Luxury Sedan Review: 2018 Volvo S90

 Reviews, Volvo  Comments Off on Luxury Sedan Review: 2018 Volvo S90
Dec 282018
 

Competing in the premium segment, Volvo offers what no other manufacturer can, Scandinavian design that combines luxury with function. Latino Traffic Report recently took the 2018 S90 T6 Inscription on a road trip from Austin to Burnet, Texas. The redesigned 2018 S90 full-size sedan showcased the manufacturer’s best assets—design, technology, and safety.

Curb appeal for Volvo’s flagship sedan begins with distinctive design cues, specifically, all new taillights and the t-shape in the headlamps referred to as “Thor’s Hammer.” The luxury sedan also comes with leather seating, a power sunroof, a thirteen-inch digital instrument panel, and chunky real wood accents. In this segment, roominess has its advantages, particularly in the back. Rear legroom in the S90 reaches 35.9 inches.

Innovative technology on the inside includes the tablet-shaped nine-inch touchscreen that interfaces with the Sensus infotainment and navigation systems. To select a function, the driver can slide a finger to the left, right, up, and down. A cleaning cloth to remove fingerprints is included.

Despite its size, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder super and turbocharged engine produces a whopping 316 horsepower and 295 lb.–ft. of torque; it doesn’t sound like a four-cylinder either. Also equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the S90 T6 Inscription test model had an EPA estimated fuel economy of 22 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. On the test-drive, it averaged 26.9 mpg.

Volvo has committed to zero fatalities or serious injuries occurring in one of its vehicles by 2020. To do this requires new benchmarks for safety technology. With the S90, Volvo focused on avoiding large animal collisions, a serious driving concern in the Texas Hill Country. Included on the S90, Volvo’s latest technology, the Large Animal Detection system, uses radar to spot animals and trigger automatic braking.

Standard semi-autonomous technology on the S90 includes Pilot Assist. Akin to adaptive cruise control, it allows the vehicle to accelerate, decelerate, and come to a complete stop to maintain a safe distance from the car in front at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour.

Pricing for the 2018 Volvo S90 starts at $47,945. The as-tested pricing for the S90 T6 Inscription came to $69,140.

Sí: Beautiful inside and out, the S90 leaves no doubt of its flagship status.

No: Despite its innovation and beauty there are a couple anomalies, like the telescopic steering wheel that requires manual rather than automatic function to adjust.

¡Hola Guapa! Volvo Reveals the All-New S90 Sedan

 Launches  Comments Off on ¡Hola Guapa! Volvo Reveals the All-New S90 Sedan
Nov 102016
 

2016-06-09-15-56-57

Car manufacturers take great pains to select a backdrop for new vehicle launches that help their products stand out. Volvo chose Spain’s Costa del Sol to launch its all-new 2017 Volvo S90 premium four-door coupé. Lucky me and Latino Traffic Report.

According to Anders Robertson, Volvo 90 Series product manager, 150,000 premium sedan leases will mature this year. Volvo hopes the well-timed launch of the S90, plus its styling, technology, and pricing, will encourage lessees to cross-shop and ultimately choose the S90.

Volvo begins by giving its flagship sedan curb appeal with distinctive design cues, specifically, all new tail lights and the T-shaped Thor’s Hammer headlamp design that first premiered on the 2016 XC90 sport utility vehicle.2016-06-09-16-16-26

Competing against brands like Audi, BMW, and Lexus, Volvo offers what no other manufacturer can, a Scandinavian interior that combines luxury with function. For starters, the tablet-shaped nine-inch touchscreen that interfaces with the Sensus infotainment and navigation systems, first introduced on the XC90, reappears on the S90. It’s more than just handsome to look at, it’s one of the easiest systems to operate as it functions similarly to a conventional tablet by sliding your finger to the left, right, up, and down. A cleaning cloth to remove fingerprints is included.

2016-06-09-16-14-51Standard leather seating combined with a power sunroof and unique air vents take the S90 interior up a notch. Instead of thin wood veneers that don’t appear convincingly real on some vehicles, the S90 T6 Inscription that we drove on the launch included chunky Walnut wood accents with a matte finish. I predict that this design cue will get copied, like so many of Volvo’s safety innovations.2016-06-09-16-15-04

In this segment, roominess has its advantages, particularly in the back. Rear legroom on the S90 comes to 35.9 inches.

Another XC90 feature that returns on the new S90 T6 is the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo and supercharged powertrain, for which Volvo has received numerous accolades. The power (316 horses and 295 lb.–ft. of torque) and responsive throttle belie the engine’s size, and it doesn’t sound like a four-cylinder either.

Matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the S90 T6 should earn an EPA estimated fuel economy of 22 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. On the test-drive en españa, I averaged 22.6 mpg. A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will power the T5 Momentum entry-level model.

2016-06-09-16-14-55No discussion of the S90 would be complete without considering safety. Volvo has committed to zero fatalities or serious injuries in one of its vehicles by 2020. To do this requires setting new benchmarks in safety technology. With the S90, Volvo has focused on avoiding large animal collisions. According to Jim Nichols, Volvo product and technology manager, 1.23 million deer strikes occurred last year in the United States. alone, resulting in 200 deaths. Volvo will include its latest technology, the Large Animal Detection system that uses radar to spot deer, moose, etc., and engage automatic braking.

All S90s come with an improved version of Pilot Assist that allows the vehicle to accelerate, decelerate, and come to a complete stop to maintain a safe distance from the car in front, up to speeds of 80 miles per hour (mph). This makes it the first car in the U.S. with standard semi-autonomous technology.

The S90 means to compete, con ganas, in 2016-06-09-15-57-34the premium sedan segment. Its design, technology, and value give it a definite advantage.

Pricing for the 2017 Volvo S90 T5 Momentum and T6 Inscription starts at $47,945 and $57,245, respectively. A wagon version, the V90, will be available in 2017.

Driving an S90 along Spain’s Costa del Sol wasn’t exactly on my bucket list, well, almost. Visiting Spain was, driving the S90 was just the delicious cereza on top!