered as 2-litre diesel or petrol with varying outputs. These broadly match what’s already on offer on the XC90, although with a front-wheel drive version available in the entry level 2-litre D4 190bhp version. Initially the standard transmission will be an eight-speed automatic.

Above this is a 2-litre D5 version with 235bhp. There’s an additional ingenious little piece of engineering attached to the D5, however. Christened Power Pulse by the engineers at Volvo, this is effectively a 2-litre tank of compressed air that can be injected into the twin-turbo system to maximise output during heavy acceleration and reduce any potential turbo lag.

Ultimately it means a much faster acceleration from 0-100km/h. Volvo claims it means the D5 is faster to 100km/h than 3-litre diesel equivalents from direct rivals. While they won’t officially name those rivals, it can be taken they comprise German premium brands.

While Volvo is reserving it for the D5, technically it could work on any turbo engine. Frankly it’s one of those clever inventions that makes you wonder why it isn’t a feature on every car.

While we didn’t get a chance to test the D4, we can assert that the D5 delivers an impressively smooth acceleration. Despite its smaller size, it packs the necessary punch and is really well suited to the premium market. The same can’t really be said of the petrol 2-litre T6, despite delivering 320bhp. It lacks the torque of the diesel and the engine note intrudes into the cabin in a way that doesn’t suit the car’s overall refinement.

A better buy for those looking for something other than diesel is the plug-in electric hybrid T8. It will not arrive until later in the year but it promises emissions of just 44g/km, a total output of 407bhp and a full electric range of close to 45km.

Smooth ride

The test cars were also fitted with Volvo’s optional air suspension system. While on the XC90 it works on both front and rear, here it’s only fitted to the rear due to space limitations in the S90s body format. It’s worth serious consideration by buyers, for it does a magnificent job of washing out the harshest bumps and potholes while keeping the car’s handling nimble and responsive.

The chassis overall was impressive on the sweeping bends we pitted it against and the car felt more agile and smaller than it should for its actual size. That’s the goal of chassis engineers and they’ve done an impressive job here. Whereas the XC90 has a tendency to lean and wallow a little in corners, and the body seems to sit on the chassis rather than act as an integral part of it, with the lower-set S90 and V90 this is not the case. The comfort of the suspension system was all the more impressive as the test cars were riding on 20-inch alloys, whereas entry models will be on more forgiving 17-inch or 18-inch wheels.

Not autonomous drive

Volvo’s ongoing commitment to deliver on a promise that no one will be seriously injured or killed in a Volvo by 2020 means the S90 features as standard the latest iteration of its so-called Pilot Assist. The system effectively adds steering assistance to the mix of adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and emergency braking. It’s largely operated by a big box of tricks attached to the windscreen behind the rearview mirror.

Operating up to speeds of 130km/h it will speed up and slow down depending on the surrounding traffic and the optimal speed set by the driver and will stay in lane, turning corners. Volvo, however, are at pains to underline this is not an autonomous or self-driving system. The driver needs to keep control f the wheel at all times.

In reality the system is as good as anything else out there from rivals, which means it’s not nearly as advanced as many people expect from reading about the futuristic research underway and watching YouTube videos of people reading emails or napping while their cars complete the commute.

Pilot Assists adjusts its position in rather jerky moves, it generally needs a white line on either side of the lane to gauge its position and it cuts out regularly, falling back on the driver to take over. This is signalled by a little steering wheel symbol on the dash changing colour from green to grey.

It’s meant to offer reassuring assistance but after several hours using the system I found it similar to the way my dad used to grab at the wheel when he let me steer the car in the drive when I was a child. It’s great to see the efforts underway and Volvo work to date is impressive, in keeping with its reputation for focussing on safety. Yet across the industry, what is out there at present seems like very early prototypes that arguably should remain in the hands of engineers for now.

Other safety innovations fitted as standard include run-off road protection that monitors the edge of the road and actively intervenes if a distracted or tired driver starts to veer off into the verge. Similarly the pre-safe braking system now recognises cyclists and large animals and applies the brakes automatically if the driver fails to intervene. Volvo staff reckon many people underestimate the number of crashes and lives lost where the car veers off the road or hits a deer.

What Volvo offers in the S90 is a flavour of the future in a package that has the looks to lure those tired with the standard template styling of the mainstay German models in this segment. Pricing is competitive as well, while the T8 seems a tempting proposition. We reserve overall judgement until we drive the entry-level D4 and on regular suspension, but as first impressions go the S90 - and in particular the V90 estate - should be added to the shortlist for consideration.

Lowdown: Volvo S90

Engines: 2-litre four-cylinder diesels with either 190bhp (D4) and 235bhp (D5). Later will come the T8 407bhp plug-in electric hybrid option with a full electric range of 43km after which the car runs as regular hybrid

Specification: Two grades on offer (Momentum and Inscription) A high level of equipment as standard on the Momentum Pilot Assist, leather seats, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, rain sensor wipers, rear park assist, and two-zone electronic climate control.

Prices: €48,400 for the D4 front-wheel drive Momentum; €58,400 for the D5 Power Pulse all-wheel-drive

Arriving: July registrations under order; V90 from September and T8 from November