FRANSCHHOEK, Western Cape – The mid-size luxury sedan segment isn’t exactly booming right now, is it?
According to our maths, the best-sellers in this class struggle to hit even 50 units a month locally, with the latest Mercedes-Benz E-Class (643) and outgoing BMW 5 Series (478) leading the way in terms of overall sales in 2016. The Audi A6, meanwhile, slots in at number three with 242 units registered last year.
But it’s an even bleaker picture if you happen to be a luxury sedan without a German badge plastered to your snout. The Jaguar XF, for instance, could put just 154 units on the board in 2016, while the Lexus GS limped to a disappointing total of 26.
So, where does that leave the new Volvo S90 sedan, which has just wafted coolly into South Africa in a bid to put the Swedish automaker squarely back in the mid-size luxury sedan game?
Well, there’s no doubt that the resurgent brand’s flagship executive saloon is facing an exceedingly tough battle, particularly with the seventh-generation 5 Series about to hit the market. But, thankfully, the S90 has plenty going for it, including the fact that it shares much with the generally well-received XC90.
Indeed, the S90 employs the very same Scalable Product Architecture underpinnings as its SUV sibling and borrows much from its refreshingly uncluttered and well-insulated cabin as well. The so-called “Drive-E” 2,0-litre, four-cylinder engine range (and accompanying single-clutch, eight-speed planetary automatic transmission), too, is largely mirrored.
All-wheel drive … for now
At launch, just two – the D5 and T6 models, both in all-wheel-drive flavour – of the planned 12 derivatives are available, with the less-powerful (and cheaper) front-wheel drive models to follow later in 2017, along with various “performance-inspired” R-Design spin-offs. The range-topping T8 petrol-electric hybrid variant, meanwhile, is expected to complete the line-up at an as-yet-unspecified date.
While the 173 kW/480 N.m D5 (which we sampled on the international launch) is arguably the pick of the pair, diesel-phobes will be more than content with the petrol-powered T6, which combines turbocharging and supercharging to provide all four wheels with appreciable peak outputs of 235 kW and 400 Nm, the latter between 2 200 and 5 400 r/min.
Toggle the somewhat fussy, roller-type drive mode selector to “Dynamic” and Volvo reckons the T6 is capable of registering a sub-6,0-second blast to three figures. Thing is, attempting such a feat results in rather a thrashy soundtrack, and one that is unmistakably four-cylinder in character. And that feels somewhat at odds with what is otherwise an utterly refined, unquestionably luxurious package.
Relaxed and refined
Still, the S90 isn’t the sort of sedan you’d feel compelled to hustle along. While it certainly comes across as suitably composed and gratifyingly grippy when pushing on – thanks largely to that BorgWarner all-wheel-drive system – it’s not nearly as sharp to drive as the new 5 Series, based on our first impressions of the two sedans, anyway. Nor is it quite as plush as the E-Class, although it isn’t miles off.
Indeed, the S90 places more emphasis on comfort than outright agility (particularly with the R17 500 air suspension box ticked), and serves up a cosseting ride, even if the optional 20-inch alloys on the example we drove detracted ever so slightly from the low-speed ride quality.
So, what does the S90 have over its rivals? Well, it’s longer, wider and lower than every one of its direct competitors, offering impressive rear leg-room as well as folding rear seats as standard (the latter a feature that often finds its way onto German options lists). The upmarket facia, meanwhile, is pleasingly button-light, with a nine-inch, portrait-oriented, tablet-like screen taking centre stage and running an interface Volvo calls “Sensus” – surely one of the most intuitive systems out there.
Semi-autonomy standard
And, admirably, the latest version of the Geely-owned, Gothenburg-based brand’s Pilot Assist semi-autonomous driving system is standard across the range, along with (predictably) more safety initialisms than one might ever be able to memorise. It’s a theme that continues when one looks at the rest of the standard specification list, which on this model includes the likes of adaptive cruise control, full navigation, “active bending” LED headlamps (with an auto high-beam function) and a crystal-clear 12,3-inch digital instrument cluster.
That said, a multitude of options is also on offer, the inclusion of a handful of which nudged the cost of our test vehicle past the R1-million mark. Still, Volvo Car SA’s pricing strategy is shrewdly competitive, particularly when one considers the level of standard kit included.
Worth a look?
So, back to the original question: where does the new S90 fit into this segment? Well, tempting brand-conscious South Africans away from the now-default Germans will be a nigh-impossible task, and Volvo knows that. But thanks to inspiring levels of comfort, space, refinement and value, this swish Swedish sedan is at the very least poised to give the traditional “alternatives” a rather nasty headache, elbowing its way towards the top of many a shortlist.
Indeed, come the end of 2017, it’ll be interesting to see exactly what sort of market share this well-rounded saloon has managed to snare…
