Test drive Volvo V90 D5 AWD Inscription, Dad, let's go on a trip!

The renewed 90 Series from Volvo has become a true bulwark for the Swedish manufacturer, thanks to its many qualities.

Now the V90, the family version of the S90, passes through our garage, powered by a D5 engine and finished with the best possible trim, the Inscription finish.

Exterior design

The new V90 cannot hide its roots. It is easily recognisable at first glance as a true Volvo. Its aesthetic qualities are evident, and the evolution of its design over the previous V70 is more than a fact, with an even more pronounced personality.

There is no denying that the V90 is a big, voluminous car. Close to 5 metres long, its 4.94 metres place it around the segment average, as do its height of 1.47 metres and its width of 1.88 metres. Its proportions, however, are well disguised by an impression of absolute robustness.

The front could be considered the most “conventional” part of the Swedish brand’s latest creations. The powerful nose, with a nearly vertical grille that carries a generously sized central logo, fits perfectly with light units similar to those of the XC90, in which “Thor’s hammer” continues to be responsible for the LED daytime lighting.

The lower part of the front is finished with two chrome moustache-shaped mouldings, which enhance the sense of width of the whole when viewed from the front. A well-resolved glasshouse combines perfectly with the clean lines of the whole, in which we find only one tension line running along the flank and two well-defined ridges on the bonnet.

At the rear, the design is defined by the typical lights placed vertically at the sides of the rear window. This time they have evolved, with two small extensions already on the tailgate. Finally, two real exhaust outlets with square shapes, flush with the bottom of the bumper, complete the final image.

The V90 offers a very premium exterior look thanks to the various chrome details running along the bodywork, which we can find, for example, on the window frames, door handles or sill trims. The roof bars, in satin silver finish, add a family and adventurous touch. Of course, the huge 20-inch wheels stand out, filling the wheel arches perfectly, although they are, naturally, part of the options catalogue.

Interior design

The interior of the V90 is, like that of the brand’s latest launches, an ode to simplicity and cleanliness. The cabin has been designed in a very similar way to that of the XC90, and is also identical to that of its saloon sibling, the S90.

The dashboard, with clean lines, is designed around a central screen in a vertical rather than the more traditional horizontal position. Made from high-quality materials, the interior is tastefully decorated with natural wood trim, leather upholstery and metallic details. All the plastics are padded, and the fittings are precise to the millimetre.

Simplicity is perceived in every detail. Minimalism has been taken to the extreme, eliminating as many buttons and switches as possible. So much so that there are just 8 buttons inside the V90, with most controls centralised on the central screen. This has numerous advantages, but on some occasions, such as when adjusting the climate control, it forces you to take your eyes off the road for too long.

The instrumentation, fully digital, offers all kinds of information. Furthermore, its appearance can be slightly modified, and it features an on-board computer that, although very complete, is somewhat complicated to use, as it combines buttons on the steering wheel and on the indicator stalk.

The interior is clean and warm, far from the plague of buttons found in some rivals
The equipment, especially in this Inscription trim, is more than extensive. Among the most notable features are the open-pore wood trim, the navigation system, leather upholstery, ambient lighting and the electrically opening and closing tailgate.

On board the V90 there is a very remarkable amount of living space. Passengers in both the front and rear rows will enjoy very generous head and legroom, and even the passenger in the rear middle seat can get comfortable.

The seats deserve special mention, upholstered from the outset in an extremely soft leather, which helps enhance the sense of comfort and quality. Sensationally comfortable, these seats, which depending on the specification can feature heating, ventilation, massage and electric adjustment in the front, are a great ally when enjoying long journeys.

In the rear seats we also have two integrated child cushions, fitted perfectly. This time there is also independent climate control for rear passengers, who will also enjoy a smooth and comfortable journey. The boot, for its part, has a very generous loading aperture, giving access to a completely flat and usable floor of 560 litres, expandable to over 1,200 litres if the second-row backrests are folded down.

Driving dynamics

The V90 offers a wide range of engines belonging to the Drive-E modular family, all based on a 2-litre four-cylinder block. Our unit, fitted with the aforementioned D5 engine, is no exception. This diesel powerplant delivers 235 CV and 480 Nm from just 1,750 rpm.

Mounted transversely at the front, it is linked, as the only option, to an automatic gearbox with a torque converter and 8 ratios, developed by the specialist Aisin. This transmission is very smooth and sufficiently quick in its shifts, sending power to all four wheels through a four-wheel drive system.

Officially this V90 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.2 seconds, reaching a top speed of 240 km/h. It homologates an urban consumption of 5.7 litres, which drops to an incredible -literally- 4.5 litres on the extra-urban cycle. The combined homologated figure is 4.9 litres/100 km.

Its touring character comes to the fore as soon as we hit the open road. Everything is relaxed and calm
No, those are not the figures we will ever see on the car’s on-board computer. In town, the norm, especially with our unit, loaded with equipment and shod with 20-inch wheels, is to see figures around 7.5–8 litres. On the open road we could move in the region of 6–6.5 litres, returning, in our test, after more than 1,200 km, an average of 7.0 litres/100 km.

The power figures are similar to those of a competitor that, for now, still relies on six-cylinder engines — BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Mercedes E-Class, Lexus GS450h… — something Volvo has already abandoned. To be truthful, this V90 is so well insulated that we will only perceive the four-cylinder character of the powerplant on the first start of the day, when the sound is somewhat rough and some vibrations are transmitted to the pedals and gear lever.

The D5 engine exclusively features the Powerpulse system, a turbo-assist system using a compressed air circuit which, in certain situations, expels air into the intake manifold before the turbocharger reaches operating speed, eliminating turbo lag.

Looking at the chassis, the V90 features an independent suspension layout made up of deformable parallelograms on all four wheels, using conventional dampers and an innovative composite-material leaf spring on the rear axle. Optionally, an air suspension system can be specified.

Once under way, the V90 becomes a true distance-eater, one of those cars you always feel like driving. Its insulation is exquisite, its smoothness absolute. Clearly, its favourite terrain is the great motorways, where it cruises at 120 km/h at around 2,000 rpm, although it also handles national roads with ease.

When the road twists, the Volvo cannot fight physics, which pulls on its two tonnes of weight. Yes, it defends itself well: it is reasonably agile and extremely neutral, but you always need to know what you have in your hands, especially when the steering is very light and transmits no kind of feedback.

No shortage either of the increasingly popular driving mode system, which in the case of our V90 offers three options: ECO, Normal and Dynamic. Depending on the mode, you will find more or less steering assistance, as well as the appearance of systems such as coasting.

Being a Volvo, we cannot overlook the vast number of driver assistance and preventive safety systems. The 90 Series has been the first to introduce systems such as LED matrix lighting (working well but somewhat slowly at certain moments) or Pilot Assist, a semi-autonomous “hands on the wheel” driving assistant that works up to 130 km/h, keeping the vehicle in the centre of its lane without letting it cross the lane markings.

Range and versions: how much does the unit you’re looking at cost?

The V90 range comprises three diesel options: D3 (150 CV), D4 (190 CV) and D5, with 235 CV. The first two are front-wheel drive, with four-wheel drive available on the D4. On the petrol side there are two options, called T5, with 254 CV, and T6, with 320 CV. At the top of the range, as the flagship, is an exotic plug-in hybrid variant, the T8, with no less than 408 CV.

There are three different trim levels, available with any engine. The entry-level version is called Momentum, with R-Design and Inscription above it. Prices start at €48,200 for the V90 D3 Momentum manual, rising to €82,000 for the V90 T8 Twin Engine AWD Inscription.

Our unit (D5 AWD Inscription) starts at €66,900, to which must be added all kinds of optional equipment: 20″ wheels (€1,886), Onyx Black metallic paint (€1,131), Versatility Pack (€578), alarm (€578), child safety locks (€113), Intellisafe Surround (€628), laminated side windows (€943), Volvo On Call (€1,068), rear seats folding from the boot (€314), Head-Up Display (€1,383), Bowers & Wilkins sound system (€3,772), among other items.

In total, the price of this unit comes to slightly over €85,000, specifically reaching €86,600. That is practically €20,000 in optional equipment — undoubtedly a very high figure, but one that gives access to a genuine premium, luxury experience that has nothing to envy from its toughest rivals.

Technical specifications of this car

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