Volvo S90, Track Test

The Volvo S90 is regal, yet contemporary. Made of Asgardian metal, or so we would like to believe, this Scandinavian sedan has managed to gate-crash the dominance of the German holy trinity. It does this by not just being extremely capable and luxurious, but also unique. 

If the queen in the fairy tale Snow White happens to call out, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” there’s a pretty good chance that the magic mirror would call out this Volvo’s name. Honestly, that’s how majestic the S90 is with its stunning Thor’s hammer LED daytime running lamps, along with its bold horizontal front grille – all of which combines to give it an air of leadership and confidence. 

If the exterior makes a statement, then the cabin makes the rest of the cars in this segment seem a bit drab. Calling it impressive is a serious understatement. Like its SUV sibling, the XC90, the S90’s cabin is in another league when it comes to the little details. A glimpse into the cockpit reveals three visually distinct layers – a black leather-clad top section, followed by a mix of light brown walnut trim, as well as some aluminium trim that form the Bowers and Wilkins speaker grilles. Everything else in the cabin is off-white – most of which is finished in supple leather. It retains the 9-inch iPad-like all-touch infotainment system, and the digital instrument cluster from the XC90. The seats are beautifully crafted, and are slimmer than the ones in the XC90 to provide better legroom for the rear passengers. The quality is so exquisite that we collectively gave it 4.5 points out of 5. 

The 2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine might not be a scorcher, but when it comes to refinement, it’s totally silent in the cabin and the motor is buttery smooth. Plus, the 187bhp motor is totally devoid of any sort of turbo lag. So, if it’s a unique luxury car experience that you’re after – and a very special one at that – the S90 could well be the car for you. 
 

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