The Car
It feels like a mouthful to say “Volvo S90 T8 Inscription Plus”, and that’s excluding mouthing the “Twin Engine” hype within it. All Volvo T8 variants come with the “Twin Engine” designation due to the dual powerplants i.e. an internal combustion engine and an electric motor moves this flagship plug-in hybrid sedan. “Inscription” is one of the trims Volvo dresses its line-up, and is the only trim available in locally-assembled S90s (other trims like “Momentum” and “R-Design” are available only in imported form), while “Plus” denotes the inclusion of a premium Bowers & Wilkins audio system, electronically-controlled adaptive dampers with rear air suspension and electronically-controlled boot lid closure.
The Looks
Volvo’s new design is a Nordic nod to simple elegance. The body lines look taut and decisive, and gives the car a long and low-slung appearance. You may say that Volvo makes straight lines cool again. The front features the striking Thor’s Hammer LED lights that gives the car a handsome, elegant vibe. However, this novelty might wear thin as Volvo fills up its model range with this face. Or it might not.
The Cabin
Volvo is keen to highlight its new interior design with aesthetically pleasing materials and style and while it does not shout luxury like some class rivals, there is Nappa leather andWalnut wood trim abound. The centre console boasts a jewel-like Start-Stop twist knob and a illuminated crystal gear knob crafted by Orrefors, well-known Swedish glassworks company.
The dashboard is nearly devoid of physical buttons and dominated by a tablet-like 9-inch touchscreen that holds nearly all the car’s functions, including folding the rear headrests. Volvo’s reason to use digital controls is that adjustments and improvements to firmware and software can be made almost instantly while it could take a model life cycle to change physical controls. The meter cluster has also gone digital with a choice of three layouts. The downside to digitization is the lack of tactile practicality so it takes a while to get used to where the controls are on the screen; you can however drag the tiles around to rearrange them to your preference. And if you are used to swiping around your smartphone or tablet,you will not have trouble here.
Legroom is a premium for rear passengers but the high centre floor and hard backrest makes it less comfortable for the rear centre passenger. The bulge in the floor houses the battery pack and this small sacrifice provides for a flat 500-litre boot. To keep it practical and safe, Volvo has two child booster seats built into the rear seats. More practicality comes from the slot in the front armrest to cradle your phone and the notches in the cup holders that fit the key fob.
The highlight of the Inscription Plus trim is the 1,400W 12-channel, 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system. The yellow Kevlar speakers and the Nautilus tweeter on the dashboard were designed during the development phase of the car to fully optimise the acoustic quality of the cabin. This system has three settings -Studio, Individual and Concert Hall which mimics the acoustics of the Gothenburg Concert Hall.
The Drivetrain
The S90 T8 is powered by a2-litre twin charged engine driving the front wheels and an electric motor driving the rear. When combined, they produce a total of 407hp and 640Nm and goes to the wheels via an 8-speed gearbox. This is good enough to get you from 0 to 100km/h in a speedy 4.8 seconds. With both powerplants active, the S90 becomes an all-wheel drive machine sans a centre prop shaft (which affords space for the battery).
The Drive
At full charge (a variable amperage charger is included with the car), Volvo claims its 10.4 kWh lithium-ion battery is capable of
a 50km range in electric mode.But in the real world of heavy traffic and inclines, 30km is a more achievable figure. Likewise, Volvo’s claimed average combined fuel consumption is 2 litres per 100km but realistically, it is higher. It is however, possible to come close to this number with careful planning and driving.
On the 9-inch touchscreen are tiles that let you determine when to charge and when to use the battery. For example, if you are on a traffic-free road, you can get the car to save the battery for use later in heavy traffic. Similarly, if your battery is low, you can instruct the engine to charge it with enough juice to get you home in electric mode. After several days of urban testing, my best effort was 2.5 litres per 100km. This was done without using charging stations as the test car wasn’t supplied with a portable charging cable. It isn’t impossible to use less petrol as most urban commutes fall within 30km. But the temptation to put it in Sport mode and enjoy all that power is high.
The S90 is relatively quiet so wind and road noise become more apparent; but it isn’t a big issue. The adaptive dampers and rear suspension irons out most of the bumps providing for quite a comfortable ride. And even though the chassis is stiff enough for some fun country-road driving, its bulk and stature isn’t quite suitable. Overall,it does not trump any of its rivals in terms of comfort or handling but it is not far behind.
The Features
Typically Volvo, the S90 has a gamut of safety features placed in its Intelli Safe suite. Notable features include City Safety which includes features like pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection, and auto braking, cross traffic alert, Run-off Road Mitigation, hands-free assisted parking, 360° camera as well as Pilot Assist which is a semi-autonomous driving feature that works with the active cruise control.
Pilot Assist will keep the car within the lane and at a pre-set distance from the vehicle ahead. You don’t have to steer (except at more acute bends or when lane markings disappear) but you are still required to be attentive with eyes on the road and hands on the steering. The objective of Pilot Assist is to aid driving and reduce the need for making small corrections frequently thus reducing fatigue.
Some people will enjoy these features but some might find it too intrusive e.g. Lane Keep Assist etc. But the S90gives a teaser of what is to come for the automobile.
In Conclusion
It is natural that buyers often gravitate to the conventional brands but a brief look at the S90 product flyer will show it is well equipped, and in some cases better equipped than class rivals. And if you are not an audiophile, you can pick regular Inscription trim and save RM20k. Further, its handsome look is obvious but not too showy. So anyone looking for something safe, spacious, speedy and to make a silent statement should not rule out the S90.
