2023 Volvo S90

Volvo S90 as the contrarian’s luxury sedan, not only does it have a distinct Scandinavian personality thanks to its distinctive design inside and out, it also presents somewhat of a value equation compared with its rivals. With pricing that aligns with mid-size luxury sedans but a similar amount of rear-seat space as full-size entries such as the Genesis G90 and Lexus LS, the S90 finds itself in an interesting middle ground. A turbocharged four-cylinder engine is standard across the board, with varying degrees of hybrid assistance. The Recharge plug-in-hybrid model is the most powerful and most expensive of the lot, and it offers an EPA-rated 38 miles of electric-only range when fully charged.

Engine Performance

With the new 295-hp B6 mild-hybrid powertrain under the hood, the S90 delivered a solid 6.4-second zero-to-60-mph time in our testing. Although that's slightly slower than the previous T6 model, the hybrid powertrain's low-end torque and responsive eight-speed automatic transmission helps maintain the car's perky feeling off the line. The previous iteration of the plug-in hybrid Recharge version blasted down our test track, matching results of the six-cylinder BMW 540i xDrive (4.5 seconds) in our zero-to-60-mph testing, and we haven’t yet tested the even more powerful hybrid setup introduced last year.

We’re also hoping that the revised hybrid powertrain smooths out some of the hiccups from before. Handling is surefooted, but the trade-off is a ride that hardly feels like terry cloth. Rough stretches of road transmit more vibrations into the cabin than in more softly sprung competitors. The steering has a weighty feel, but it isn't as direct or as precise as it should be, which erodes the S90's perceived athleticism.

Fuel

Models equipped with the B6 powertrain earn EPA fuel economy ratings of 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway while the hybrid Recharge models earn a rating as high as 66 MPGe combined. On our 75-mph highway fuel economy test, the S90 with the standard B6 powertrain returned 29 mpg.