When it comes to safety, Volvo is the one car maker that goes above and beyond the bare minimum requirements. To Volvo, the makings of a safe car is more than just scoring five stars in Euro NCAP. This is a manufacturer that drops brand new cars from the sky 30 metres high and also sends their engineers in person to accident sites to study the cause and effect of accidents, the results of which contribute to the design of future Volvo cars.

Elegance to the Forefront

Recent offerings in various premium segments have been geared heavily toward dynamics and sportiness. Sport packages replete with flared bumpers, massive rims, and firm suspensions have become the norm.

Amidst this race to outdo each other’s sporting credentials, the Volvo S90 stands out with a renewed focus on refinement and craftsmanship whilst sitting on top of sophisticated underpinnings and offering exhilarating performance.

Thanks to Intellisafe, the S90 is able to recognize a variety of obstacles and able to autonomously stop or steer its way around hazards.

The car that keeps you in line. Not only can the S90 keep you within your lane, it actually has Road Edge Detection to keep you from driving off the road.

The S90 watches your back. If an impending rear collision is detected, the brake lights immediately flash to warn the approaching driver. Bracing for impact, the seat belts tighten and brakes activate to minimize further impact.

“They are different from every other car maker out there. They set out to create their own solution to the infotainment system, and I think they’ve done a very good job.”

- Bobby

Auto braking may have become commonplace, but Volvo has further developed its system to recognize pedestrians, cyclists, even large animals. Oncoming cars too!

“I’m not so stressed. I’m not as worried, because I know someone is keeping an eye on things for me, while I just put my hands on the steering wheel, just in case something happens. I get to enjoy my driving more.”

- Bobby

The S90 facelift arrived in Malaysia this year, and gave Volvo's flagship sedan some timely updates in strengthening its credentials against highly-competitive rivals.

In conjunction with the facelift, the line-up is accordingly streamlined. The T5 continues its role as a respectable entry model in Momentum trim, whilst the T8 plug-in hybrid drops the lower of its two previously-available trims. The new T8 Recharge is, therefore, equivalent in standing to the former T8 Inscription Plus model.

The S90’s design personifies stately elegance.

Safety as the Basis of Luxury

“Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain, safety.”

- Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, founders of Volvo, 1927

Whilst there is no doubt that active and advanced safety in automobiles have improved tremendously across all brands, Volvo continues to pave the way with features that cater for scenarios other car makers did not even think of.

SOLID FUNDAMENTALS

Following the XC90, the S90 was Volvo’s first sedan model to utilize the company’s new generation Scalable Product Architecture, or better known as the SPA platform.

The platform was designed with a future of electrification in mind, and it thus seamlessly accommodates the S90 T8’s highly-sophisticated plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

DYNAMICS

balanced weight distribution, lower CG

Front double wishbone suspension for best balance of ride comfort and sharp handling.

"This is the car you would want to take 90% of the time. When you're not going to Ulu Yam in your Boxster. When you don't need all seven seats of your Alphard. When you want to go out quickly and get things done at different places, this is the car that gets you to all these places and back without fuss."

- Kon

ELECTRIC PERFORMANCE

The S90 T8 features the sophisticated Twin Engine plug-in hybrid system that gives the range-topping variant an unrivalled package of performance and efficiency. Designed for seamless integration with the S90’s SPA platform, the Twin Engine PHEV system is developed fully in-house by Volvo, ensuring more reliable integration between the system’s various parts.

2.0-litre turbo + supercharged petrol engine, 320hp, 400Nm

407hp, 604Nm net system output, Electronic AWD

Electric motor, 80hp, 240Nm

0 – 100km/h

4.8 seconds

FUEL CONSUMPTION

2.0 litres/100km

CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSION46g/km

0-100km/h

BMW i8

RM1.38 mil

Mercedes-AMG CLS 53

RM845K

4.5 seconds

Lexus LC 500

RM1.2 mil

4.7 seconds

Volvo S90 T8

RM358k

4.8 seconds

Porsche Panamera

RM859K

5.5 seconds

OUTPUTS

Lexus LC 500

Mercedes-AMG CLS 53

435hp

Volvo S90 T8

407hp

BMW i8

374hp

Porsche Panamera

330hp

470hp

OUR VERDICT

"The batteries are larger. The range is better. The car is quieter, and the design outlook has been refreshed. Specs, it has always been full spec, so there's nothing to add here. It has been full spec since day one."

- Bobby

"A lot of car manufacturers, when they make materials for the front, they are either overly chrome or overly matte. Volvo does a good finishing in terms of finding a right balance for the car."  

- Thana

“It’s smooth. It’s pleasant. It’s intuitive, and it makes sure you as a driver can focus drive safely. Doesn’t mean it’s slow, because it’s not a slow car at all!”

- Chu Yang

4.4 seconds

PACKAGING

minimal intrusion into passenger or boot space

SAFETY

best protection from crash damage

UNIQUE

configuration used by no other car maker

S90 T5 MOMENTUM

Integral link rear suspension with composite transverse leaf spring. Transverse leaf spring is a lighter, more space-efficient replacement of the coil spring that also conveniently doubles up as the anti-roll bar.

Centre-mounted li-ion battery

S90 T8 RECHARGE

Corner Air Suspension makes for an even more comfortable ride over rough roads and a suspension that will adapt better to a greater variety of conditions.

Dynamics Is Under the Skin

Beneath its formal suit, the S90 packs formidable muscle, offering the choice of either proven internal combustion power or the cutting-edge sophistication of plug-in hybrid technology.

Despite its positioning as the entry model, the S90 T5 Momentum’s performance ranks favourably against its competitors. Its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine produces a class-competitive 254hp and 350Nm, enough to propel the S90 T5 from 0 to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds.

T5 2.0-litre petrol

PRICE

Volvo S90 T5 – 2.0-litre turbo

BMW 530e – 2.0-litre turbo PHEV

RM340K

Mercedes-Benz E 200 – 2.0-litre Turbo

RM330K

RM328K

OUTPUTS

Volvo S90 T5 – 2.0-litre turbo

BMW 530e – 2.0-litre turbo PHEV

Mercedes-Benz E 200 – 2.0-litre Turbo

350Nm

420Nm

320Nm

0 - 100km/h

Volvo S90 T5 – 2.0-litre turbo

BMW 530e – 2.0-litre turbo PHEV

6.2 seconds

Mercedes-Benz E 200 – 2.0-litre Turbo

7.5 seconds

6.8 seconds

Fuel Consumption (Combined Cycle)

Volvo S90 T5 – 2.0-litre turbo

BMW 530e – 2.0-litre turbo PHEV

2.0l/100km

Mercedes-Benz E 200 – 2.0-litre Turbo

7.0l/100km

7.0l/100km

CO2

Volvo S90 T5 – 2.0-litre turbo

BMW 530e – 2.0-litre turbo PHEV

46g/km

Mercedes-Benz E 200 – 2.0-litre Turbo

164g/km

159g/km

252hp

197hp

254hp

Interior of the S90’s cabin embodies the philosophy of Scandinavian design, expressing luxury through classy minimalism.

S90 T5 Momentum

2.0-litre turbo, 254hp, RM328,888

S90 T8 Recharge

2.0-litre turbo+supercharged PHEV, 407hp, RM358,888