I am always excited when I get to spend the week driving a Volvo. It’s no secret I am a fan. So the first week of January started right with my taking the 2017 Volvo S90 out for a week-long spin to ring in 2017.
It’s a midsize luxury sedan and it drives with eloquence behind the wheel. Of course you are going to turn heads with the elegant exterior too. All this and need I remind that Volvo safety features can’t be beat either.
For 2017, the S90 is all new and replacing the outgoing S80. Promising a sleeker design, this coupe touts new and improved LED headlights and a grille that gets noticed. The interior is the “Scandinavian Sanctuary” that this Swedish automaker likes to encourage and you will feel it in the entire package on the S90.
The competition for the 2017 Volvo S90 is the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Acura TLX, Cadillac XTS and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
The Volvo S90 has four doors and seats five passengers, is available with two trims and two engine choices. The trims include the Momentum and the Inscription.
The base Momentum offers 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED fog lights, sunroof, keyless entry and ignition, auto-dimming rearview mirror and camera, leather upholstery with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and power front seats, power-folding rear head restraints and illuminated door handle approach lighting. For technology there is a navigation system, nine-inch touch screen, 10 speakers and a USB with auxiliary input.
If you go for the Inscription you get 19-inch wheels, adaptive LED headlights, headlight washers, upgraded leather upholstery and heating and air conditioning in the front seats. Even classier there is a leather-wrapped dash and walnut trim with an instrument display and Apple CarPlay integration.
There are several additional packages you can add to the 2017 Volvo S90. The Momentum Plus package has several of the Inscription features, including the adaptive LED headlights and headlight washers and a cooled glove box.
Also on the Momentum you can add the Climate package with heated front and rear seats and a heated steering wheel, windshield and wiper fluid nozzles.
On both trims you can opt for a Vision package with a variety of safety features or the Convenience package has autonomous parking and a compass in the rearview mirror.
Individually you can add a wood-inlay steering wheel or a Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system.
Under the hood, the 2017 Volvo S90 has a turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine in either a T5 or T6.
The T5 has 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque and the T6 comes with a turbocharger and supercharger that cranks out 316 horsepower with 295 pound-feet of torque. The T5 is front-wheel drive and the T6 all-wheel drive. Both trims are eight-speed automatic.
You will continue to feel safe inside this Volvo because the standard safety features include everything from collision mitigation with automatic braking to pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection to road sign recognition and a drowsy driver alert.
There is the feature that can remotely start or unlock the car and let the authorities know if there has been a crash. The semi-autonomous steering stands out and the Pilot Assist means that the Volvo S90 can actually drive for you through traffic jams and in a variety of other situations as well.
Once inside the 2017 Volvo S90, you won’t want to get out. The seats are Scandinavian simple, but chic in that Swedish sort of way. Surrounded by leather, wood and chrome there is the easy to navigate touch screen that handles all the necessary functions from climate to sound to directions. Take note too that for 2017 the controls have been pared down to simple and easy with the exception of a few buttons for audio and the ignition.
The seats all around are as comfortable as any in this class and offer excellent support. In the back there is plenty of legroom and trunk space is 17.7 cubic inches.
Behind the wheel of the S90 of course the T6 has more power, but the T5 won’t disappoint either. You will never have to worry about getting on the highway because there is always plenty of power. You won’t have to worry about long drives either because combined with the Scandinavian Sanctuary, the easy sedan handling with a sporty edge and the overall control – well that is indeed the mark of a good driving experience.
Should You Need to Know: The Volvo S90 is the first car in the United States to offer semi-autonomous driving technology as standard.
Miles: On the 2017 Volvo S90 T6 AWD Inscription I drove it came in with 22 miles per gallon in the city and 31 miles per gallon on the highway.
Cost: The basic 2017 Volvo S90 T5 Momentum has a price tag of $52,600.
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