The midsize luxury sedan S90 has held the flagship sedan position for Volvo Cars for about 10 years since it was unveiled for the first time in the world at the Detroit auto show in 2016. After a facelift launched in Jul. last year, second-half sales jumped about 60% from the first half, driving Volvo's growth in Korea. I test-drove the S90 plug-in hybrid version (T8).
Looking at the S90's body size, length is 5,090 mm, and width and height are 1,890 mm and 1,445 mm, respectively. It is 141 mm longer, 10 mm wider, and 35 mm lower than the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, a rival in the same segment.
The exterior design overall felt calm and clean. The radiator grille differs from the previous model. The inward-concave chrome slats used to be arranged vertically, but the facelift model is designed with an asymmetrical diagonal pattern, neat like the ribbon ties of a hanbok.
The ends of the grille connect to the brand-signature headlamps, nicknamed "Thor's hammer," which are horizontal T-shaped units, making the body look wider and lower.
From the side, with the front wheels pulled close to the nose, it looks sleek despite being a large sedan. The roofline flows gently and smoothly to the end of the trunk, emphasizing coupe-like elegance rather than a traditional three-box sedan with distinctly separated front, middle, and rear. The rear taillamps changed from the previous C-shape to the same horizontal T-shape as the front.
The interior emphasizes comfort under Volvo's "Scandinavian living room" concept. Warm-textured wood décor is paired with 100% recycled polyester fabric in a gray-tinged brown. However, the tactile feel at the fingertips is a bit coarse and light, making it hard to call truly top-tier. The seats are Nappa leather, moderately firm yet soft.
At the center of the low, flat dashboard sits a center speaker from the British high-end brand Bowers & Wilkins. The high-resolution 11.2-inch display, with 21% higher pixel density, is easier on the eyes, but because it looks like a tablet PC stuck on, it may divide opinion. Between the driver and passenger seats is a crystal gear knob that slides fore and aft.
The second-row ride was especially satisfying. Thanks to a 3,060 mm wheelbase—wider than the E-Class (2,960 mm)—there is ample legroom even after securing plenty of space in the first row. The Ultra trim features a luxury armrest for passengers to rest their arms, making it usable as a "chauffeur-driven" car.
However, because the body height is low, when an adult 180 cm tall sits, the headroom is limited, giving a somewhat confined feel.
Pressing the accelerator brought speed on smoothly. The acceleration is not mushy and, compared with the E-Class, actually feels a touch firmer. The response is intuitive. Unlike other brand sedans that require modulating foot pressure, the S90 moves as much as you press and eases off as much as you lift—an honest style. However, the steering wheel feels somewhat light and tends to spin quickly.
The S90 is equipped with T map navigation, allowing guidance through the head-up display while driving. However, on long straight sections, the navigation info disappears and only speed is shown, which is a drawback.
Switching to Power mode for high-speed driving and flooring it, speed built even more smoothly with palpable strength. That's thanks to the combination of an engine producing up to 317 horsepower and an electric motor delivering up to 107 kW. It offers stronger acceleration than another peer, the BMW 530e (229 horsepower).
Torque, which dictates instant acceleration, is a maximum 40.8 kg·m from the engine and 31.5 kg·m from the electric motor. The time to reach 100 kph from a standstill is 4.8 seconds, faster than the BMW 530e (6.4 seconds). It was quiet enough at high speed that conversation or listening to music inside the cabin was not hindered at all.
True to a plug-in hybrid, fuel efficiency is economical. It carries an 18.8 kWh lithium-ion battery, enabling up to 65 km of driving on a single charge. For commuting in Seoul, pure electric is sufficient. Combined fuel economy is 11.5 km per liter (L). The gasoline engine returns 13 km per L, and the electric motor delivers 3.6 km per kW.
The S90 itself is a solid "safety cage." When opening and closing the doors, the panels feel much thicker and heftier than those of other brands.
However, trunk capacity is 436 L, which is somewhat small for a midsize luxury sedan. Two golf caddie bags and two Boston bags will fill it up.
The S90 is priced at 91.4 million won for the T8 including the special consumption tax.