2016 Volvo S90 prototype drive

It’s said that when you’re buying a house, you know within moments of stepping through the front door whether you want it or not. I reckon cars evoke an even more instantaneous reaction. After all, plenty of buyers these days don’t even sit in the model they’re considering before making the final decision.

This brings us to the new Volvo S90. More than any of its less distinct rivals, this is a car that is likely to have won a huge swathe of buyers the moment its lantern-jawed fascia appeared under Detroit’s show lights.

Read our Volvo S90 review here

It’s a car that wears its heart on the metaphorical sleeve of its fine-knit angora sweater, and you just know it’s going to suit you before you’ve even sampled the faultlessly ergonomic sofa in your local Volvo dealership. 

The good news is that, if you’re taken with the S90’s sophisticated yet somehow unpretentious ambience just from the pictures, the reality will be a delight.

Fractionally longer than a BMW 5 Series, the bluff-edged, high-waistline styling of the S90 makes it look like a big car – even with the camouflage of our prototype test cars - and it feels big when you slide into the cabin, too. Airy and wide-bodied, just as you’d hope.

The cushy, armchair-like seats are supremely comfortable (they’re the same as those in the XC90), and are a great place from which to enjoy the compelling interior. Granted, our test cars were high-spec, but the combination of textures and the logical, uncluttered layout combines to create that expensive-yet-simple feeling that often characterises really top-notch design.

Dominating the cabin is the large colour touchscreen, which is standard complete with sat-nav on every S90. It’s quick to respond, easy to navigate and feels appropriately high-end, and will also come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Some people may prefer it to be set higher in the cabin, but Volvo offers a head-up display that will help alleviate that problem.

Another selling point will be the rear accommodation, which is more spacious than you’ll get in the key rivals; there's masses of room all round, with a laid-back backrest and deep squab for impressive lounge-ability. The 500-litre boot looks to be roughly on a par with the competition, and the golf clubs or big suitcases will fit no problem.

We drove the 232bhp D5, which comes with four-wheel drive and is the higher-powered of two four-pot diesels on offer. The front-wheel drive 188bhp D4 is likely to be the biggest seller and will go head-to-head with the might of the BMW 520d in the company car stakes. The only other engine on offer is the T8 – a 402bhp plug-in hybrid, which uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine and electric motor to achieve just 44g/km of CO2. One for the CEO, perhaps.  

All come with Volvo's eight-speed auto as standard, and a full suite of active safety aids including adaptive cruise, lane-keep assist and automatic emergency braking (which now senses pedestrians, cyclists, deer and oncoming traffic at intersections). It’s the most standard safety equipment you’ll find in the class, which isn’t to be sneered at.