2018 Volvo V90

Apr 14, 2024, 2:33pm ET

All-new for the latest model year, the V90 is Volvo's biggest and most luxurious wagon. It reflects the Swedish automaker's upmarket shift with handsome lines and a cabin that puts an equal focus on comfort, tech, and safety.

The V90 is a special order-only model, meaning you won't see one sitting on your local Volvo dealer's lot. It's readily available, make no mistake, but you'll need to either wait a few weeks for delivery or pick it up directly from the factory in Sweden.

Buyers who want to get into a roomy Volvo station wagon right away can look at the V90 Cross Country, which is a more rugged variant of the standard V90 detailed here.

Overview

The V90 is built on the same Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform as the XC90 SUV and the S90 sedan. Up front, it's all but identical to the S90, meaning the design is characterized by a wide grille with 23 chromed vertical slats and T-shaped LED daytime running lights named Thor's Hammer.

Beyond the B-pillar, the V90 gets a longer roof line, a surprisingly rakish D-pillar, and tall, hockey stick-shaped tail lamps inspired by the ones found on the Concept Estate. All told, the V90 is the sleekest-looking station wagon Volvo has ever built.

Inside, the V90 offers space for five passengers in a spacious, well-lit cabin built using materials that are nice to touch and look at. Well-equipped trims boast soft leather upholstery, glass buttons, and open-pore wood trim on the dashboard as well as on the door panels. Inspired by Scandinavian designs, the dash is underlined by an elegant strip of chrome trim.

Connectivity

Like the S90, the V90 boasts one of the industry's most advanced infotainment system. Called Sensus Connect, it's built around a vertical, dash-mounted touch screen with that's intuitive to use and quick to respond to input. The screen can be split in half, meaning motorists can browse their library of music without having to get rid of the navigation display, and its display is three times as bright as that of an iPad.

The V90 is optionally available with a Bowers & Wilkins sound system that delivers clean, precise sound.

Under the hood

The V90's base engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 250 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque from 1,500 to 4,800 rpm. Called T5 in Volvo-speak, the turbo four spins the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Buyers who want more power can order the V90 with a 2.0-liter four that's both turbocharged and supercharged. Named T6, it generates 316 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 295 pound-feet of torque from 2,200 to 5,400 rpm, and it spins all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Fuel economy figures haven't been announced yet. If gas mileage is a concern, know that a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain capable of powering the V90 on electricity alone will be added to the lineup a little later in the production run.

Trim level breakdown

The V90 is offered in two trim levels named R-Design and Inscription, respectively. Both offer the same set of features and a trim-specific body kit.

The V90 comes generously equipped with a panoramic moonroof with a power sunshade, aluminum roof rails, LED headlights, fog lights, and tail lights, high-pressure headlight washers, 10-way power-adjustable front seats, a memory function for the driver's seat, navigation, a nine-inch touch screen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, four-zone climate control, a cooled glove box, smartphone integration, keyless entry, a hands-free tailgate, a rear-view camera, rear parking sensors, and a 12-volt power outlet in the trunk.

Both variants of the V90 come with the T5 engine and front-wheel drive. Buyers can pay extra for the T6/AWD setup.

The list of standalone options includes metallic paint, a heated steering wheel, a head-up display, a Bowers & Wilkins sound system, a HomeLink transceiver, a grocery bag holder, a compass in the rear-view mirror, a 360-degree camera, and massaging front seats.

Occupant safety

Volvo's focus on safety for both occupants and pedestrians has long been a pillar of its reputation.

All V90s come standard with Volvo's On-Call technology, collision avoidance and mitigation, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, emergency brake assist, whiplash protection, road sign information (RSI), as well as front, side, and curtain airbags. Volvo's semi-autonomous Pilot Assist technology is also standard, allowing the V90 to drive itself in certain situations.

Key competitors

The Volvo V90 doesn't have any direct rivals. The BMW 3 Series Touring and the Audi A4 allroad are more affordable, but it's also much smaller. Ultimately, its main rivals are Volvo's other 90-series models.