Volvo S90 pricing announced

VOLVO will return to the local large luxury arena in October with the S90 sedan, followed in the first half of next year by the V90 wagon variant.

Priced from $79,900 plus on-road costs, the 541 (sedan) and 542 (wagon) series will be the second and third vehicles respectively based on Volvo’s SPA Scalable Product Architecture, after the latest XC90 released last year. Both will mirror the seven-seater SUV’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel mechanical specification.

That pricing is for the front-drive petrol-powered 197kW/350Nm S90 T5 Momentum; choosing the 140kW/400Nm D4 diesel variant adds $2500, while going for the better-equipped Inscription versions in the identical-capacity 173kW/480Nm D5 with all-wheel drive will set buyers back $96,900, or $98,900 if the 235kW/400Nm T6 AWD Inscription petrol is preferred.

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Volvo Cars Australia (VCA) will release V90 pricing closer to its second-quarter 2017 launch – but expect to pay up to $2000 more for the more practical body shape – while the 304kW/640Nm T8 Twin Engine petrol-electric flagship variants due around the same time in both models will up the ante by around $20,000. R-Design editions are also in the pipeline.

The expected 543-series V90 Cross Country offshoot will arrive in the second half of next year, further boosting the Swedes’ assault on the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Jaguar XF, Lexus GS, and Infiniti Q70 competition.

While some 60 percent of S90/V90 parts are shared with the XC90, the newcomers do usher in a few key fresh technologies that are also now being built into the SUV, including ‘Run-Off Road Mitigation’ that senses the edge of the road as well as painted lines to help keep the vehicle on track, ‘City Safety Large Animal Detection’ (namely for Nordic wildebeest), and a patented turbo enhancer on the D5 engine variants that uses a small compressor to force more air into the turbo’s turbine wheel.

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Standard gear on all models include adaptive cruise, lane keep, blind-spot monitoring, reverse camera, automatic parking, leather, four-zone climate, keyless start, electric front seats with memory, an electric boot lid, and LED headlights with bending tech.

The Inscription adds AWD, 19-inch alloys (up from the base 18s), Nappa leather, ambient lighting, and walnut inlays. Note that DAB+ digital radio, 360-degree camera view, a head-up display, and Apple CarPlay are all part of a $3000 Technology Package option.

Along with the XC90, Volvo reckons the S90/V90 are the safest vehicles in the world, boosting the Swedish brand’s chances of cracking the notoriously tough large luxury segment.

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“The measure for success is for us to be considered in that segment,” according to VCA PR director Greg Bosnich.

“Until now we’ve been renowned for the SUVs and wagons. This is the first foray into true prestige sedan segment for Volvo, with the S90 providing the platform.”

Volvo S90 pricing
S90 T5 Momentum: $79,900
S90 D4 Momentum: $82,400
S90 D5 Inscription AWD: $96,900
S90 T6 Inscription AWD: $98,900