Volvo S90 (2016 – 2023) Review

Volvo’s big saloons don’t usually fare as well in sales as its large estate models, but the S90 has found a strong following. Many of these are company drivers looking for an alternative to the usual German fare from Audi, BMW and Mercedes, and it’s a feather in the Swede’s cap that it has the chops to satisfy this sort of demanding driver. Being a Volvo, there are some distinct elements and among these is the hybrid-only power for the S90, using a petrol-electric combination to deliver low emissions, high economy and reasonable running costs.

It replaces the S80 in Volvo's range, but the two are like chalk and cheese. This is one of a new breed of Volvo cars that follows on from the impressive XC90. True, the estate V90 version will probably make more sense for many as, after all, Volvo is well renowned for its estates. However, if you don't need the extra carrying room, the S90 will be right up your street as an alternative to the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class.

The S90 started life with just one 2.0-litre diesel engine is available. It may sound too small for a car this size but with twin turbochargers it offered more than enough performance. The entry-level D4 version has 190PS and we think it provides all the power you'll need, while running costs are reasonable. The D5 used the same engine with 235PS, but doesn't feel that much quicker in everyday driving. It does however come with all-wheel drive as standard.

Volvo also added petrol-powered T4 and T5 models to the S90 range, but the Swedish manufacturer has now dropped all of its single energy source models in favour of the T8 Plug-In Hybrid model it calls Recharge. It comes with a 303PS 2.0-litre turbo petrol motor and 87PS electric motor capable of taking the car up to 37 miles on battery power alone. It also has four-wheel drive, carbon dioxide emissions of 44g/km and a combined official consumption of 148.7mpg.

As well as these impressive figures, another thing that really stands out is the S90's comfort. It's wonderfully quiet on the move, the ride quality is excellent and the seats incredibly comfortable. We can think of no better car for covering long distances.

With a high quality interior, the Volvo has a genuine feeling of luxury thanks to lots of leather and different interior trims so you can create your own Scandinavian hideaway. The quality of the finish is top notch and features like the huge touchscreen that dominates the dash make this feel very different from the competition.

It drives well too and is a huge improvement on the S80. The onus is still on comfort, but the S90 corners impressively with responsive and well weighted steering. It isn't a small car though, which you notice in tight car parks or down narrow country lanes.

There is a huge range of safety kit fitted, as you’d expect from Volvo, including a semi-autonomous driving system. This matches the speed of the car ahead, stays in its lane and will even slow to a complete stop before accelerating back up to the selected speed, all without the driver’s help. It's clever stuff and does actually come in handy in real world driving which is exactly where this Volvo excels.

Around town, those 19-inch alloy wheels pick up on some of the sharper surface joints, but certainly no more or any worse than in a Jaguar XF or BMW 5 Series. Thanks to the S90’s good steering feel, it’s also stable on the motorway, decent fun on back roads and easy to slot into spaces in jam-packed city streets, helped by standard all-round parking sensors and reversing camera.

With all-wheel drive as standard on the T8 Plug-In Hybrid S90, it has sure-footed handling that means you don’t need to worry when the weather turns cold. It turns into bends with confidence and holds your chosen line without any fuss or drama.

There are two motors in the Volvo S90 and they just happen to come together as a package. The combination of the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine with 303PS and the 87PS electric motor make the S90 decidedly swift when you plant your right foot to the floor as the car will deliver 0-62mph in just 5.1 seconds.

More importantly, the way the two engines and eight-speed automatic gearbox blend with one and other is what makes the Volvo S90 so effortless. There is no perceptible point where you feel either engine coming into the mix, which makes for a very easy-going drive.

The Volvo S90 sailed through Euro NCAP crash tests with a full five-star rating. That starts with twin front, side and curtain airbags, augmented with a driver’s knee ’bag. Volvo also fits every S90 with Front Collision Warning and Full Auto Brake, lane keeping assistance system and Oncoming Lane Mitigation, traffic sign recognition, and driver fatigue alert.

There’s an Active Bonnet, all-round parking sensors and a reversing camera. The Driver Assist pack is an option for both trim levels of S90 and comes with Blind Spot with Steer Assist, Cross Traffic Alert with Autobrake, and Rear Collision Warning and Mitigation. The Lounge pack includes Park Assist Pilot.

There’s electric adjustment for both front seats, as well as lumbar support and heating that will keep you toasty in Artic conditions. The R-Design model has more heavily bolstered seats for a sportier look and feel.

Rear legroom is an S90 trump card. It's got plenty of rear space for heads and shoulders too even with the sloping rear roof line.

The boot is a good size and very deep but the 500-litre space isn't that easy to utilise as the opening is wide buy fairly shallow. Although it's no better or worse than any other saloon in this class, it still makes loading bigger suitcases or boxes a bit of a shuffling match.

The finish is excellent inside and out of the Volvo S90. It uses impressive materials including leather upholstery as standard, while the trim inserts in wood feel much more natural and authentic than the often overly glossy finishes in other executive saloons. It certainly feels like a well-made car with a genuine air of luxury. 

The minimalist Swedish design also helps the Volvo stand out from the competition and there's a range of different materials and trim finishes so you can make your Volvo feel very Scandinavian if you want. Of course, if you want a more subdued black, that's available too.

The 9-inch Sensus Connect touchscreen looks a lot like someone has stuck an iPad in there. It's a good system and we have found it slick and intuitive, although it can take some getting used to at first simply because there are so many functions and features operated through the screen.

It controls the ventilation, navigation, audio and phone connectivity, plus it means there are less buttons to clutter the interior. However, unlike some systems that have attempted to simplify only to then confuse with endless menus, the Volvo set-up is quick to respond and everything is ordered in a way that makes it easy to get what you want and need quickly.

For private buyers, there are personal contract purchase and contract hire deals, with the latter using a smaller initial deposit but higher monthly payments spread over three or four years. Business users also have a contract hire option.

There is also the opportunity to include regular servicing in a one-off payment that covers the first three or five years of ownership, and this is transferable when you sell the car on.

A four-year old diesel-powered S90 in Momentum trim and with 40,000 miles to its name will cost you from around £17,000 depending on what extras it’s had added when new.

Change that to a two-year old T4 model and you’ll need about £23,000 to bag a 20,000-mile Inscription version.

If you want a T8 Hybrid model, prices start at £32,000 for a two-year old with 20,000 miles on the clock, while a nearly new example with 5000 miles can be had for around £42,500 to save you about £12,500 on the new list price.

With a claimed combined fuel economy of between 104.6- and 148.7mpg under WLTP test conditions, the Volvo S90 is more efficient than its diesel-fuelled rivals. This efficiency relies on you making the most of the EV mode, which is easy enough to incorporate into your routine.

Both trims levels of the Volvo S90 sit in the same insurance group, so the Inscription and R-Design models both have their premiums calculated on a group 44 ranking.

That might seem a bit higher than the S90’s diesel-fuelled rivals and also its hybrid-powered competitors. However, it’s worth noting the S90 comes with considerably more power and performance than most of these, which accounts for the higher insurance rating.

Due to its low emissions that fall below 50g/km, the Volvo S90 T8 Plug-In Hybrid comes with free road tax in the first year as it’s classed as an Alternative Fuel Vehicle. That goes some way to compensating for the car’s high list price.

However, because the S90 costs more than £40,000 new, you will have to pay £465 in subsequent years for Vehicle Excise Duty. That’s arrived at by a second-year rate of £140 plus the £325 levy for cars priced over £40,000 when new.

The Volvo S90 range has been slimmed down to the Inscription and R-Design trims. Every model comes with adaptive LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, powered boot lid opening, all-round parking sensors, and a reversing camera and alloy wheels. Inside, you get the 9-inch Sensus Connect infotainment screen, 12.3-inch main instrument display, climate control, leather upholstery, and heated front seats with electric adjustment. As part of the infotainment package, you get Bluetooth, DAB digital radio, sat-nav, and a wifi hotspot.

The R-Design has sports front seats, a black headlining and, for the exterior, high gloss black finish on the grille, window surrounds and lower front bumper. The Inscription errs towards luxury with its ventilated front seats with massage function and position memory, and wooden dash inlays in place of the R-Design’s metal mesh inserts.