Volvo S90 / V90 Event

If reading the reviews and watching the videos just aren't enough for you, Volvo is now inviting you to see its brand-new luxury saloon and estate cars in the flesh.

You can already buy the S90 for £32,555 and the V90 for an additional £2,000, although they won't be delivered until the autumn. Both will come standard with the 9-inch portrait display found in the XC90 and Pilot Assist which will autonomously drive the vehicle at speeds of up to 80 mph. 

Also at the stand to complete the family photo will be the XC90. This is already for sale and on the British roads for prices of above £46,850.

The put Volvo's pricing into perspective, take a look at some rivals here:

• BMW 5 Series Saloon - £31,115
• BMW 5 Series Touring - £33,315
• BMW X5 SUV - £44,575

• Audi A6 Saloon - £32,295
• Audi A6 Avant - £34,345
• Audi Q7 SUV - £47,755

• Mercedes E-Class Saloon [new] - £35,935
• Mercedes E-Class Saloon [last-generation] - £36,660
• Mercedes GLE SUV - £49,285

To go and see the 90 family in real life, you can head to one of two locations:

• The Oracle, Reading (lower mall next to Superdry and opposite Hollister)
• Mon-Fri 09:30-20:00
• Sat 09:00-19:00
• Sun 11:00-17:00
• Silverburn, Glasgow (near Superdry, Debenhams and Swarovski)
• Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00
• Sat 09:00-19:00
• Sun 10:00-19:00

Volvo V60 Broadens Polestar's Market

Up until now, Polestar has only been marketing its cars in 13 countries with an annual production of 750 cars. Having produced many a hot Volvo, it's now time to double production to 1,500 units a year and sell them in 47 countries.

Usually, the V60 family car is available with a T4 petrol engine, or D2, D2 ECO, D3 and D4 diesels. Some models are even available with the D5 and D6 plug-in diesel hybrids. It's the T6, however, that Polestar is interested in.

This turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol unit has been modified in order to produce a full 362 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 470 Nm of torque across a 3,100-5,100 rpm bracket. It can provide a maximum of 2.0 bar of boost, and will rev freely up to 7,000 rpm.

Polestar have opted for an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters to optimise both performance and efficiency. It has an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. For the statistic people out there, here are some of the V60 Polestar's sprint times:

• 0-100 km/h (62 mph) - 4.8 seconds
• 0-200 km/h (124 mph) - 17.4 seconds
• 0-60 mph - 4.5 seconds
• 0-120 mph - 15.8 seconds

With supercar-rivalling performance, Polestar has managed to keep the V60 a few kilos under the 1,800 kg mark. This helps it boast a reasonable and respectable figure of just under 35 mpg, however CO2 emissions aren't great at 186 g/km. It has a 67.5-litre fuel tank giving it a theoretical range of over 500 miles.

As standard, the V60 Polestar comes with Launch Control and a Sport+ mode as well as front splitters, a rear spoiler and diffuser. Inside, the sports seats and steering wheel get an attractive contrast blue stitching. The only option for this car is a sunroof.

It's difficult to give the V60 Polestar a direct competitor. Despite having a larger engine, the BMW 340i Touring takes a longer 5.1 seconds to reach 62 mph, with 322 bhp from a 3.0-litre straight-six. The Audi A4 Avant has only got a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol with 249 bhp, making it even slower at 6.0 seconds. Look away from the premium market and you'll find yourself with a 2.8-litre turbo-V6-powered Vauxhall Insignia VXR SuperSports with 321 bhp and a sprint time of over 6 seconds. If you increase the engine size, you could be looking at a Mercedes-AMG C 63 Estate with 469 bhp and a time of 4.2 seconds.

This is the reason that the V60 Polestar is such an important car. It beats rivals on performance yet returns impressive running costs.

As well as the V60 Polestar estate, Volvo will also be selling the S60 Polestar saloon, however unfortunately for us it won't be on sale here in the UK.

Volvo Uses Three-Cylinder Engines to Save Fuel

The Swedish car maker has only just released two new members of the 90 series, the S90 Saloon and V90 Estate. They join the XC90 and all of which use four-cylinder petrol, diesel and hybrid engines. In fact Volvo exclusively uses 4-cylinder engines right across the range.

Despite this, a 1.5-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder engine is being tested in a V40 with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Dr Peter Mertens, the boss of research and development at Volvo, says that it will easily get up to 150 bhp although that isn't its limit. He also says that "unless somebody told you, you wouldn't know it's a three-pot", suggesting that the infamous 3-cylinder thrum will no longer be a drawback for many buyers.

It will certainly be used in the next 60 series - S60, V60 and XC60 - although that's not to say it won't make an appearance in the 90 family sometime down the line. In fact, it could be offered as part of a more humble hybrid setup. The four-wheel-drive hybrid will sit below the T8 hybrid that we see today, and could produce in the region of 250 bhp.

Volvo V90 Estate Leaked Before Release

The S90 that was let loose not too long ago was essentially a realised Concept Coupé turned into a saloon.

Well now it's time for the Concept Estate to stamp its feet and become a reality.

Although it's February the 18th that Volvo had planned to release its V90 Estate, images have found their way out nearly a week early. Unfortunately, that's all that has found its way out.

The inside of the new V90 will look equally as luxurious and modern as the S90's and XC90's, no surprise considering they're all members of the same family. The boot space is expected to be class-leading (if not just behind) if Volvo's estate history is anything to go by.

Being built on the same Scalable Product Architecture as the S90 Saloon, we know that only 4-cylinder engines will be utilised. A plug-in hybrid variant, a.k.a. the T8, will develop around 400 bhp thanks to a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-litre petrol unit and the help of some electricity.

Seeing as Volvo's performance division Polestar has got its hands on the V60, the V90 is bound to have a similar treatment.

Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine - Plug-In Car Grant Success

If we cast our memories back to the beginning of April when I first wrote about the Volvo XC90, it was clear that I was impressed with the massive leap up in quality.

The new engine, the T8 Twin Engine, was Volvo's first ever petrol plug-in hybrid. Let's familiarise ourselves with its features once more.

A combined 407 bhp comes in the form of a 320:87 bhp split from the petrol engine and electric motor. Despite having oodles of power, it emits as low as 49 g/km of CO2. Don't be fooled though, 0-60 mph is covered in 5.3 seconds - that's Golf R territory! But if you're not feeling the power, you can always travel up to 28 miles in electric-only 'Pure' mode.

Now that it's qualified for the UK Plug-in Car Grant (PICG) scheme from the Office of Low Emissions (OLEV), the Volvo XC90 equipped with the T8 Twin Engine has an on-the-road price of £54,955, some £10k above the entry-level model.

To celebrate this, I specified my ideal Volvo XC90 T8 here:

Volvo XC90 T8 Configuration

Volvo XC60

The XC60 is the smallest of 2 SUVs offered by Volvo (sitting below the XC90 which has recently been upgraded to the 2nd generation).

Let's start with Volvo's selling point. Safety. I quote: "Cars are driven by people, so the guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo is - and must remain - safety." Its goal is that by 2020 no-one will be "seriously injured or killed" in a new Volvo. Quite ambitious, but from what we've seen, it's definitely feasible!

City Safety will apply the brakes at speeds of up to 31 mph if you're about to go into the back of someone, whereas the Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) helps you when there's a car travelling alongside you, particularly on a motorway. Cross Traffic Alert is a particularly useful feature that warns you of cars travelling behind you when you're reversing out of an awkward parking space and Pedestrian Detection applies the brakes if somebody walks into your path and you don't react quick enough.

As you'd expect, it scores 5 stars in the Euro NCAP testings. It achieved 94% for adult safety, 79% for child safety, 48% for pedestrians and 86% for the 'safety assist' category. Because Volvo tries to make its cars as safe as possible, I think it's important that I include a break-down of the Euro NCAP test.

Volvo XC60 - Euro NCAP

You have two routes to take, SE or R-Design. SE models come with LED daytime running lights, electronic climate control, cruise control, DAB and Bluetooth®, 17-inch alloys, pear parking sensors, automatically folding door mirrors and even a power operated tailgate! R-Design is the sportier route which adds exactly what you'd expect: R-Design visual upgrades and logos, and a modified chassis.

Above each sits a Lux model. The XC60 SE Lux adds an 8-inch TFT driver's information display, an electrically adjustable driver's seat, 18-inch alloys and xenon headlights. The R-Design Lux does the same.

All the engines are turbodiesels and are surprisingly efficient.

First, we'll talk about the D4. When used in conjunction with a front-wheel-drive layout, the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder unit produces 190 bhp and 400 Nm. It can be paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox (62.8 mpg, 117 g/km) or an 8-speed Geartronic automatic transmission (60.1 mpg, 124 g/km).

If you choose the all-wheel-drive D4, it's completely different! This is why you shouldn't be fooled by them having the same name. The 2.4-litre 5-cylinder powerhouse produces 190 bhp and 420 Nm. You can have it with a 6-speed manual (54.3 mpg, 137 g/km) or a 6-speed Geartronic auto (49.6 mpg, 149 g/km).

Step up to the D5 and you're stuck with all-wheel-drive. The 2.4-litre 5-cylinder engine produces 220 bhp and either 440 Nm or 420 Nm of torque for Geartronic and manual transmissions respectively - bit odd. Power is driven through a 6-speed manual (54.3 mpg, 137 g/km) or a 6-speed Geartronic automatic (49.6 mpg, 149 g/km). The efficiency figures are the same as t he D4 AWD, but then so is the engine, more or less.

What about boot space? With 495/1,455 litres with the seats up/down, the XC60 sits somewhere towards the bottom of the list. Despite this, the wide-opening lid and flat load floor makes it very practical. It has more than the VW Tiguan (470/1,510) but less than the Audi Q5 (540/1,560), BMW X3 (550/1,600) and Range Rover Evoque (575/1445 for 5-soor, 550/1,350 for 3-door Coupé).

All models will tow 1,800 kg apart from the D5 AWD Geartronic which'll tow up to 2,000 kg. That's about average, and similar to the Tiguan (1,800-2,200 kg). It's better than the Evoque (1,500-1,800 kg) but not quite as good as the premium Germans (Q5 and X3), both managing 2,000-2,400 kg.

Starting at £31,660, its price suggests it's aiming to compete against the fancy Q5 (£31,720), X3 (£33,295) and Evoque (£30,200) as opposed to the cheaper Tiguan (£22,975).

Take a look here at how I'd spec my XC60.

Volvo XC60 Configuration

Volvo's 'Lounge Console'

Previewed at Auto Shanghai 2015, the Lounge Console shows where Volvo is heading with its luxury vehicles. Take a look at what Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Car Group, had to say:

“The intention with this concept is to showcase two things – firstly that Volvo Cars is aware of the needs of our executive customers and secondly, that with design innovation and modern materials we can effectively create  passenger experience that is unique in the premium car segment.”

The Lounge Console completely replaces the front passenger's seat turning the vehicle into a four-seater. This can be a table, a lockable compartment for storing personal belongings or an in-car cinema with a 17-inch display. Even the section where your feet shall rest is cushioned! Because there is no seat in front of the rear passenger, he or she can see straight out of the front windscreen which, Volvo claims, provides a more open, spacious environment. I would tend to agree, but it would take some getting used to as at the moment all chauffer cars have standard seat layout.

Volvo XC90

Unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in 2002, the XC90 has been produced ever since with minor changes here and there. Still in its 1st generation a decade later, the design became a bit too familiar. In May 2012, though, Volvo announced that there would be a 2nd generation of its front-engined front- or all-wheel-drive premium SUV.

In late 2014, Volvo opened the books for the First Edition, of which 1,927 were made to represent the year of Volvo Car’s foundation. Within 47 hours, they were all gone!

It has been completely redesigned inside and out. Its new face features a more prominent grille and sideways-T-shaped daytime running lights.

Inside, the tablet-like touchscreen allows you to control many of the car’s features, but diamond-cut controls let you do what the touchscreen can’t.

Volvo claims that the trim levels represent a tree with two branches. The roots, then, are the Kinetic. Further up the trunk is Momentum before it branches in two directions. Inscription for luxury, or R-Design for sport.

The new seats are said to replicate the shape of a human’s spine, making them safer and more comfortable. The 2nd row of 3 individual seats has great adjustability - sliding and reclining. And the also redesigned 3rd row offers up to 170 cm of headroom. The XC90’s rear seats have always been useable, so these should make it the genuine 7-seater that Volvo claims it to be!

All the engines are 4-cylinder 2-litre units. For diesel, there’s the 225 bhp 470 Nm twin turbo-D5 offering in the region of 47 mpg (6 l / 100 km) and the 190 bhp 400 Nm turbo-D4 offering up to 50 mpg (5 l / 100 km).

As regards petrol power, the supercharged and turbocharged T6 with 320 bhp and 400 Nm and the 254 bhp 350 Nm T5 don’t have any economy statistics to go with them yet. They all come with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

There’s also a 400 bhp hybrid T8 which combines a supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor. CO2 emissions are 64 g/km.

You can specify the XC90 with four-zone climate control for front and 2nd-row passengers, and a 3rd-row air con unit is definitely available, although Volvo has just said that it’s “standard or optional depending on the market”.

Volvo’s Adaptive Cruise Control with Pilot Assist will not only operate the accelerator and brake, but also the steering, in stop-and-go traffic.

Take a look at the XC90 in action in this short video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNfkGkVXqFI