It’s been four years since Volvo first unveiled the V90 wagon, but damn if seeing one in my driveway doesn’t make me a little weak in the knees. Maybe it’s the Bursting Blue paint. Maybe it’s the R-Design styling tweaks. All I know is, whoever said not to judge a book by its cover clearly hadn’t laid eyes on the Volvo V90.
The R-Design is enhanced through a front fairing of another decrease and those 5-ray, 20-inch wheels, although even the popular V90 looks amazing. The low and wide position and long muuuy profile are fantastic, as are the short front overhang, LED lighting elements and the ratio of the axle board to benefitt. It is a design that is striking and modern, but will actually age well. It wouldn’t replace anything.
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This long roof shape also lends itself to utility. Fold the rear seats and the V90 provides 53.9 cubic feet of shipping area, which is roughly equivalent to a compact SUV. Certainly, although the passenger area is just as generous, this low total height means that the head area can be a challenge for larger passengers, especially in the rear. At least, the R-Design becomes popular with a panoramic sunroof, so the cab feels as open and ventilated as possible, which is especially welcome given my tester’s all-black cladding system.
Up front, the driver and passenger are treated to super-comfy, super-supportive chairs. Every single part of the V90’s interior is as nice to look at as it is to touch, with soft leather wrapping the dashboard and steering wheel and high-quality plastics on the door cards and center console. I could do without the abundance of piano black trim around the shifter and cup holders, as it gets very dusty very easily, but it’s a small complaint about an otherwise lovely cabin. Even the carbon fiber trim looks great.
Volvo Sensus software handles infotainment responsibilities on a vertically oriented 9-inch display. I have had a love/hate relationship with Sensus over the years and my delight remains random. Despite the addition of processing power, the V90 formula takes time to respond to startup commands, but once it starts, those disorders disappear. I like the fact that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not only standard, but can also be relegated to the decreased tile of the home screen so as not to help the entire interface.
However, what I don’t like is that some of the access points to access pages like the menu settings are a little small and easy to delete while driving. Swipe left or right shows other menus for other things, however, the learning curve is slightly steep, once you meet Sensus, it offers you a multitude of features.
A digital gauge cluster is standard and, while I appreciate the minimalist approach to what information is fed to the driver, the screen isn’t as feature-rich as what you’ll find in Audi , BMW or Mercedes-Benz products. That said, where Volvo really ups the ante compared to the German competition is its standard level of active driver-assistance tech. Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a driver alert monitor, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, road sign information and Volvo’s Pilot Assist tech, which adds steering assist for highway driving, are all standard on the V90.
Volvo offers its T5 and T6 engines here, which are located in almost every style of the company. The T5 is composed of a 2.0-liter turbo I4 that generates 250 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, while the T6, which is what I have here, adds a compressor to the mix, resulting in 316 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. Interestingly, the less rugged T5 delivers its torque thrust at just 1500 rpm, while the T6 needs additional 700 rpm to increase strength, and honestly, given the relatively comfortable habit of the V90, unless you need to brag, the T5 turns out to be the way to go
That’s not to say the T6 isn’t a great engine. It provides lots of power and, despite having a turbocharger and supercharger doing work under the hood, overall operation is buttery smooth. The eight-speed automatic transmission is imperceptible in its action and T6 models come standard with all-wheel drive for added foul-weather traction. If you stick with the T5, you’re locked into front-wheel drive, but that’s not necessarily a problem a good set of winter tires can’t solve. Besides, if it’s rugged, go-anywhere ability you’re after, might I suggest the V90 Cross Country ?
Even with the extra force and additional drive, the T6 configuration is not much less effective than the T5. The EPA says a V90 T5 with front-wheel drive rolls back 22 miles according to the city gallon, 33 mpg on the road and 26 mpg combined, while the T6 AWD reduces the numbers to 21, 31 and 25, respectively. After a week of combined handling, I recorded 24 mpg.
Along the way, the V90 doesn’t force you to drive hard. The guide has a smart weight, but it’s a little insensitive. The V90 doesn’t hate being thrown into a corner and the chassis does a smart task of mitigating rollover on winding roads. Unfortunately, the 20-inch tires and low-profile tires of this R-Design tester allow for fragile driving on Los Angeles roads.
Still, I actually like to drive the V90. It’s simple. There is superior visibility at the front and an individual driving mode allows you to adapt things like throttle, orientation and even brakes to your liking. Personally, I prefer to leave everything in Comfort, because that’s where the V90 really shines. The R-Design kit may sound sporty, however, the V90 is a type of easy-to-make cruise that travels many miles at once.
But here’s the thing: you actually need a V90 to have one. This car remains just an ordering issue, meaning dealers don’t have them in stock without problems, but concentrate their efforts on the highest V90 Cross Country. Initially at $53,090, adding $995 to the destination, the V90 T5 FWD represents a cut-off price of $3,090 compared to the cheaper Cross Country, which can only be received in the form of T6 AWD. And if you’re really in a Volvo car, there’s also the $40,645 V60, which is a little smaller but uses the same engines. Not the $46,095 V60 Cross Country. Oh, make decisions.
The Volvo V90 2020 is comfortable, functional and quite fun to drive, and there’s a lot to be said about the inherent exclusivity (read: cool factor) of a specially ordered car. Those who make the extra effort to find one will not be disappointed. Design only makes it a product.
This was originally published in Roadshow.
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