2016 Volvo S90 Inscription new car review

Beauty makes us do funny things. 

It can bypass character flaws, forgo practical options or distract to the point of danger, contributing to plenty of interesting decisions made on the basis of looks alone.  It might even convince people in the usually straight-laced executive sedan segment to forget about the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes in favour of Volvo's new S90.

Just look at it. 

Those classic proportions, the chiselled concave grille, 'Thor's hammer' LED headlights, crystalline rear lamps and sizeable 20-inch wheels lend the S90 rolling gravitas that could surpass key rivals. 

It won't be mistaken for anything else, unlike Audi or Mercedes sedans affected by the Babushka Doll school of styling. And it's certainly more intriguing than the outgoing BMW 5-Series that feels more conservative than Cory Bernadi.

The attraction continues on the inside, where the S90 follows its XC90 SUV sibling to market with a beautifully executed cabin. It's a clean space with sweeping lines, fine ergonomics and an airy feeling accentuated by the lighter trim colours on its palette. 

Our test example featured a mix of light and dark leather, brushed metal and matte-finished open-pore wood that would be home in a model pitched at twice the price. The same goes for its digital offering, which includes a 12.3-inch widescreen digital instrument cluster and nine-inch portrait-oriented iPad-style display in the centre console. 

The screen looks better integrated than the whopping slab of glass in a Tesla Model S or snowboard-like plank on the Mercedes E-Class dashboard, though mastering its finer functions requires patience. The design excellence continues in the rear, where back-seat occupants have access to elegant, touch-sensitive climate controls along with well-bolstered seats, though the rear room is adequate if not luxuriant, and it loses points for a sunroof that doesn't extend beyond the front headrests.

Currently available in one trim line with a choice of petrol or diesel power, the S90 shares the fundamentals of its chassis and engines with the XC90 SUV.

Walk into a dealership today and you'll find the S90 in D5 diesel or T6 petrol and mid-spec Inscription form, both driving all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Cheaper front-wheel-drive D4 and T5 front-wheel-drive Momentum models arrive closer to Christmas priced from $79,900.

The current opening act is a $96,900 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel D5 that offers 174kW and 480Nm of grunt, enough to dash to 100km/h in 7.3 seconds while using 5.1L/100km of fuel. What the numbers don't say is that it is the first Volvo to use an ingenious "PowerPulse" system designed to minimise turbo lag, storing compressed air in a tank next to the engine that sends a blast of air into the turbocharger to spool it up faster than exhaust gases could.

While Volvo can't numerically quantify the improvement offered by its PowerPulse system, the seat-of-the-pants impression is that this turbo diesel motor offers a reasonably urgent response along with adequate acceleration for a car of its class. It's fairly quiet, too (unless you're accelerating at full throttle), and the eight-speed auto does a good job keeping it on the boil.

Pay $98,900 and you'll get access to the more powerful S90 T6 with its 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine producing 235kW and 400Nm peaks that translate to 7.3L/100km peaks and a reasonable 5.8 seconds 0-100km/h time.

Immediately more responsive than its diesel sibling, the T6 also feels nimbler on the road, with less inertia than the D5. Zipping comfortably up to highway speed with a muted burp from the exhaust on full-throttle gear changes, the T6 idles away quietly in top gear on the open road.

Volvo backs both engines with a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and a "SmartCare" capped price servicing scheme that offers coverage ranging from $2095 for three years and 45,000 kilometres to $6925 for five years and 75,000 kilometres.

The Inscription trim tested here builds on the strong standard kit of entry level S90 models – think four-zone climate control, a fully digital dashboard and powered boot – with fine Nappa leather, walnut wood trim, smart keys and 19-inch wheels.

Options include an 18-speaker Bowers and Wilkins stereo for $4500, a $2500 leather dashboard covering, $1900 metallic paint and more, including a $3000 Tech pack that brings digital radio, a 360-degree camera, Apple CarPlay and a head-up display.                                      

All S90 models feature the brand's full suite of active driver aids that builds on basics such as active cruise control, blind spot monitoring and self-parking features by adding three new elements. 

Rural road users may benefit from a new large animal detection capable of spotting cattle, camels or moose and braking to avoid a crash. While it may pick up prop-forwards staggering home from the pub, the system isn't calibrated to work with unique local fauna such as kangaroos, and Volvo is working on a fix. 

That system joins a new run-off road mitigation system - essentially active lane keeping assistance to help prevent inattentive drivers from running off the road, sounding a chime and helping steer the car back to safety when called upon.

But the headline-grabber is an extension to Volvo's semi-autonomous Pilot Assist system that allows it to work at speeds up to 130km/h, well more than the 50km/h or so of earlier versions.

The brand appropriately describes its latest IntelliSafe system as semi-autonomous, rather than marketing the suite of driver aids as self-driving. Impressive in perfect conditions – well lit multi-lane roads with clear lane marking and other cars serving as reference points – the system allows you to take your hands off the steering wheel for around 20 seconds at a time, safely staying within its lane on busy motorways such as Melbourne's Tullamarine Freeway.

The system sounds a warning chime and shuts off if you go hands-free for too long, requiring drivers to regain control immediately. Mercedes takes a different approach in the new E-Class, which features emergency provisions to safely stop the car and apply its hazard lights if drivers become unresponsive – surely a safer system in the event of a medical emergency.

Volvo's system is less convincing on suburban routes or country back roads. While it will get some corners right, many turns are too challenging for the safety suite, which can position the car on the wrong side of the road. It's much more at home in stop-start traffic, accelerating, braking and steering competently when roads become clogged.

This suggests it will be a long while before fully autonomous cars are ready to completely take over our transport needs. Volvo is at the forefront of self-driving vehicle research, and this flagship model with state-of-the-art tech is its most advanced model. But even the S90 is a long way from being considered a self-driving car.

Take control behind the wheel and you'll find that the S90 offers a classic luxury car experience. It's a sizeable machine that feels planted on the road, offering plenty of purchase from its (optional, $2850) 20-inch wheels and Pirelli P-Zero rubber.

The Volvo's steering isn't as sharp as the best in its class, and it doesn't quite have the taut body control of sportier models offered by Jaguar and BMW. But it does offer a comfortable ride – particularly when equipped with rear air suspension – and minimal road noise.

Our single-day drive of the S90 did not feature particularly challenging roads, so we'll have to reserve finer judgement of its chassis dynamics for a later date.

What we can say is that Volvo has not pursued the sort of sporting character targeted by some rivals. There are no shift paddles on the steering wheel, and the car doesn't have an aggressive sports mode – though that may change when a more focused R-Design trim line available in T8 form with 300kW and 640Nm of hybrid power arrives in the first half of 2017.

The range will continue to expand in 2017 with the addition of a V90 wagon version as well as a high-riding cross-country model, and we should expect to see a more powerful Polestar variant in the future.

This S90 does go about its business a little bit differently to more established luxury rivals while offering a genuine alternative to the dominant German triumvirate. It has the tech, refinement and luxury to run with the best in its class, and a distinctive look to woo customers away from the crowd.

2016 Volvo S90 Inscription pricing and specifications

Price: From $96,900 plus on-road costs

Engines: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel or turbo petrol

Power: 173kW at 4000rpm (diesel), 235kW at 5700rpm (petrol)

Torque: 480Nm at 1750-2250rpm (diesel), 400Nm at 2200-5400rpm (diesel)

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel-drive

Fuel use: 5.1L/100km (diesel), 7.3L/100km (petrol)

• For all the latest information, visit our Volvo showroom.