Yahoo Autos 2018 Volvo V90 T6 Inscription AWD
To look at the V90 is to love it. Since you’re unlikely to see one in person unless you order it, we’re here to tell you it’s a stunner. Lithe and lean with a muscular shoulderline, the V90 has the proportions of a rear-driver despite its transverse engine.
About that engine. The super- and turbocharged 316-hp 2.0-liter inline-four is strong enough to propel the V90 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, but it never sounds soothing or sophisticated. In the interest of keeping the peace, Volvo does turn down the volume, though. A mere 74 decibels get into the cabin at full throttle, but the engine mostly hums in a dull way that’s unbecoming an object this beautiful. The EPA fuel-economy benefit of the double-blown four disappeared with our driving: In our 500-mile test, the V90 returned only 18 mpg, slightly better than the XF but worse than the E400.
Though the sounds may not soothe, the soft leather seats that are part of the Inscription trim level will calm any buyer’s remorse. Open-pore wood trim fills the interior, and leather wraps the dashboard. The V90’s cabin is as deluxe and refined as the E400’s extra-cost ($4900) Designo interior, although we did notice some slight bubbling of the leather covering the dash. Volvo’s large touchscreen handles most commands with ease, but it would be nice to have a button to disable the engine’s stop-start system instead of having to go through two steps on the screen every time you restart the car. An expansive greenhouse provides excellent outward visibility and an airy cabin, without the dreaded queen-bee appearance.
The Volvo’s spaciousness isn’t an illusion; the V90’s rear seats are the most comfortable of the bunch. Open the hatch, and the cargo area is seriously deep with a divider that folds up out of the floor to keep your stuff from flying around.
Riding on optional ($800) 20-inch wheels, the Volvo sends judders and shakes through the structure on big impacts. Those 20-inchers also bring Pirelli P Zero summer tires, but to keep the field level, we asked Volvo if there was an all-season option. Volvo delivered the car on ultra-high-performance all-season Michelins, saying they are available to customers at no extra cost instead of the Pirellis. (On the 19-inch wheels, grand-touring all-season Continentals come standard.)
Even on the Michelins, the V90 outgripped and outstopped the E400 and the XF at the track. It also posted the best slalom speed in this comparo. Test-track handling put the V90 at the head of the class, but in the real world, the Volvo rolls excessively and the numb yet quick steering is at odds with the soft chassis. It feels a bit discombobulated. Unlike those of the Mercedes and the Jaguar, the Volvo’s automatic doesn’t wake up when the road turns fun, and by the end of the test, the brake pedal pulsed from warped rotors. The V90 will do whatever you ask, but it would really rather you settle down and stop asking so much of it.
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