The S90 was first unveiled at the North American Auto Show in January 2016 and won the 2015 Production Car Design of the Year. The S90 is not the second generation of the S80, but replaces the original 80 with the 90 sequence and becomes Volvo's new flagship sedan.
The S90 also uses Volvo's new SPA platform, which shares many components with the XC90, and is also very unified in the use of design elements, such as the headlights of Thor's hammer, the taillights of the Viking Axe, and the waterfall water tank guard. In addition to the standard S90, there is also a long-axle version of the S90L, and the station wagon version of the S90 is called the V90, and when the V90 is raised, it becomes the V90 CC with some off-road ability.
In terms of powertrain, there are currently only T4 and T5 versions in China, both of which are 2.0T engines equipped with ZF's 8-speed automatic manual transmission, T4 is the entry-level for China, 190 horsepower, T5 is 254 horsepower, and a three-seater version of the long wheelbase T8 will be launched in July 2018, which is a 2.0T plus plug-in hybrid model, 314 horsepower plus an electric motor equal to about 86 horsepower, with a comprehensive power of 400 horsepower. There is no dual-supercharged T6 version, no four-wheel drive version, and no diesel version in China.
As Volvo's flagship sedan, the S90 was supposed to be on par with the BBA in every way, but in reality, compared to its various rivals in the same class, the S90 was not particularly outstanding. In terms of power, the 316 hp T6 version has a 0-96 km/h time of only 7.2 seconds, not to mention the T4 and T5 versions with less horsepower. Handling isn't the selling point of the S90 either, but overall it should be a good review, although the pointing is not very clear in cornering, but the tolerance is very high, and the roll of the body is also within the controllable range.
Maybe the orientation of the S90 is more business than sporty, but the suspension tuning of the domestic version for Chinese road conditions is not comfortable, it will appear too hard in the front section, it will look too bumpy on uneven roads, and when passing some ditches and potholes, the middle section will appear too soft, and there are a lot of redundant movements, there is a feeling of riding a boat, and it is easy to get motion sickness. This anti-roll is better, but the soft suspension adjustment in the middle section will greatly affect the confidence in cornering if there is some undulation in the corner.
S90's Sensus central control multimedia is a vertical layout touch screen, which is already familiar on Volvo models, with many functions and reasonable logic, and the position of common functions can also be adjusted, but the touch screen is easy to distract during driving, which is not as convenient as BMW iDrive.
The interior of the S90 also continues Volvo's Scandinavian style, simple and stylish, completely different from the German, Japanese and American taste, and the workmanship is also in line with the level of luxury brands in all aspects, with a lot of leather wrapping and wood grain trim. The front seats of the S90 are wide enough and supportive, and there are many places to adjust, while the cushions of the rear seats are stiff and short, and the backrest angle is relatively straight, which is not comfortable enough for long rides.
Volvo's products have not been particularly good in terms of reliability, and the reliability expectations of the S90 in the American "Consumer Reports" are only 2 points (out of 5), but in terms of safety, the IIHS has given it a positive review, rating it as the 2017 Top Safety Pick, and the E-NCAP has also given it a five-star rating.