2019 Volvo S90 Road Test and Review

In an era in which luxury and mainstream buyers alike favor crossover utilities over traditional passenger cars, the vehicle that a car company refers to as its “flagship” tells a lot about how the brand sees itself. So we believe it is telling that Volvo, the proud Swedish brand known for its safety leadership, identifies its flagship as the four-door five-passenger S90 premium sedan.

The S90 is built on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which probably doesn’t mean much to the average buyer, but it is the platform that forms the basis for not only the S90, but also for the V90 and V60 station wagons, the XC90 and XC60 SUVs, and the S60 sedan. This means the bulk of the Volvo line has an uncommon family resemblance inside and out. It also means that, according to Volvo, the S90 is the brand’s ultimate expression of its values.

The 2019 Volvo S90 epitomizes how far the brand has come in terms of aesthetics since the 1970s and 1980s, back when most Volvos looked as if they were fashioned from sheets of plywood.

The current version of Volvo’s most luxurious sedan offers the confident “face” that is a hallmark of Volvo’s design language, along with the classic “broad-shouldered” styling that exaggerates the rear fenders. It also incorporates the “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlight design flanking a new grille, a tasteful version of the Volvo “Iron Mark,” and, at the rear, V-O-L-V-O spelled in chrome across the trunk lid. Happily, the grille, while substantial, doesn’t go to the extremes of some of its competitors (Audi and Lexus, for example). The overall impression is of an attractive, solid sedan with enough flash to be interesting but not so much to be over the top.

If one were to sum up the Scandinavian design ethic, the starting point would have to be an emphasis on simplicity, natural materials, and functionality. Sharing a great deal with the other vehicles that ride on this platform, the S90’s interior is one of the best we’ve ever experienced.

This cabin is clean, bright, sensibly laid out, and easy to use. While competitors Mercedes-Benz and BMW offer more elaborate and somewhat baroque interiors, the S90’s design is much more similar to that of current Audis. They are elegantly simple with high-quality materials used in a casual way. The interior’s real wood accents are accompanied by well-crafted leather trim, delivering an easy-going feeling of calm and tranquility. The S90’s seats are absolutely top-notch in both looks and comfort. Functionally, front and rear headroom and legroom are plentiful. 

Along with Tesla, Volvo has been a leader in delivering large touchscreen infotainment systems. And even though its luxury competitors have caught up with large-screen offerings of their own, the S90 delivers a good experience.

Volvo's portrait-oriented 9-inch touchscreen mounted in the center of the dashboard includes Sensus navigation, Bluetooth, in-vehicle Wi-Fi, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. Unlike some systems that allow Apple CarPlay to take over the entire screen, Volvo limits CarPlay’s territory so that you can access other touchscreen functions. Depending upon how you feel about touchscreen controls versus discrete buttons and knobs, you might think Volvo has relied too much on the screen. For instance, heating and air conditioning are controlled via the touchscreen, forcing you into the Sensus interface before you reach the controls. In lower-level S90s, the center touchscreen is supplemented by an 8-inch digital instrument cluster. High trims feature a 12.3-inch digital display. The audio system has 10 speakers, a 330-watt amplifier, and aux and USB inputs. 

The Volvo S90 offers three powertrain choices that are designated by Volvo’s familiar naming scheme. The base T5 front-wheel drive package includes a turbocharged 2.0-liter in-line four-cylinder engine that delivers 250 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of peak torque.

The mid-level T6 features the same basic engine, but it is equipped with supercharging as well as turbocharging to deliver 316 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of peak torque, along with all-wheel drive. At the top of the line is the T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain, a technical tour-de-force that combines the 2.0-liter supercharged and turbocharged engine with a 65-kW electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery pack, along with all-wheel drive. The T5 front-drive configuration is very pleasant, and the excitement and capabilities simply build from there.

The Volvo S90 offers a good combination of European handling prowess and interior comfort. If your primary goal is performance driving, other sedans in the category might be better choices. The rear-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz and BMW sedans provide somewhat better performance and handling. But as an all-around “daily driver” the S90 checks the right boxes.

When pushed hard, the S90 is mildly handicapped in front-wheel drive form, where understeer is more pronounced. But most drivers will never explore the limits of the sedan’s handling, nor do they seek to do so. The Volvo S90’s good ride quality, its quiet interior, and its massive doses of safety equipment provide excellent reasons to consider the car. Handling is predictable, but occasionally in T5 form, the small-displacement engine needs a second to catch its breath. For commuting, around-town driving, or lengthy road trips, the S90 is very satisfying.

Other brands would love to have Volvo’s reputation for safety. A lengthy list of active and passive safety equipment is available on the S90, and the vast majority of it is standard.

The vehicle's standard features include adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, a forward collision warning with automatic braking, a lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. The S90 also features automated emergency braking in the rear, a rear cross-traffic monitor, and a rearview camera with dynamic gridlines. (Interestingly, the car has rear parking sensors, but it does not offer front parking sensors or an automated parking feature.) Volvo has set the goal that no one will die in a Volvo in an auto accident, and Volvo engineers are working night and day to make that happen.

The Volvo S90 features a light, airy, open interior that has more than ample interior space. In addition to plenty of front and rear headroom and legroom, the S90 has folding rear seatbacks, a major advantage versus competitors in usability.

With the rear seat folded, the S90 offers an 82.6-inch-length cargo floor, while with the seat in place the cargo floor length is 45.2 inches. Liftover height is a convenient 26.5 inches. In its conventional trunk, the S90 boasts 15.4 cubic feet of total cargo volume, including 0.2 cubic feet in underfloor storage. Maximum towing capacity is 2,000 pounds with all three powertrains. 

Fuel economy for the front-drive 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder-powered S90 T5 is 23 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg combined. With all-wheel-drive, the 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged T6 is EPA-rated at 21 mpg city/31 mpg highway/25 mpg combined.

The T8 version with its very sophisticated plug-in hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain has ratings of 29 mpg in combined city and highway driving and a 71 mpge (miles per gallon equivalent) rating for city and highway driving. The ratings compare favorably to other luxury sedans in the segment.

The 2019 Volvo S90 sedan is offered in two trim levels: Inscription and Momentum. The Momentum trim is the lower of the two, but Momentum models are still well-equipped. The Inscription costs more and takes the sedan in a more luxurious direction without being ostentatious.

The T5 front-drive powertrain is only available in the Momentum trim, but you can also get T6 and even the T8 hybrid powertrain in the Momentum line. The more luxurious Inscription trim is available only with all-wheel drive and only with the T6 and T8 powertrains. Overall, Volvo offers exceptional choice with the S90 line, and for those who don’t want a sedan, there is the very similar V90 station wagon.

The Volvo S90 is a very competent five-passenger luxury sedan that offers an interesting alternative to the German Big 3 — Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi. It has a more practical and more casual air to it versus the Teutonic Trio, and for those who don’t want to be part of the well-heeled herd, the S90 offers a distinctive choice.

Perhaps oddly, the highest performance version of the S90 — the T8 — also delivers the best fuel economy. So you can go fast and feel good about yourself at the same time — very Scandinavian. The least expensive S90 Momentum T5 has an MSRP of $47,350 including a $995 destination charge. If you opt for the all-wheel-drive Momentum T6, it jumps to $54,350 including the destination charge. The top-of-the-line Inscription T8 has a base price of $68,750 including destination.