New Volvo S90: prices, specs and on sale date

Full details of the new Volvo S90 executive saloon have been revealed following the car's debut earlier this year at the 2016 Detroit Motor Show. As expected, the car features exclusively diesel and hybrid power options and continues the Swedish manufacturer's renaissance of recent years, with prices starting at £32,555 for the entry-level S90 D4 Momentum.

Available to order now, the new Volvo S90 comes in a choice of Momentum or Inscription trim levels, with either a 187bhp 2.0-litre D4 or 232bhp D5 diesel engine with four-wheel drive. There’s also a sporty R-Design trim level that adds lowered suspension, a sporty bodykit as well as some bespoke interior trim.

Company car drivers should go for the D4 version of the S90 if they want the lowest running costs. It emits 116g/km of CO2 and should return up to 64.2mpg, while the more powerful D5 AWD emits 127g/km of CO2 and returns 58.9mpg. All models come with Volvo's latest portrait-orientated nine-inch touchscreen, sat nav, leather upholstery, LED headlights and a range of connectivity options on the tablet-style screen.

On D5 versions, you can also add the Polestar Performance package, which adds an extra 5bhp, giving it 237bhp in total, as well as improving gearbox response. This, combined with better throttle response, should give the S90 a more dynamic and entertaining demeanour.

Luxurious Inscription models add upgraded leather, electric front seats, a 12.3-inch TFT display in place of dials in the instrument cluster, keyless entry and a powered bootlid.

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You can also have your car in sporty R-Design trim. Not only does this add a sporty body kit – including a boot spoiler, side skirts and a front splitter – but there are also five-spoke matt-black finished alloy wheels. This goes with the lowered, sports-orientated suspension as well as an all-new grille. Inside, there are also unique floor mats and pedals as well as some art deco styling cues.

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Volvo has already confirmed that the S90 will also be available with the T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid drivetrain already seen in the Volvo XC90 SUV. We expect an S90 hybrid to emit around 50g/km of CO2 and produce around 400bhp. It's not on sale yet, but is likely to follow later this year.

The S90 will also be available with what Volvo calls ‘semi-autononomous’ driving capability, called Pilot Assist. This will make gentle steering inputs to keep the car in lane on the motorway at speeds up to 130km/h. Volvo describes it as “another step towards full autonomous drive”.

Speaking about the car, Volvo’s senior vice-president of research and development Dr Peter Mertens said: “The S90 has taken a big stride forwards in terms of driving dynamics, performance and ride. We’ve completely redesigned the Volvo driving experience from the ground up to deliver a sense of precision, engaging control and comfort.”

The new S90 boasts plenty of the latest in-car technology, too, including a City Safety system capable of detecting and avoiding collisions with large animals and cloud-based apps and services.

Volvo previously announced that it has partnered with Microsoft to develop a range of technologies, including a wearable computer called HoloLens that’ll allow customers to visualise their car in 3D when configuring it at the dealer.

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The new Volvo S90 also heralds the continuation of a new Volvo naming strategy, with three distinct model lines. These will be called 40, 60 and 90, prefixed by S, V or XC to denote saloon, estate and SUV bodies respectively.

This S90 is on sale now, with prices starting at £32,555, rising to £42,055 for the top-spec model. It replaces the ageing Volvo S80 as the brand’s rival to the likes of the BMW 5 Series, Jaguar XF, Mercedes E-Class, Lexus GS and Audi A6.