Form. Function. Fusion.

Testing times lie ahead for the all-new Volvo S90. It’s a fusion of great things and isn’t a glorified Mondeo any more. This is SPA! It’s Volvo’s cutting-edge saloon on a new platform from a seemingly dierent galaxy and it sure looks the part. Time to put it to its first test.

- Jim Gorde

FOUR-CYLINDER ENGINES. Downsizing. Turbocharging. Direct injection. Run-of-the-mill stuff today. It’s what automakers need to do to get by in a market vastly governed by purchase decisions of masses that do not delve into things such as injection or boost pressure and tolerances of the cylinders. They go by different numbers and manufacturers must cater to this audience: a significant piece of the pie. “If I can have 205 PS at 4,000 rpm together with a 10-inch touchscreen, why choose a car that has 181 PS at 4,250 rpm and only an eight-inch screen?”

Sometimes the building blocks of logic are hard to come by. Even lesser chance there is of finding the sense that keeps them held together. Clearly, it’s difficult times we live in.

Now you know why we have crossover-sedan-four door-notchback coupés. The lines have been blurred and manufacturers are being reduced to creating cars that don’t know what they are for people who don’t know what they want.

Rest assured that the Volvo S90 is none of those deplorable things. What it is, in fact, is an authoritative step forward for reality wearing size 245 boots of common-sense. It’s a stylish luxury saloon that packs all the latest comfort and convenience features, not to mention safety. It does not try to be anything else. Yes, it has its target audience clearly marked out and it sets out to make a difference.

Thankfully, like some examples out there who have downsized far more than they should have, this one still has a nicely-balanced four-cylinder engine that feels more refined than ever and makes its case stronger the more time you spend with it. We’d only just driven the car in dusty and crater-ridden Jodhpur and now we had the chance to test it at home in Pune.