German brands dominate the luxury sedan segment. From compact to full-size, they’re the default choice for most consumers. However, that meant they overshadowed vehicles like the Volvo S90. For those willing to look beyond the obvious choice, this stylish Swede gave you something fresh, free of any weird gimmicks, and timeless design. During its run in the United States from 2017 to 2025, the S90 was among the best-kept secrets. A luxury sedan that won you over with substance, making it such a pleasure to spend long drives in.
Volvo S90 T8: Timeless Design
As with all modern Volvos, the S90 aged like fine wine. Clean, sweeping lines give it a sleek silhouette, while its eye-catching front fascia caught your attention thanks to the Thor’s Hammer LED headlights. In the back, the short decklid and C-shaped LED taillights evoke the Volvo Concept Coupe, which eventually turned into the Polestar 1. Tasteful chrome exterior details and stylish 20-inch alloy wheels elevate the premium touch. Most importantly, it does so without screaming “LOOK AT ME!!!!”
The Scandinavian approach continued inside the S90’s interior. To put it simply, this interior was textbook Volvo: elegant and restrained. Matte wood trim mixed with two-tone Nappa leather in higher trims exuded luxury, especially with the Orrefors crystal shifter. Additionally, chrome accents added brightness to the cabin. Like in the exterior, it’s used with care and restraint, elevating the tasteful Scandinavian luxury aesthetic without feeling like it’s showing off.
Furthermore, everything you touch in the S90’s cabin feels extremely expensive. Nothing in the cabin felt cheap, even in places you don’t interact with, like the lower door cards. Every button, knob, and switch operated with a satisfying tactility that exudes luxury on every click. Moreover, the cabin’s impressive sound insulation kept you isolated from the rest of the world. Minimal noise, mostly the slight hum coming from the 20-inch wheels, meant you drove in your own personal cocoon of luxury.
Ultimate Comfort
Everyone got pampered in the S90, as well. In typical Volvo fashion, it comes with supreme comfort for everyone. The endlessly adjustable front seats came heated and ventilated on most trims, and offered exceptional support on long drives or on winding roads. Meanwhile, the rear seats had exceptional legroom, allowing passengers in the back to truly enjoy the experience. However, we’d keep it to two back there because the center hump ate up a lot of room, forcing the person in the center to straddle their legs.
The available Lounge package elevated the experience for everyone. Featuring massaging seats up front, as well as heated and ventilated rear seats with unique headrests, the S90 helped you relax a bit. You can even move the front passenger’s seat forward so you can stretch your legs out more! Plus, the package also added a cool fold-down center console in the rear, which had the matte wood trim. That alone heightened the upscale feel, making people in the back feel like they’re an executive being driven around. The only thing missing? Massaging rear seats to truly elevate the overall riding experience.
All of that comfort comes complemented by a massive trunk. That easily accommodated bags for four on long trips. Additionally, the space is pretty deep, making it surprisingly useful. However, it did come with a caveat: selecting the Lounge package deleted the split-folding rear seats. As a result, it hurts the S90’s versatility and flexibility. It also lacked small-item storage in the cabin, meaning it didn’t have many places for your smartphone and other belongings. But then again, you got this car to pamper you first, not haul stuff and use it for home improvement runs, that’s what wagons and SUVs are for.
Simple Yet Complex Tech
Volvo’s multimedia tech varied greatly on the S90. Early models used the in-house Sensus system, which had great graphics but was slow to boot up. Later on, the company introduced Google Built-In, a welcome improvement with quicker responses and load times. However, both interfaces buried many functions into multiple submenus with a nine-inch touchscreen, making them distracting to use. At least the latter made it easy to toggle media and navigation via voice commands.
On the brighter side, the available 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system rocked. Crisp and immersive, this 1,400-watt setup brought your tunes to life and did so without feeling artificial. All types of music and podcasts sounded clean and natural with this option, making it worth the over $3,000 price tag on higher trims. Volvo and Polestar models that currently have a version of this audio system have some of the best listening experiences on the road today.
As for driver assistance tech, the S90’s standard suite worked nicely. It remained in the background and never got overly intrusive when it needed to correct. Subtle inputs ensured the driver remained in control, avoiding the suite from feeling like an overprotective nanny. On the other hand, Pilot Assist made long drives and heavy traffic less stressful with its smooth operation. As a result, it added to the S90 feeling like a decompression chamber on wheels, a space where you had the opportunity to relax while on the road.
Volvo S90: Effortlessly Smooth
No matter the powertrain under the hood, the S90 made driving so easy thanks to its abundant power. However, the plug-in hybrid T8 variant proved most fitting to its refined personality. From 2017 to 2022, it used a 2.0-liter turbo and supercharged four-cylinder coupled to an eight-speed automatic, an electric motor, and a high-capacity lithium-ion battery. This setup made 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque. From 2022 until its discontinuation in 2025, it ditched the supercharger and the system gained a more powerful electric motor, as well as a higher-capacity battery. That increased output significantly to 455 hp and 523 lb-ft.
With either version, the S90 T8 moved effortlessly, despite weighing over two tons. Smooth power delivery made this a joy behind the wheel, complementing its refined demeanor. Best of all, neither version of the powertrain had any turbo lag. Putting your right foot down resulted in a smooth wave of torque across the car’s entire power band. On the other hand, the eight-speed auto shifts and responds quickly to your inputs. While not as speedy as the ZF-sourced unit found in some competitors, this unit worked nearly as well and brought in just the right level of responsiveness to match the car’s personality.
The S90 T8 also had surprisingly good efficiency. EPA ratings for the early versions checked in at 28/31/30 mpg city/highway/combined, while its all-electric driving range was 21 miles. The updated powertrain saw a 1 mpg drop in the EPA combined rating, but its all-electric driving range increased to an impressive 38 miles per charge. Unsurprisingly, both versions of the T8 powertrain proved underrated, delivering better real-world MPGs and all-electric driving range. In our time with a 2022 example, we easily did 40 mpg and drove 30 miles in all-electric mode.
Confident and Composed
Volvo’s flagship sedan marched to its own drum, and its road manners highlighted that. This car was all about premium comfort and relaxation with a ride that literally felt cloud-like, minus any floatiness. Even with the optional 20-inch wheels, road imperfections disappeared underneath the S90. Its adaptive dampers do an admirable job keep you isolated while keeping the car from feeling too soft. This handily devoured hundreds of highway miles while keeping everyone from feeling every imperfection on the road.
Moreover, the S90 kept its composure when the road got twisty. Despite its size and weight, it handled quite well and confidently wove through winding roads. Most importantly, the car did so without hurting the ride even with the adaptive dampers in its sportiest setting. Additionally, keep in mind that the U.S. got the standard wheelbase S90 for the 2017 model only. From 2018 onwards, we got the long-wheelbase S90 from China, making its ride and handling balance even more impressive. Its steering, while accurate, lacked feel and urgency, which was fine since the S90 is a luxury sedan, not a high-performance car.
Although you can get the S90 in FWD, we suggest going with AWD for the added traction and refinement. T8 models used an e-AWD setup, meaning they had an electric motor on the rear axle. This setup added more surefootedness and athleticism to the S90, resulting in predictable road manners. It also helped the car’s rear end to rotate by overdriving the rear wheels, giving it balanced handling. No, you can’t get it to kick out. Again, the S90 was all about the luxury of balance and a comfortable drive.
Scandinavian Luxury, Defined
The Volvo S90 was the sedan for those who want stealth luxury instead of shouting about it and showing off. Modern design meets Swedish sensibilities. As a result, you got a car that made you feel its luxury with proper substance rather than through party tricks or gimmicks. Its refined road manners had you looking for reasons to go and indulge in its comfortable cabin and confident drive. No, it’s not flashy, and yes, it’s a luxury product in every sense.
If you’ve got the chance to own an S90, do it. This sedan is that rare one speaking to your senses with honesty and integrity. It lets you experience the luxury instead of showing it off with some feature you use once or twice. Every time you drive the S90, you feel that premiumness, and you’ll appreciate the car more and more.
