After the XC90 and S90 comes Volvo’s latest model. It trades some size and usefulness for a sexy rear end

• Third member of Volvo’s “90” trio
• T5 and T6 versions likely for Singapore
• Smaller appetite for cargo than the Volvo estate norm, but better-looking
• Download a technical spec sheet below SINGAPORE

VOLVO’S NEWEST CAR is a station wagon, and unlike the boxy estate cars in the brand’s past, this one is sexy. It’s called the V90 and follows on the heels of the recently-revealed S90, which itself came after the XC90 seven-seater SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle).

The V90 has stretched proportions and, unlike on Volvo’s past estates,  the tailgate has a sporty rake to it. Those cars tended towards a near-vertical rear end in order to create more room.

The swoopy backside does trade space for looks; with seats folded the V90 can haul just 1,526 litres of cargo, and that includes underfloor storage. A modern mid-sized crossover like Renault’s Kadjar can carry more than that.

It’s also less than the 1,641 litres that the old V70 could lug around, while some versions of the 700/900-series wagons had space to fit a fold-up seat for two (small) passengers.

Still, Volvo probably has enough station wagon heritage for people to look past the drop in size. “In many people’s minds we are known as the definitive estate brand,” says Håkan Samuelsson, the president and chief exec of Volvo Cars.

All of Volvo’s “90” trio are built on the brand’s Scalable Platform Architecture, which will be used to underpin its bigger cars. Small models, meanwhile, will be based on a new platform that Volvo is working on with its corporate owner, China’s Geely.

Getting back to the V90, it shares the basic 2.0-litre engine range with its platform siblings. The petrol options so far are a 254hp T5 model (0 to 100km/h in 7.0 seconds) and a super- and turbocharged T6 with 320hp (6.1 seconds). The latter also has all-wheel drive.

There are D4 and D5 models, but those are unlikely to figure strongly in the car’s Singapore sales tally.

The flagship is the plug-in hybrid V90 T8 AWD, which combines the T6 engine with a rear electric motor and lithium-ion battery for 410hp worth of wallop. It hits 100km/h in 5.2 seconds, is rated for 2.1L/100km and can travel around 45km on battery power alone.

No word yet on whether that will make it to our market. Watch the XC90 T8 AWD — if that plug-in is eventually launched here, the V90 T8 has a chance. That would be a new combination, at least for Singapore: state-of-the-art tech with the art of the estate.

Download a spec sheet for the new Volvo V90 models here

Check out more pics of the sexy new V90 below:

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