Almost ten months ago we tested this big Swedish sedan – now we took it for another spin
Looks
OK, who’s in charge of the headings here? Nothing has changed, it’s basically the same car! Maybe a different colour but we tested two near-identical S90’s. Click here to read my initial impressions of the Volvo S90 D5 AWD.
Size
Seriously? Right, should you need a spot of reminding, this S90 is a pretty large sedan which (size-wise) slots in between a 7-and 5-Series or S- and E-Class. The huge boot can take up to 500L of luggage and four adults will have more than enough room in any of the comfy seats. Five smaller ones will be fine, too.
Power
Volvo’s 90-Series is powered by one of two engines – both two liters in either turbo-petrol or turbo-diesel guise. Your choice of model determines how far they’ve turned the wick up and D5 means diesel grunt of up to 173kW or 480Nm, also thanks to “Powerpulse” which uses compressed air to eliminate turbo lag.
This makes the S90 a joy to drive and beggars belief how light-footed and agile this 5m sedan feels. Its smooth eight-speed automatic gearbox and intelligent all-wheel drive surely contribute towards this and, just like in my maiden S90 test, I found its air suspension to be slightly bouncy at times but always, ALWAYS comfortable.
The first D5 had 20-inch wheels while those on the more recent test car were 19’s. This made tiny differences in ride quality (especially at low speeds) but also in performance testing. The best 0-100km/h times were 7.49 and 7.39 seconds respectively with 400m taking 15.26 and 15.35 seconds.
Safety and Technology
Our single full-bore emergency brake tests with both cars were almost identical: 2.73 seconds and 36.77m for the 2017 car while its newer twin managed 2.78 seconds and 36.24m. Each new Volvo (not just the S90) carries a highly-impressive set of safety and convenience features which are best explained by your nearest dealer.
What I can tell you is that you can choose from various models (three trim lines for the D5 AWD), a few tempting gadget packs and many wondrous optional extras at extremely competitive prices. Highlights include intelligent LED headlights, mind-blowing sound systems and autonomous driving features.
Price
Prices range from about 810,000 to 855,000 bucks. Please check local pricing and availability with the very friendly folks at the new Volvo dealership in Windhoek’s Prosperita!
Each Volvo S90 is sold with a 5-year/100,000km warranty and maintenance plan. Service intervals are every year or 20,000km.
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