2025 Volvo S90

The 2025 Volvo S90 is a roomy, refined, and generally fabulous luxury car. Pricing starts at $59,495.

Although classified as a midsize luxury sedan, the Volvo S90 has passenger space that can rival a full-size model. It’s the biggest car the company makes. All of Volvo’s usual hallmarks — like safety equipment, smart design, and quality materials — are present in the S90, along with the kind of comfort that could soothe the tensest person in the world.

Our only slight misgiving is that the S90 is about eight years old now, which is relatively long in the metaphorical tooth. At least many of its attributes are impervious to the passing of time. Everyone loves a comfy seat, after all.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of midsize luxury cars, including the Volvo S90.

The erstwhile Ultimate trim becomes Ultra, and the “Recharge” part drops from the official title of the S90 T8 plug-in hybrid.

We recommend the B6 AWD Plus, since it has a decent amount of standard equipment — especially in the safety department. The T8 Ultra is also popular among S90 buyers.

Looking at some rivals, the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, and Genesis G80 are priced similarly to the S90. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class begins a little higher. Even the costliest Lexus ES comes in under the base S90.

Before buying a new Volvo S90 luxury sedan, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Resale values are about average for the class. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The standard mild-hybrid B6 powertrain has both a turbocharger and a supercharger, enabling fairly swift acceleration. Propelled by 295 horsepower (above the class average), this S90 runs from a standstill to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. That’s pretty much level with the Mercedes-Benz E 350 and only an eye-blink slower than the BMW 530i.

Driving the Volvo S90 is serene and pleasant. The front seats are among the most comfortable in any vehicle. The supple suspension is comfortable no matter the road surface and is further improved by the optional adaptive air suspension.

Performance goes up a notch in the T8 plug-in hybrid thanks to a muscular 455 hp. It’s more fun than the B6 version because of its instant torque. However, anyone seeking greater driver engagement should be looking at something like the BMW 5 Series. It’s not that we’d call the S90 boring, it’s just that it prioritizes comfort — which is a joy in itself.

Fuel Economy

The B6 drivetrain achieves 26 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That’s a few miles off the BMW 530i xDrive, but close to the Mercedes-Benz E 350 4Matic.

The T8 plug-in hybrid has an electric-only range of 38 miles. When the battery is depleted, the T8 operates like a regular gas/electric hybrid and is rated to return 30 mpg combined. Recharging the battery requires up to five hours on a 220-volt current (like a tumble dryer needs) or about twice that time with a 110-volt household supply.

The S90’s cabin is absolutely superb. That’s not just our opinion. Nearly every one of our consumer reviews praises the S90’s seat comfort and overall refinement. There’s a lot of space, loads of features, and high-end materials everywhere we look. Yet there’s no clutter whatsoever. Neat freaks will love this car.

Among the excellent standard features are 4-zone climate control, heated seats (front and rear), a digital gauge cluster, and the smoothest wood trim we’ve ever run a finger along. It gets even nicer in the Ultra trim with Nappa leather seating surfaces, more front-seat adjustability, and a real Swedish crystal shifter.

Rear legroom measures 40.4 inches, more than any rival. If this is an important aspect for potential buyers, but an S90 would bust the budget, check out the Lexus ES, which enjoys 39.2 inches of rear legroom.

The S90’s trunk space of 13.5 cubic feet is about average for the class.

Like the neat interior, Volvo takes a distinct yet understated approach with the S90’s exterior design, with judicious use of chrome and a recognizable lighting signature. Although this second generation of S90 has been around since the 2017 model year, we still think it looks classy.

The Volvo S90 is one of the bigger midsize luxury sedans, slightly longer than the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Google built-in 
The S90’s infotainment system uses Google-based software full of excellent features, like Google Maps and Google Assistant. Yet it’s also compatible with Apple CarPlay.

Premium audio
We think the standard 220-watt/10-speaker audio system in the S90 sounds good, but the S90 wouldn’t be a real luxury car if it didn’t offer upgrades. A 600-watt/14-speaker Harman Kardon setup is optional in the Plus trim and standard in the Ultra. True audiophiles will want the wonderful (to our ears) Bowers & Wilkins 1,410-watt/19-speaker system available in the Ultra.

Pilot Assist
The standard Pilot Assist Driver Assistance System can make highway driving safer and easier with adaptive cruise control and additional safety features like lane-keeping assistance, road sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, and much more.

Adaptive air suspension
The adaptive air suspension system offered with the Ultra trim improves the suppleness of the already pliant S90. It makes this sedan glide over the road in Comfort mode, tightens up the handling in Sport mode, and adjusts the car’s ride height automatically.

Lounge Package
This package is optional in the top Ultra trim. It improves comfort for everyone by adding a luxury rear armrest and ventilated rear seats, while those up front are treated to massaging seats.

T8 plug-in hybrid
If the budget allows, the T8 plug-in hybrid is a good upgrade. It delivers impressive power and torque and can travel up to 38 miles on battery power alone.

The S90 employs two versions of a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. The turbocharged and supercharged B6 version includes a mild-hybrid setup (MHEV), which energizes a few electric components. This drivetrain develops a punchy 295 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque.

The same engine (turbocharged) is in the T8 plug-in hybrid (PHEV). In tandem with an electric motor, the combined output is substantial: 455 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque.

Both powertrains have an 8-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive (AWD) is standard across the lineup.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

Volvo provides bumper-to-bumper limited protection and powertrain protection for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. This coverage is typical among European luxury vehicle manufacturers. The company also provides scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles.

Safety Ratings

The S90 has been named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), while new testing protocols have seen it take the top score of Good in an updated small overlap front impact test. Standard safety features include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with steering assistance, rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, a 360-degree camera system, plus automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection.