Volvo likes doing things its own way – it has done that in the past, and the future appears no different!
A few years ago, Volvo announced that the largest combustion engine it will produce would be a 2.0L four-cylinder unit -so no more V6 or V8 motors- but to stay competitive on power, their new family of engines will be turbocharged and supercharged – on the same motor!
Volvo also started to invest heavily in electrified powertrains, and plans to offer only hybrid and electric vehicles in a couple of years time.
The vehicle being tested this week not only has that clever turbocharged and supercharged motor, but is also a plug in hybrid – ladies and gentleman, meet the Volvo S90 T8 Inscription.
This powertrain was first introduced about two-years ago on the Volvo XC90 SUV, but now -for the first time- it is being made available on a sedan, and what a sedan it is! This spacious sedan is not only comfortable for those who are sitting in the front, but also offers a lot of room for rear-seat passengers. In fact, my tester, which was the top-trim ‘Inscription’ model even had a fully adjustable rear seat (behind the front passenger seat) which would allow you to truly lounge – this is a proper luxury sedan. Usually, a sedan that has a lot of room in the back, looks like a stretched banana, but the lines of the S90 T8 Inscription are clean and smooth – this is a very attractive sedan to behold!
Step inside, and it is a perfect example of Swedish simplicity, which means, there is no clutter of anything, and yet it has everything! The layout is clean, with the right touches of wood and leather to offer an ambiance luxury car buyers seek. For all your infotainment needs, you get a touchscreen system – I typically don’t like touchscreen devices, but at least the unit in the Volvo works quite well; once you’ve learned how its menu system works. Perhaps, Volvo has thrown too many features in the touchscreen, but spend some time learning it, and it won’t be irritating anymore. Perhaps the best feature inside, are the massaging seats – I can easily spend all day in this car and not be tired!
The powertrain is certainly not tiring, because it is hardly ever out of grunt! As mentioned before, the S90 T8 has a 2.0L gasoline motor that is turbocharged and supercharged, and this on its own is good for 316 hp – but that’s not all. While the gasoline engine powers the front wheels, an electric motor powers the rear wheels, which is good for another 87 hp. Combined, you get 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque – which is very impressive.
While the electric motor has no transmission, the gasoline engine does – an eight-speed automatic that is smooth and quick. However, what most people looking at plug-in hybrid vehicles are interested in, is finding out what is its electric only range, and overall fuel consumption!
According to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), the S90 T8 can travel 34 km on a full charge (which takes 2hrs 40mins from a Level 2 charger). In my testing, I managed to get 30 km of driving on a full charge, which is respectable. On my test cycle, I averaged 6.9 L/100 km, which is really very good for a vehicle of this size.
Any complaints? Well, apart from the infotainment system requiring a little getting used to, all else is really quite good. It rides well, handles well, and offers you all the features you could possibly wish for. Sure, the steering wheel is not power adjusted, but that is due to safety reasons, and Volvo never compromises on safety.
Pricing for the 2018 Volvo S90 T8 Inscription start at $74,950 – however, you will get a $7000 rebate from the Ontario government for buying a ‘green’ vehicle. The rebate might not last however, since the new Premiere of Ontario, Doug Ford, is looking to abolish this incentive – so if you’re interested in buying a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle, do it before the incentive goes away!
Verdict: I didn’t think I was going to like the S90 T8 as much as I did, but it truly surprised and has won me over. Sure, there are faster, more powerful vehicles you can buy in this category, for about the same money, but the S90 T8 does everything so well, I’d be happy to live with one, every single day!