Understated No More

Bold new styling, a resurrected badge and new power with future-proof tech make the Volvo S90 an elegant but substantial force to be reckoned with. Do the Germans have to worry?

- Jim Gorde

STYLE. LUXURY. BEAUTY. EVIDENTLY, the meaning of each of them differs from one person to another. Some things evolve, yet some are recreated altogether. Volvos are boxy and boring. Who said that? Once you’re done picking your jaw up from the floor and popping your eyes back into their sockets, allow me to elaborate. ‘Boxy’ is certainly not the first word, nor any of the next few words to come to anyone’s mind when they look at the all-new S90. It’s here and it commands a closer second look; lasering the eyes of prejudice.

What Volvo have done is not given the S80 a hot-stone massage with their SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) but rather breathe new life, new chassis, and a completely new character into their erstwhile understated executive sedan. The last S90 was a far cry from this one and, so far as the S80 is concerned, Neil Armstrong would consider this step much larger than his own.

You have to give it to the Swedes. Göteburg was certainly busy these past few years, with their 2020 vision not deviating, but branching. The XC90 laid the foundation, and a good one at that, and the S90, V90 and the V90 XC all get a sharp new face, glowing eyes and a steadfast demeanour. Unshaken. Unstirred. Applies to the lot of ‘em.

Bold new face it is indeed. Similar to the XC90, but only so much. Inspired by the P1800’s concave grille, the S90 sports a reminiscent chrome cage and a new iron mark to go with it. They have arrived indeed. Over half-a million cars sold last year — a record for them — and going strong, Volvo have got the formula right one more time. Do more with less and make it outstanding. Or seemingly so. There’s a lot going on under that luxury yacht-inspired exterior.