By: IOL Motoring Staff
Having impressed the well-heeled world with its latest XC90 SUV, Volvo now wants to shake up the executive saloon world with its new flagship sedan.
The S90 replaces the S80 and goes up against the German establishment otherwise known as A6, E-Class and 5 Series.
Like the aforementioned SUV, the new S90 sits on Volvo's Scalable Platform Architecture and shares many of its smart technologies while also taking a few steps further.
In what Volvo calls another step towards full autonomous driving, the Pilot Assist system can keep the car within lane marking up to speeds of 130km/h and no longer needs to follow another car.
Volvo's safety wizards also upgraded the City Safety function with a world-first large animal detection system that can see elk, horses or moose and provide warnings and brake support.
Volvo has also gone all-out with the cabin furnishings, promising a "high-end luxury experience" with superior materials and gadgets. As with its XC90 sibling, the central command centre is Volvo's new Sensus Connect touch-screen, which works like a large tablet and which allowed designers to eliminate many of the traditional buttons and screens to create an uncluttered dashboard design. The system also offers numerous cloud-based apps and services.
FOUR-CYLINDERS ONLY
Volvo has yet to go into detail on the engine line-up, but does mention three 2-litre petrol engine options for the US market: the turbo-charged T5, turbo- and super-charged T6 and plug-in-hybrid T8. Assuming that their outputs remain as per the XC90, you can expect 187kW from the T5, 235kW from the T6 and a system output of 300kW from the T8. Other world markets, including SA, are also likely to get a 165kW D5 2-litre turbodiesel.
Lower-powered versions will likely be front-wheel driven, with all-wheel drive fitted to the middle and upper models and all engines will reportedly be mated to Volvo's eight-speed autobox.
More details will be made available when the S90 makes its world debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January and Volvo SA expects the snazzy new sedan to reach our showrooms towards the end of 2016.