Volvo V90 - T8 Twin Engine

Over the years, Volvo has become synonymous with safety and solid build quality. Paul Beard is suitably impressed with their V90 in T8 guise.

- Paul Beard

Not so long ago, people referred to Volvos as tanks and their estate cars as ‘wardrobes on wheels’. Nowadays the company is multi award winning, with all three Car of The Year Awards bagged in recent months. There is big talk about environmental criteria and a pledge that every model range will have an electric variant by the start of the next decade and the new V60 is the last model that will be released with a diesel engine.

In amongst all of the achievements and future goals though, here is a slice of what promises to be one of Volvo’s best estate cars ever. The car that you see in the accompanying photos is the largest and fastest load carryall available: the V90 R-Design Pro T8. The ‘Bursting Blue’ paintwork and silver accent details are, in my opinion, a fantastic combination that suit the car perfectly, whilst the body kit adds a nice touch of sportiness. The other main feature to note whilst admiring the outside of this V90 is the set of optional 20-inch diamond cut/matt black alloy wheels that again really suit this car and come shod with 245/40 Pirelli P Zeros. On top of this, the angled tailgate works well and those now ubiquitous ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights, that flank an almost retro looking upright grille, just enhance this most distinctive estate car. Darkened rear side and tailgate glass finishes the effect to a tee.