Volvo S90 (2016-2023) review

Just so you know, this is an older review of the 2016-2023 Volvo S90. If you are interested in information about a used Volvo S90, or news about the latest Volvo models, please follow the links provided.

The Volvo S90 is the company's best crack yet at taking on the dominant German brands in the premium executive saloon sector. The Swedish sophistication in the cabin makes it an appealing environment in which to undertake long journeys, although it's not as plush all round as a Mercedes E-Class.

The real strengths of the S90 are its cruising refinement and, as is often the case with Volvo, the amount of safety kit on board. It also gets a decent haul of regular equipment, making the big exec one of the better-kitted offerings in an area of the market that traditionally has long options lists.

The driving dynamics aren’t on a par with the class benchmark, though; the S90 isn’t quite as agile as the likes of the 5 Series, and it doesn’t soak up bumps as effectively as an E-Class. And if you don’t want a plug-in hybrid, you’ll have to look elsewhere - it’s now the only available S90 powertrain.

About the Volvo S90

Volvo has been making credible rivals to large German executive cars such as the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 Series for years, and the S90 is a scion of a notable family of Swedish automotive success stories. Its ancestors include the 740 and 760 from the 1980s, the 940 and 960 in the ‘90s, and the S80 from the ‘noughties, all of which enjoyed widespread admiration. The S90 arrived around the middle of the last decade to a similarly warm reception but is now beginning to show its years. Still, thanks to Volvo’s trademark cool and contemporary interior design, and its effective Sensus infotainment set-up, there’s a lot to like about the S90 yet.

As with its illustrious forebears, the Volvo S90 rivals the cars from the premium German brands on price, but offers a slightly different take on the executive car genre. In the S90’s case it’s a less dynamic and more comfort-focused experience, and the big Swedish saloon is certainly a relaxing way to travel.

The range is now limited to the comfort-biased Inscription and sporty R-Design trim levels, but both offer good levels of standard equipment.

Volvo previously offered the S90 with a variety of engines, comprising of the D4 and D5 diesel, T4 and T5 petrol and T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid versions. All delivered a good spread of power, and helped the S90 compete against its rivals, which include the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6, plus the Jaguar XF and Lexus ES, which offer something different from the German norm.

However, from mid-2020, Volvo decided to limit the choice of S90 powertrains to just the range-topping T8 plug-in hybrid, which means you'll have to find over £56,000 in order to own one.

The S90 T8 unit delivers 300bhp from its 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, while there's an 86bhp boost from the electric motor mounted on the rear axle. The system in total offers a claimed 0–62mph time of 5.1 seconds, and a maximum electric-only range of up to 37 miles.

Standard equipment for the S90 includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, leather upholstery, two-zone climate control, heated front seats, a 12.3-inch digital instrument binnacle and a nine-inch infotainment system.

The R-Design trim adds an aggressive exterior styling pack, sports seats and privacy glass, while Inscription-spec cars include chrome trim, deeper-pile carpets and a massage function for the front seats.

Volvo no longer offers sole petrol or diesel engines for the S90, instead choosing to go with the T8 petrol plug-in hybrid unit from mid-2020. As such, the range now falls into the manufacturer's Recharge branding for its electrified cars.

On the road, the S90 still feels too harsh over larger bumps - and this isn’t countered by sensational body control, because there’s still more going on mid-corner than you’ll find in a 5 Series. That’s not helped by quick, slightly over-assisted steering, which tends to throw the nose of the car into corners instead of guiding it there. It really falls somewhere between the agility of a genuine sports saloon and the wafting ride quality of a pure motorway cruiser. 

However, as you’d expect from a Volvo, the S90 gets a long list of safety equipment. Alongside passive aids, which aim to protect you in the event of an accident, there are several new Active systems, which try to prevent the crash in the first place.

Most novel among these is large animal detection, which can warn you when deer are approaching from the side of a dark road in front of you. But there’s also Volvo’s latest generation of Pilot Assist, which can look after acceleration, braking and keeping the car in its lane at speeds of up to 80mph. It’s a useful way of easing the strain of long journeys, although it’s best in stop-start situations like motorway congestion or urban dual carriageways.

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

The T8 plug-in hybrid combines a 2.0-litre petrol unit with an electric motor, delivering 385bhp. During our own test we managed the 0-60mph benchmark in just 5.0 seconds and, while you can definitely feel the electric motor’s instant response helping the S90 off the line, the four-wheel-drive traction also played its part here, too.

One downside is the T8 version is saddled with a heavy battery pack which impacts on the ride comfort and also blunts any notion of an entertaining drive - a feeling compounded by the lifeless steering and a driving position that isn’t as well-judged as its BMW 530e rival.

The S90 T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid is the economy champion on paper, although its company car costs will be more attractive thanks to a quoted emissions figure of 44-61g/km. Claimed WLTP economy of up to 148.7mpg is quoted, although how close you come to that figure will be entirely dependent on how often you plug the car in to charge up the battery. Fail to do so, and you can expect fuel economy from the petrol engine to come in at around 35-40mpg.

Although at its best cruising on long, straight motorway sections, the S90 T8 offers up to 37 miles of pure electric running, which means it's also cut out for making shorter journeys at very little cost. With the average UK commute being around 23 miles, the T8's plug-in hybrid powertrain could save you a chunk of money.

Further boosting fuel efficiency, the S90 features a stop/start system and adaptive cruise control, while there's an Eco drive mode which ensures the stop/start function is permanently activated and the power to climate control settings is reduced. There's also an 'eco-meter' display that indicates in real time how efficient your driving style is.

Insurance groups

The S90’s insurance groups are broad, with the D4, T4 and T5 engines starting in group 27 and the more potent D5 in Group 33. Go for the T8 Twin Engine jumps to Group 42, reflecting its higher performance as well as its more complex drive system, which is likely to be more costly to repair.

Even these group ratings look pretty appealing within the executive saloon class. The BMW 520d sits in group 34 in basic SE trim, and that rises to group 36 if you take the popular route of moving up to the M Sport edition. 

Depreciation

Volvo has reasonably modest sales targets for the S90, so oversupply is unlikely. We’d expect depreciation to be in the same ballpark as the car’s rivals from BMW and Audi; indeed, the predicted three-year, 36,000-mile retained value for the D4 Inscription we had in on test was a solid 48 per cent - or a good five per cent more than the comparable Mercedes E-Class. In fact no model drops below the 40 per cent mark in terms of depreciation, and even the T8 plug-in has figures of around 43 per cent.

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Volvo has a reputation for square, boxy styling - but the S90 uses the evolution of that design principle to stand out from the rest of the executive saloons on the market.

You’ll recognise lots of the S90’s cabin if you’ve already had a peek inside an XC90. The basic design is very similar, and so is the high-quality finish; the S90 is a fine example of refined Swedish design, with pleasing use of natural materials like wood on the centre console and dashboard.

At the front, the S90 gets the latest styling cues - as seen on the Volvo XC90 - with a convex grille and LED daytime running lights that include the ‘Thor’s hammer’ motif.

Standard features for all cars is generous and includes 19-inch alloys, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, dual zone climate control and heated seats. 

Volvo offers two trim levels for the S90 - R-Design and Inscription, with the former adding sports seats, gloss black exterior accents, rear privacy glass and lowered sports suspension. Inscription cars bring a softer suspension set-up, chrome exterior trim, Nappa leather upholstery and a host of luxury touches throughout the cabin, such as a massage function for the driver's seat and a crystal gearknob.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Volvo’s infotainment system is called Sensus. Regardless of which S90 you choose, its nine-inch, portrait-layout display dominates the dashboard. It plays a far more significant role in the car’s functions than just music and navigation, too; it controls many of the S90’s settings and everyday features like air-con and heating. 

A system with that many functions has to be slick to be effective, and fortunately, Volvo’s interface is one of the best in the business. The screen is split up into large tabs and it’s pretty easy to move around between the different areas.

When you are listening to music you’ll find the standard speaker system pretty decent - but Volvo has teamed up with hi-fi specialist Bowers & Wilkins to offer an upgraded system. It sounds terrific - even if it does cost around £3,000 to upgrade. A cheaper, and maybe more sensible option, would be to tick the £850 Harman Kardon - Tech option, which includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity along with an upgraded 13-speaker audio system. 

In raw terms, the S90 is a big enough car for four adults and their luggage - although they won’t all be able to bring a full-sized suitcase unless some of the hand luggage ends up between the two rear passengers.

That’s not out of kilter with the rest of the class, though, and the S90 acquits itself fairly well for cabin storage and passenger accommodation. Boot capacity is 500 litres - which is enough for most everyday uses, and capable of swallowing a couple of large suitcases and accompanying overnight bags. Some rivals, like the Mercedes E-Class, offer larger load bays, though.

Volvo has at least managed to pack in some useful storage space in the cabin. There’s a large glovebox and a big tray between the two front seats, plus bottle holders in each door than can each cope with a 1.5-litre container.

Dimensions and size

The S90 is in the ballpark as far as full-sized executive saloons go. It’s 4,963mm long, 2,019mm wide (1,895mm with the mirrors folded in) and 1,443mm high - so it’s longer, wider and lower than the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6.

The S90’s wheelbase is 2,941mm - which is basically the same as the Merc’s, nearly 30mm longer than the Audi’s, but almost three centimetres shorter than the BMW’s.

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Leg room, head room & passenger space

Four adults won’t complain about the accommodation in the S90’s cabin. There’s as much space in here as in an E-Class, basically, which is pretty generous; indeed, the Volvo’s back seats are particularly spacious, with a clever design of front seat back freeing up leg and knee room for rear passengers.

The cabin atmosphere is a slightly different matter, though; front passengers will feel it’s airy enough, but despite the amount of space around them, those in the rear may think it’s a bit hemmed in. That’s because the roofline is that little bit lower than in the car’s rivals - and even if you opt for the panoramic glass roof, it doesn’t extend as far as it might, so it doesn’t transform the cabin by bathing it in light.

Volvo offers two Isofix points in the outermost rear seats on the S90. They’re easy to access, too, with plastic tabs that are simple to remove or flip up; you won’t have to worry about your seat’s fixing points snagging the S90’s leather as you try to slide it into place.

Boot space

The S90’s boot is not the largest in the class, at 500 litres, but it’s still large enough for two large suitcases and accompanying hand luggage. There’s a bit of underfloor storage on offer too.

The rear seats fold down in a 40:20:40 split, and the process can be controlled by a button near the headrests, so it’s pretty easy to use. The seats don’t fold down completely flat, but it’s worth remembering that some rivals like the E-Class only offer the split folding seat as a cost option; it’s standard on the S90.

Trying to load heavy items into the S90’s boot isn’t going to be pretty; the aperture is a reasonable shape, but a world away from hatchback accessibility, and there’s a fairly hefty step that you have to hoick your clutter over.

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Volvo’s reputation for safety is pretty much the best in the entire car industry, and the sister car to the S90, the XC90 SUV, racked up a record score when it was crash-tested by legislative body Euro NCAP. The S90 earned a five-star Euro NCAP score in 2017, and although its percentage score was lower than the XC90's at 95%, you'd hardly call it poor.

The S90 has a number of features which try to prevent a crash from happening in the first place. The extensive list of standard safety kit includes Pilot Assist, which can keep the car in its lane and at a safe distance from the car in front at speeds of up to 80mph, and large animal detection, which was originally designed for elk and moose, but is also said to be effective at spotting deer emerging from the side of a dark road.

The S90 has yet to appear in the Driver Power survey - and isn't likely to thanks to its low sales numbers - but the Volvo XC60, which shares electronics and engines with the saloon, came a respectable 30th in the 2020 survey. Owners praised its safety kit, comfort and reliability, which are all traits that the S90 should carry over.

Warranty

Volvo's warranty cover lasts three years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes soonest. That's not quite a match for BMW's offering, though, which lasts for three years too but drops the mileage limit. At least Volvo offers extensions to its warranty; you can add a year and a further 20,000 miles.

Servicing

The S90’s servicing intervals are 12 months; the work required alternates between interim and major services. Volvo offers a monthly scheme that allows you to spread the bill on an interest-free basis.