Volvo Cars pulled the digital wraps off its hotly-anticipated next-gen S90 flagship sedan today. However, the Swedish automaker did so without a presence at the New York International Auto Show, despite it happening simultaneously. And that’s because, sadly, the S90 may no longer be destined for our shores due to slow sales and the recent hike in automotive tariffs placed on foreign vehicles by the Trump Administration.
Instead, all us yanks can unfortunately do is drool over the handsomely-designed next-gen S90 in all of its gas-electric plug-in hybrid Swedish glory.
Key Takeaways
- Volvo refreshed its S90 flagship sedan for the second time
- The S90 will go on sale in China, its biggest market, with other markets following
- The U.S. won’t likely see it as slowing sales and tariffs will make it a tough sell here
Despite Looking The Same, The New S90 Has Plenty Of Updates Going For It
Upon first glance, the new Volvo S90 may look almost exactly like the outgoing one. However, Volvo says the new S90 takes on a whole bucket list of updates, both design and technology-wise, to classify it as a heavily reworked model. So, while the new S90 isn’t completely new, it’s rather a significantly rehashed version of the car we’ve been getting for the past nearly eight years. Or, in the grand scheme of the current third-generation S90, a second mid-cycle update.
The S90, in its current iteration, has been with us since 2016 as a 2017 model, and it’s already received one midlife facelift, which occurred back in 2020. But thanks to its handsome and rather timeless styling, its overall shape and profile still look as fresh as it did when it first debuted. Start combing over the exterior and interior in fine detail, and one can start noticing the revisions with the latest variant.
Despite being nearly the same exact core design both inside and out, Volvo rolled out a long list of revisions to keep it fresh. New lighting assemblies decorate the vehicle both fore and aft. Both units retain Volvo’s signature “Thor’s Hammer” design, but the forward-facing ones feature new matrix-LED tech for improved illumination. They’re then complemented by a new diagonal-slot grille, reminiscent of Volvo’s single diagonal-slot grilles of the past, a resculpted hood, new front and rear bumper designs, and a refreshed color palette featuring two new hues.
The interior remains largely unchanged, aside from new colors and trim pairings, and a revised center infotainment screen, which is the biggest highlight of the cabin updates. With new software and a reworked interface, the S90’s infotainment system also benefits from a slightly larger free-standing 11.2-inch display. And thanks to additional upgrades to its connectivity hardware, the new system can now benefit from more comprehensive over-the-air updates.
“The S90 is a key part of our product portfolio for the coming years in some of our Asian markets,” Erik Severinson, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Volvo Cars, said in his official statement. “Together with the new fully electric ES90, the new S90 ensures we have a complete and attractive offering for customers who value safety and want to drive a large, sleek Volvo sedan.”
Mechanically, the S90 will likely remain unchanged, featuring the same selection of hybridized gas, diesel, and plug-in hybrid powertrains, depending on the market. For reference, the lingering S90 here in the U.S. comes with the choice of a plug-in-hybrid-powered variant known as the Recharge, featuring a 2.0-liter turbo- and supercharged gasoline inline-four, good for a total system output of 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque and a 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds. The base B6 essentially gets the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder, but with mild-hybrid assist and 295 hp and 310 lb-ft, yielding a 0-60 time of 6.2 seconds.
The updated S90 will hit the Chinese market in the coming weeks initially, with the European and other markets getting their versions later in the year.
TopSpeed’s Take
Volvo’s flagship sedan just got another major update, but is on limited time in the States, due to dwindling sales and the Trump Administration’s tariffs making it a difficult proposition for American buyers. We wish that wasn’t the case as the S90 remains a solid luxury sedan offering from the Swedish automaker.
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