Should you buy one?

As an attractive alternative to its established rivals, offering style, generous equipment levels and safety kit, the S90 has much to commend it, with attention-grabbing PCP finance costs proving to be the icing on the cake. It’s a left-field choice, but a highly rational one, too.

For most buyers, the diesel engines make more sense than the petrol alternatives – we’d recommend the punchier D5 PowerPulse over the D4 if your budget will stretch to it. Not only do you get the extra performance, but the additional surety of all-wheel drive (AWD).

However, if you are considering the T8 TwinEngine plug-in hybrid, this should add to the level of comfort when travelling in the silence of electric mode. It’s not the best car for covering vast motorway miles in however, with the limited 28 mile battery range and smaller fuel tank of 50 litres – compared with 60 litres on the D5. Think upon the T8 more as a high-speed saloon – it packs 400hp – rather than an eco-friendly four-door, evidenced by a motorway fuel economy that struggles to best 30mpg once the batteries are empty.

While the Volvo S90’s price is a high one, it’s stacked with standard equipment that you’d ordinarily have to pay extra for in the likes of the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class Saloons.

Trim levels were rejigged at the start of 2019 making the range even simpler to navigate. We’d skip the entry-level Momentum Plus and either go for R-Design Plus if you appreciate a sportier look, while the Inscription Plus will find favour with those who enjoy a more luxurious touch.

While it comes with a generous list of standard equipment, the S90 also offers some tempting optional extras to choose from which could make it a more attractive used car a few years down the line. The Xenium Pack bundles together a glass sunroom and parking aids, while the Bowers & Wilkins audio system sounds brilliant, but is difficult to justify its high cost to all be the most committed of audiophiles.

While its interior quality doesn’t quite match rivals from Germany, this is still a comfortable place to spend long journeys with supremely supportive seats. Sportier versions have a have a firmer ride quality, but the optional adaptive suspension system is worth the outlay if you value your comfort. In short, we’d recommend one, especially considering some of the extremely tempting PCP and personal leasing deals on offer right now.

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