Review and Test Drive: 2019 Volvo S90 T6 AWD Inscription
As I noticed with in the prior S90 review, the cabin is library quiet, even under heavy acceleration, and the perhaps unparalleled Bowers & Wilkins 19-speaker audio system lends new meaning to the term high-end car audio.
The S90’s infotainment system is built on a platform Volvo calls Sensus that has one of the most intuitive and easy-to-use user interfaces I’ve come across in a vehicle, although it was not as beloved here by others who drove the vehicle. Sensus supports a variety of functions and apps including Internet radio, navigation, music streaming, Apple CarPlay (as well as Android Auto), and Park Assist Pilot, a camera system that gives driver and passenger a true 360° view of what surrounds the car. No manual required. The system’s supersized display makes it an excellent interface for Apple CarPlay, we found, allowing car-related functions as well as the full CarPlay display to remain visible at all times.
BOTTOM LINE
As I noted in recent reviews of the make, if anything, Chinese automaker Geely’s ownership of Volvo has made the automaker more Swedish than it had been in the past few decades prior to the 2010 acquisition. Indeed, Volvo has seen a dramatic increase in sales as it launches model after model with cutting-edge design and a continued emphasis on innovative safety features. With its fidelity to safety and passenger comfort, the S90’s finesse may lack the flash some other automakers put forth but it remains a solid, comfortable, practical and truly good-looking car not to mention an excellent value.
THE DETAILS
2019 Volvo S90 T6 AWD Inscription | |
Base price/price-as-tested | $54,350/$71,440 |
Drivetrain | Front engine, front-wheel drive |
Engine | 2.0-liter turbocharged four |
Horsepower/Torque | 316 / 295 |
Transmission | 8-speed |
Curb weight (lbs) | 3,770 |
Wheelbase (inches) | 115.8 |
Length x width x height (inches) | 195.4 x 74 x 56.8 |
0-60 mph (seconds) (est.) | 6.5 |
Fuel economy (mpg) (city/hwy) | 31/21 |
(Photos: Accura Media Group)