2022 & 2023 & 2024 Volvo S90 - Exclusive Ashburn New Car Discounts

The Volvo 90-Series comes as the S90 sedan or as a very rare wagon called the V90 Cross Country. Stylish, fast, and luxurious, every model comes standard with all-wheel drive.

For 2022 the engine gets mild-hybrid technology. Using a 48-volt starter-generator to run some accessories and to provide supplemental power, the S90 can be more efficient. The new engine makes 295 horsepower, a drop of 21 hp, but there?s more torque and better gas mileage. The 8-speed automatic transmission is smooth and responsive.

The S90 is still available as the T8 Recharge plug-in hybrid that can get 21 miles of electric driving.

The S90?s very long wheelbase gives it superb rear leg room. The V90 wagon is a bit shorter than the sedan but still spacious. The cabins are a perfect model of Scandinavian simplicity and beauty, even in base models.

Volvo has always been synonymous with safety, and the S90 offers more than any direct rival, including Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and more. Every S90 has some form of autonomous driving.

The S90 B6 is EPA-rated at 23 mpg city, 31 highway, 26 combined. The V90 Cross Country gets 22/29/25 mpg. That?s a bit better than the previous engine, thanks to the mild-hybrid tweak. The T8 Recharge, available only as a sedan, is rated at 30 mpg combined with its 21-mile all-electric range.

The NHTSA hasn?t crash-tested the S90 yet, but the IIHS rates both the sedan and wagon as a Top Safety Pick+, despite its headlight rating of only ?Acceptable.?

Standard safety equipment includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control, plus the Pilot Assist system that allows limited hands-free driving. A surround-view camera system is optional. Outward vision is excellent.

Model Lineup

Made in China, the S90 starts at around $54,000. For $57,100 there?s the Inscription trim level, with more climate control modes, larger wheels, softer leather with cooled front seats, and a Harman/Kardon sound system. For that same price, the R-Design trim offers bolstered seats and sporty tweaks. The S90 T8 Recharge comes in Inscription or R-Design, starting at $62,000.

The V90 Cross Country comes only as a B6, for about $57,000. Options can bring everything the Inscription offers.

The options include packages with a surround-view camera system, heated rear seats and steering wheel, Bowers & Wilkins audio system, and massaging front seats, plus an air suspension. A fully loaded S90 costs about $72,000.

Volvo?s warranty is excellent, 4 years or 50,000 miles, with free scheduled maintenance for the first 3 years or 36,000 miles.

Exterior

Volvo lines present a timeless charm, and the attention to detail in the styling is second to none. The longer profile of the sedan makes it appear a bit awkward compared to the wagon, but that?s only another way of saying the wagon?s lines are classically perfect. Detail-wise, it?s dressed in rugged bits.

Interior

The cabin is gorgeous?classy and spare. The attention to detail is careful, the fit-and-finish tops. There are no more knobs than needed. The sense of order is inviting and appealing.

With excellent outward vision, it feels airy inside, especially with lighter colored leather and wood (there are many choices of hues) although the black headliner brings the already low roofline down.

The standard multi-adjustable front seats have superb support, with optional massaging. In the rear, there?s limo-like leg room, especially in the sedan with its slightly longer wheelbase. Volvo thinks so deeply into safety that they offer optional built-in outboard rear child-seat boosters.

The trunk in the sedan is of a decent size, while cargo space in the wagon is very good. With the second row folded, there?s 54 cubic feet, a number that rivals some SUVs.

Driving Impressions

The new B6 mild-hybrid engine may have less horsepower than the old T6, but it?s much smoother and has more torque, and these are the things drivers will notice. A cut from the T6?s 316 hp to the B6?s 295 can only really be felt during high-speed passing, or when you want to maintain 75 mph on a long steep climb. The B6 turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter inline-4 does fine.

It uses its electric assist for more than powering accessories, as most mild hybrids do; the system boosts acceleration from a stop, and makes the transition from supercharger to turbocharger seamless. It makes the S90 and V90 feel quicker and more responsive. Also, the stop/start operation at red lights is nearly undetectable.

The S90 sedan (but not the V90 wagon) also is available as the T8 Recharge. That brings much more horsepower, 400 hp, with an electric driving range of 21 miles. It?s very quick, but it?s luxurious power; since it doesn?t have a firmer suspension, it can?t be considered a sport sedan.

Both engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that?s smooth and responsive, as it transmits power to all four wheels.

The S90 and V90 ride well, whether on the standard suspension or available air suspension. The handling is good, although the car?s emphasis is comfort and control. The V90 has 8.3 inches of ground clearance, making the Cross Country excellent in snow and dirt trails, but it?s not an off-road SUV.

Final Word

The Volvo S90 just keeps evolving upward; its timeless appeal has moved into the electrified era, to great results. Of course, you can?t get a much classier and safer family vehicle than the V90 Cross Country wagon.

 

?By Sam Moses with driving impressions by The Car Connection