I ’m sitting in the driver ’s seat of the brand - new Volvo S90 , somewhere along one of Southern Spain ’s finest roads . I ’m driving , but just barely . The automobile is handling the throttle and Pteridium aquilinum , as well asmostof the steering .
There are many reason this car is powerful telling and significant : it ’s the first car to come with city- and main road - capable , self - steer self-governing engineering science as received equipment . It ’s critical for Volvo , because it ’s the metempsychosis of the Swedish safety gadget maven ’s flagship sedan . At a al-Qa’ida price of $ 47,945 after finish direction , the company is using the S90 specifically to lure buyers and leaseholder away from its competition : the BMW 5 - Series , Mercedes E Class , Audi A6 , and Cadillac CTS .
More subtly , it represents the hand of Volvo , very sedately and deliberately raise its proverbial mediate digit square in the guidance of Tesla , and what Volvo considers underdeveloped , irresponsible ego - labor technology .
Aaron Miller/Thrillist
Volvo’s approach to self-driving tech is as advanced as it is cautious
On one hand , Volvo ’s new version of its Pilot Assist system of rules – debuting on every single S90 – is incredibly advanced . It works up until 80 mph and expend an intact suite of sensors to find the edge of the road , even if it ’s not clear note and there ’s no other traffic to be see . That ’s a major advancement from system like the one regain on a Tesla , which , while effective , call for both passably clearly strike off lane and a car ahead to come .
On the other hand , Volvo is very clear that it absolutely does not require yourelyingon the organisation . It exists to bring home the bacon you with a reassuring backing that can ease the forcible tenor and mental tenseness of your daily commute . Whereas Tesla ’s use of semi - autonomous technology is part of a wider ethos of technical school - as - showmanship , Volvo ’s is grounded within its decades - quondam irresistible impulse of condom first . It ’s a philosophic difference , but one that manifests itself by way of warnings and eventual shutoff if you do n’t keep your hand on the wheel – unlike in a Tesla , where some driver reckon its perfectly acceptable tojust baby-sit back and get some shut - eye .
The sensors even know the difference between moose and squirrels
The S90 is the next step in what Volvo has for years described as Vision 2020 : the companionship ’s goal to have no fatality in a new Volvo embark on in the year 2020 . No one is pretending the S90 will suddenly make you immortal , but it does come with an always - on large animate being - sensing organisation – jokingly called " Moose Detection " – aimed at cutting down on the more than 1.2 million moose and cervid strikes that pass each year . In addition to take in for people and other cars , the sensor pick up on animals , place if they ’re gravid enough to pose a threat , warn you , then apply the brakes to avoidan awkward up - closely encounterwith an tempestuous hooved animal . That ’s something the competitor , be it from BMW , Tesla , Mercedes , or Audi , simply does n’t have at the present metre .
It’s sexy on the outside, and it knows it
walk around the new S90 , a few things bear out : first and foremost is the sexy shape . Yeah , I say " aphrodisiac " in reference to a Volvo . The rip off form is the result of quite a flake of engineering , starting with the decision to go with a modest engine . Combined with that accent tune that launch the length of the car , pluck up the light just below the windows , the force is a car that take care downrightsvelte .
The grille is similar to the fabled ( and also eminently sexy)P1800 . But the star item is the headlight . See that stripe down the middle ? It ’s reallyThor ’s hammer– as in , the pound wielded by the Chris Hemsworth - corresponding Scandinavian god of roar . The " pounding " doubles as the illuminated element of the headlamp , and the split - beam is the result of some fancy fiber - oculus applied science . It sounds like the sort of chintzy high - concept intention that does n’t harbor up in reality , but when you see the twin hammer in your rearview mirror , they project a soundly original and self - assured air rival only byBMW ’s angel centre .
The inside is a masterclass of form-meets-function
Climbing indoors is like opening a textbook on running design . That Al strip that ostensibly divides the dash ? On most car , that would be a glorified toughie applied with glue , but here , it ’s a legitimately running component to carry up the dashboard and center display . The display itself you ’ll recognize from theXC90 - - to call the user interface intuitive is an understatement . You can use the touch screen even if you ’re wearing gloves , and the A / C is always visually exhibit , lest you waste valuable fractions of a second trying to find the right setting . It ’s a safety feature that just so go on to make liveliness easier .
The same can be said for the seating room . They ’re orthopedically designed to reduce fatigue on long stumble , and even feature their own unique crash structure – a modest crumple zone to aid protect the spine in case of an accident . As of aright now it ’s the only car in the world that has them .
And you know what? It drives well, too.
For a auto that weighs give or take 4,000lbs , it moves quite well , thanks to the turboandsupercharged four - piston chamber under the toughie putting out 316hp on the S90 T6 . If you get the accounting entry - level T5 , you ’ve still got 250hp on tap and plenty of torque to get moving .
On the not - exactly still Spanish backroads , the S90 hit it up up mid - corner bumps attractively . Is the Pilot Assist perfect ? No . But it cultivate sensationally well on most back road and in dealings . On highways , there were a few occasions where the Pilot Assist declared its undying erotic love for the righthand stripe and hug it too tightly for comfort . None of that ’s an issue as long as you take the " Assist " part of its name to substance – which you dead must . Most of the time your hands merely ride there , and the steering steering wheel ’s haptic answer will alert you with adrenaline - releasing rapidity the second the car finds something amiss .
The Swedes are most certainly back, baby
Sure , the XC90 has been a great fomite for a while now , and the S60 and V60 are a utterly fine span of motorcar , especially in Polestar guise . But Volvo is n’t reallyVolvowithout a large sedan and wagon offering a logical and personality - filled option to the omnipresent oblation from Mercedes , Cadillac , Audi , et al . With the S90 and its wagonized V90 fraternal counterpart ( from behind the wheel , it ’s well-nigh monovular to the S90 , though you wo n’t be able to purchase one in the US until next year sometime ) it ’s safe to say the Swedes are back .
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Courtesy of Volvo
Courtesy of Volvo
Aaron Miller/Thrillist
Courtesy of Volvo
Aaron Miller/Thrillist
Aaron Miller/Thrillist
