VOLVO is a manufacturer synonymous with family life - they’re practical, they’re spacious, they’re reliable and they’re very good at their job. Their owners, many of whom opt to stay loyal to the brand, will bleat on about their NCAP safety ratings, cavernous boots and rattle-free interiors but one thing they don’t tend to mention is how the ownership as a whole makes them feel.
That’s because they aren’t known as an exciting brand - many are often found clogging up a B and Q car park while their chino-wearing owners weigh up which magnolia paint they’re buying. Some of their cars are undeniably fast, but they’re fast in a disinterested way as they’re crammed with safety features which all but drive the car for you.
But Volvo’s been on a roll recently, spearheaded by the brilliant XC40, and there’s a very interesting car sitting near the summit of its model line-up in the form of the S90 T8 which has a very unordinary spec sheet. The 2.0-litre petrol unit might be commonplace in its range, available all the way from the V40 to the XC90, but in T8 guise it has a turbocharger, a supercharger and a battery pack which combines to create 390bhp.
Despite Volvo’s biggest saloon weighing almost two tonnes, that substantial amount of power is enough to rocket the S90 to 60mph in under five seconds thanks to its trick four-wheel-drive system and instantaneous torque generated by its clever engine. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, there’s no doubt about that, as its looks really don’t suggest just how potent it is, so you approach it like any other Volvo - it’s handsome but on the whole uninspiring to look at from any angle but head-on. The rear lights are a bit strange, it’s too boxy and the estate version - the V90 - is by far the better looking choice.
Open the door and you’re welcomed by vast expanses of soft leather, ultra-modern touchscreens and an expensive-feeling glass shifter for the eight-speed automatic gearbox. It’s classy, well-made and beautifully finished. Switch the car on and your ears don’t pick up a thing as by default it’s in its silent battery mode. Although it’s a growing trend in the motoring world, it still takes you by surprise when you move away without making a sound.
The T8 is a plug-in, so you can charge it using a normal three-prong household socket, leave it to do its thing for between five and eight hours overnight or while you’re at work and access a 25-mile range where you don’t have to use a drop of petrol. I’m generally not one for technology in cars and usually yearn for a simple experience, so if it impresses me it’s most certainly done its job. I’m a fan - it takes a minute to hook the lead up to a socket and commutes into work can, theoretically, be achieved without any fuel expenditure.
However, while in principle that’s fine, as with all hybrid systems it’s a bit of a false economy as you have to be featherlight on the throttle and annoy slow-moving HGVs on the motorway to keep costs down. Parents will know what I mean when I say it’s like walking on your tiptoes when your baby’s just drifted off to sleep - any heavy-foot motoring will awaken the petrol engine so you’re on a constant knife edge.
That’s a bit annoying when you’ve got 390bhp waiting to be deployed. Drive normally, using the petrol engine and hybrid motor together, and you’ll average about 26mpg which is neither horrific nor good for a car of the S90’s size. It’s phenomenally quick, though. While it’s not a shouty engine, it’s deceptive how it builds speed due to how quiet it remains so it’s lucky there’s a head-up display in front to keep your licence safe.
What’s important to mention is how good the foundations are: braking, steering - although inevitably not alive with feel - and its handling are all perfectly admissible for a two-tonne vehicle. Body roll shows itself if you’re being daft but the automatic gearbox shuffles through its speeds with an economy-minded change-up point, something which can be relaxed by selecting a pretty pointless ‘sport’ mode.
So, its price. The S90 in base spec costs £32,555 which represents excellent value for money. However, the T8 with every option ticked will set you back an eye-watering £62,000. A car of that price is not affordable to most but if you’re a company CEO who wants to stand out from the crowd of Audis and BMWs, the big T8 is definitely worth considering.
