Review: Volvo V90 (2016)

Volvo V90 (2016): At A Glance

• New prices start from £39,335, brokers can source from £27,085
• Contract hire deals from £256.40 per month
• Insurance Groups are between 27–44
• On average it achieves 74% of the official MPG figure

Volvo V90 (2016): What's It Like Inside?

• Boot space is 723–1526 litres

Dimensions
Length	4936 mm
Width	2019 mm
Height	1475 mm
Wheelbase	2941 mm
Full specifications

Volvo has long been known for its estate cars, so it’s a little disappointing that the V90 doesn’t provide as much load space as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate (670 litres) or the cheaper Skoda Superb Estate (660 litres). Nonetheless, 560 litres of capacity from the flat load deck to the load cover is plenty for suitcases or shopping sprees.

Folding the rear seats is easy and liberates a maximum of 1526 litres to the roof, which is plenty for flat packs and trips to the garden centre. The load deck itself is nice and low, convenient for getting dogs in and out, plus the tailgate is power-operated as standard, so while it isn’t the biggest boot it’s still perfectly practical.

There are no real complaints elsewhere in the cabin. The rear row of seats provides enough leg and headroom for adults to sit in comfort, while the front seats are among the most comfortable available in any car. Quality is excellent, with impressive materials including leather upholstery as standard. Little details like Swedish flags subtly stitched to sides of the seats make the V90 feel genuinely special. 

Various different optional finishes and inlay materials including open grain wood and brushed metal are available and they really lift the cabin, making it feel light and welcoming. A slick, intuitive and large touchscreen system controls most functions including ventilation, navigation, audio and phone connectivity and is fitted as standard.

Dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, voice control, Bluetooth, European mapping and traffic information are all among the standard equipment. Plusher Inscription models gain softer Nappa leather, power seats and hands free tailgate, along with various styling tweaks, while R Design variants get sportier styling and lower suspension.

It might be generously equipped as standard, but there is still a huge array of optional extras. Apple CarPlay, for example, costs £300, plus there are pricey extras like an impressive Bowers and Wilkins audio system for £3000 and numerous convenience packs, with extras like a 360-degree parking camera or a heated steering wheel.

Standard equipment from launch:

Eight-speed automatic transmission, adaptive cruise control, Pilot Assist, hill start assist, electric parking brake with auto hold, keyless start, automatic and auto-dipping LED headlights, auto wipers, power tailgate, rear parking sensors, alloy wheels, two-zone climate control, 8-inch TFT driver info screen, leather upholstery, heated front seats, City Safety, Road Edge Detection, Run-off Road Protection, speed limiter, lane keeping aid, road sign info display, 9-inch touchscreen, voice control, DAB, Bluetooth, USB socket, 10 speakers, navigation with European mapping and traffic.

R Design adds sports seats, front LED fog lights, multi-colour theatre lighting, R Design interior and exterior styling, lower suspension.

Inscription adds Nappa soft-touch leather, power front seats, hands free tailgate, Inscription exterior and interior styling. 

What's the Volvo V90 (2016) like to drive?

• Engines range from D4 to T6 AWD
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 23–55 mpg

The V90 has with a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel in two versions – D4 and D5. The less powerful D4 produces 190PS with 400Nm of torque and is officially capable of 62.8mpg.

The D5 is essentially the same engine (sadly it's not a five cylinder unit any longer) and produces 235PS witha hefty 480Nm of torque. Officially it returns 57.6mpg. The D4 produces 119g/km of CO2, while the D5 emits 129g/km.

On the move there isn’t a huge difference between the two in terms of performance, so for its lower annual VED (pre-April 2017 at least) and company car tax the D4 is a sensible choice. That said, the D5 has punchier acceleration, thanks to a compressed air system that reduces turbo lag from a standing start – and in reality it’s likely to have very similar economy to the D4.

An eight-speed automatic is fitted as standard, with no manual alternative. It’s extremely smooth and most of the time gearchanges are barely noticeable, but it responds well when accelerating to overtake or join a motorway. It has a sport mode for more spirited driving and a manual mode, but most of the time it’s perfect in its standard setting.

Both the D4 and D5 are extremely refined, with diesel clatter only intruding slightly under hard acceleration. Wind noise is well-suppressed too, so at motorway speeds the V90 feels serene and relaxed. The suspension is geared more toward comfort than handling prowess, so bumps and potholes are ironed out well.

At the top of the range is the powerful T8 plug-in hybrid. This develops 407PS and has a 25 mile electric-only range. It's quick with a 0-62mph time of just 5.2 seconds and yet thanks to the fact it's a plug-in can quote official figures of 135mpg and 47g/km CO2. It’s expensive, though, so will have limited appeal and its economy figures aren't realistic in real world driving. 

The V90 has accurate enough steering, but it isn’t quite as precise or as nicely-weighted as the steering in a BMW 5 Series. It’s good enough though – there’s never a sense that the V90 can’t cope with tight bends or direction changes, it just tackles them with less precision and verve than its rivals from Audi and BMW.

Besides, any deficit on a B-road is made up for on motorways and dual-carriageways, where the standard semi-autonomous cruise control is a real help. It matches the speed of the car ahead, stays in its lane and will even slow to a complete stop before accelerating back up to the selected speed, all without the driver’s help.

The driver does need to have their hands on the wheel at all times and it does trip up when lane markings are worn away, but for the most part it works well, taking the pain out of rush hour on the motorway. It’s one of several standard safety technologies that sets the V90 apart from its rivals.

Also fitted to all V90 models is City Safety, which can detect pending collisions with other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and large animals like deer. It then warns the driver and will even perform an emergency stop if they don’t react. There’s also a system that attempts to prevent the car from running off the edge of the road if the driver loses concentration. 

Engine	MPG	0-62	CO2
D4	58–63 mpg	8.5 s	119–129 g/km
D5 AWD	50–58 mpg	7.2 s	129–148 g/km
T4	42 mpg	8.0–8.9 s	156–160 g/km
T5	42 mpg	7.0 s	157–159 g/km
T6 AWD	-	6.1 s	179 g/km
T8 AWD	-	4.8–5.3 s	46–49 g/km

Real MPG average for a Volvo V90 (2016)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

What have we been asked about the Volvo V90 (2016)?

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