2019 Volvo V90 Road Test and Review

If you want to know the essence of the Volvo brand you need only look at the Volvo V90. The V90 station wagon — yes, it’s okay to call it a station wagon — represents all that you need to know about Volvo. The vehicle is utterly rational, incredibly safe, and a joy to drive. It doesn’t let style trump function. Instead, it is stylish because of its functionality.

There are hundreds of good reasons to buy a V90 and very few that argue against it. Yet, in the face of the avalanche of SUVs and crossovers, including Volvo’s own XC40, XC60, and XC90, the V90 station wagon doesn’t get its due. While it is true that auto enthusiast reviewers have a bizarre and inexplicable penchant for station wagons, the V90 transcends that fetish. It offers virtually everything that is good about the S90 sedan — which is a lot — plus added utility. What’s not to like?

To our very practiced eyes, the Volvo V90 is an extremely attractive vehicle. Without trying to instigate a family feud, we’d say it is more attractive than the S90 sedan, its closely related brother. The V90 sports a version of the familiar Volvo grille, and it has the strong “shoulders” that are another Volvo hallmark. At the rear are the signature oversize taillights that run all the way up to the roof. There are rumors Volvo V90 taillights have been spotted from astronauts in the International Space Station.

In total the V90 is completely recognizable as a Volvo in the current idiom, which means a vehicle that is both functional and beautiful. The all-wheel drive V90 Cross Country is an attempt to align the V90 in the crossover camp. We must also admit we like the cleaner lines of the V90 versus the more cluttered and cladded lines of the V90 Cross Country.

The Volvo V90’s interior draws on the Swedish emphasis on simplicity, natural materials, and functionality. It is one of the best vehicle interiors we’ve ever experienced — clean and ergonomic without the weightiness and baroque design of some of its German competitors. This simplicity marks the V90’s interior as utterly contemporary without silliness or self-consciousness.

The interior’s genuine wood accents accompanied by well-tailored and beautifully crafted leather trim deliver a feeling of calm, like a beautifully designed and furnished lake house. Volvo’s seats are among the best in the industry, and V90's don’t disappoint in either looks or comfort. Front- and rear-seat headroom and legroom are at or near the top of all European wagons. The 60-40 split-folding rear bench seat, which enables versatile cargo configurations, is covered in leather.

Volvo has led the charge in large touchscreen infotainment systems in recent years. The V90 and V90 Cross Country continue that trend. A vertically 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.

Yet in its effort to offer a clean, simple array of controls, Volvo might have gone too far in incorporating so many functions into the touchscreen. For instance, heating and air conditioning are controlled via the touchscreen, and that means you must access several “layers” in the Sensus interface before you reach what one would expect to be very fundamental controls. In lower-level V90 and V90 Cross Country trims, 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, 330-watt amplifier, and auxiliary audio input and USB inputs. 

The Volvo V90 offers two engine choices that are contained in powertrain packages. The base T5 includes a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder that delivers 250 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of peak torque. The up-level T6 features the same basic engine, but it is equipped with supercharging as well as turbocharging. It delivers 316 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of peak torque.

The T5 is front-wheel drive, and it uses an eight-speed automatic transmission. The T6 also utilizes an eight-speed automatic, but it is all-wheel drive. The V90 certainly benefits from the added horsepower and torque of the T6, but the T5 is perfectly tractable and a reasonable choice.

If you are looking for cutting-edge performance from your import wagon, you might be better served by purchasing one of the German brands. The rear-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz and BMW wagons provide somewhat better all-around performance and handling. The V90 is mildly handicapped by its front-drive architecture, and the result is understeer is more pronounced.

But many drivers will never explore the limits of the station wagon’s handling, nor do they have any desire to do so. For them, the Volvo’s good ride quality, its quiet interior, and its massive dose of safety equipment provide reasons to choose the Swedish station wagon. Handling is predictable, but occasionally the small-displacement engine can get caught out a bit. At the same time, for commuting, around-town driving, or long jaunts on the Interstate, the V90 and its comfortable seats are a great place to be.

Volvo absolutely “walks the walk” when it comes to safety. Not only is a robust list of active and passive safety equipment available on the V90, but the vast majority of it comes standard. Adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights, a blind-spot monitor, a forward collision warning with automatic braking, a lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist are all on the list of standards.

The V90 also features automated emergency braking in the rear, a rear cross-traffic monitor, and a rearview camera with dynamic gridlines. It has rear parking sensors, but it does not offer front parking sensors or an automated parking feature. Motivated by the brand’s safety orientation, Volvo engineers are working night and day on automated driving solutions, but Volvo is reluctant to describe any of its electronic driving aids as “autonomous driving” features.

With its light, airy, open interior, the V90 gives the impression of ample interior space. Happily, it isn’t just an illusion. In addition to ample headroom and legroom, front and rear, the V90 boasts 69 cubic feet of total cargo volume with the rear seat folded, including 2.7 cubic feet in underfloor storage. With that second row in place, it offers 32.2 cubic feet of space.

Maximum towing capacity is 2,000 pounds with the T5 powertrain and 3,500 with the T6. Fuel economy for the front-drive 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder V90 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 T5 version of the V90 Cross Country has ratings of 22 mpg city/31 mpg highway/25 mpg overall. For the T6 V90 Cross Country, the EPA numbers are 20 mpg city/30 mpg highway/24 mpg combined.

The V90 is offered in two trim levels: Inscription and R-Design. With a dynamic look and an enhanced focus on the driver, the R-Design is not only the sportier of the two but also the less expensive. But though the Inscription costs more, it could better be described as being different rather than superior. The R-Design features sporty touches like 19-inch five-spoke matte black “Diamond Cut” alloy wheels. Inside it has an R-Design leather-covered steering wheel, R-Design gearshift knob, and “sport” pedals.

The Inscription is more luxurious, with its own 19-inch alloy wheel design and linear walnut wood inlays in the interior. The T5 and T6 powertrains are available with either trim. To further complicate things, the V90 Cross Country has its own exterior treatment, and it offers additional ground clearance. Standard wheels on the Cross Country are 18-inch alloys.

The Volvo V90 and V90 Cross Country are not — repeat, not — straight-up substitutes for crossover suvs. If you want the high driving position and three-row seating of an SUV, look to the Volvo XC90, a fine crossover choice. If, on the other hand, you seek more utility than a sedan can give you, but you are not ready to give up sedan-style ride, handling, and design, then the V90 or V90 Cross Country could be for you.

The V90 R-Design T5 has an MSRP of $51,450. If you opt for the T6, it jumps to $57,450. The Inscription T5 has a base price of $53,450, and the Inscription T6 bumps that up to $59,450. The V90 Cross Country T5 starts at $52,550, and the T6 starts at $56,350. All trims are subject to a $995 destination charge.