In a world of crossovers, SUVs and whatever the BMW X6 is, it's very seldom we see a conventional four-door saloon announced by a manufacturer. But here we are with Volvo's new S90, first details of which have been released ahead of a full debut in January.
S90 has come a long way since the 90s!
It appears a big luxury saloon in the conventional sense, and rather handsome from here too. The new Volvo design cues inspired by the XC90 are clear to see from the outside, distinctive and minimalist in the modern Volvo way. The official line from Volvo and its Senior Design Vice President Thomas Ingenlath is that "Our idea was to bring something entirely new to this rather conservative segment and deliver a visual expression that exudes leadership and confidence on the exterior." It's described as a car for the 'premium sedan club', likely to face the inevitable German rivals including the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class. With Volvo under Geely's ownership, you would think this car will be aimed squarely at the Chinese market and its well documented penchant for luxury saloons.
What else do we know already? Four engines have been confirmed, with a pair of 2.0-litre diesels (D4 and D5), plus the T6 four-cylinder petrol and T8 hybrid already seen in the XC90. Power ranges from 190hp in the D4 to 320hp in the T6 and T8. Both manual and automatic gearboxes are being offered.
Dont' fancy German conformity? There is another way!
Elsewhere it's much as you would expect from a modern Volvo, with safety and luxury very much at the forefront. Your S90 will be available with 'large animal detection' as part of its active safety equipment roster, there to detect elk, moose or - perhaps more relevantly in the UK - horses at any time of the day. In fact, that's just the start for the assist systems, with a 'Pilot Assist' semi-autonomous drive feature plus 'Run off-road' mitigation and protection.
But then with an interior like this, it might become all too easy to take your eyes off the road. Volvo says "we have taken the S90 to the next level" as far as the interior is concerned, and it's hard to disagree. It's dominated by that large central display, as in the XC90 again, then surrounded by lots of expensive looking wood and leather. A very nice place to cover a lot of motorway miles, whatever job that may be in...
Moreover, for those on the pursuit of driving fun, Volvo is promising a "big stride forwards" in terms of driving dynamics. That's according to Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President of Volvo's R&D. He says the car will deliver "a sense of precision, engaging control and comfort." Jolly good. We'll hope to put those claims to the test soon after that January debut!