2022 Volvo S90 Review

Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz may have created and mastered the midsize luxury sedan, but that hasn't discouraged the disrupters. The Volvo S90 is a distinctly different flavor of European sedan, with its stately repose, airy, uncluttered interior, and singular focus on safety. The S90 doesn't try to match its rivals with staggering performance or invigorating high-speed handling. Instead it competes in areas like exceptional seat comfort, safety innovation (seats and headrests that adjust in milliseconds to prevent whiplash in a rear-end collision) and details, including a gear selector made from solid crystal and open-pore oak, ash and walnut interior trim. It's also among the few midsize luxury sedans available as a plug-in hybrid.

That plug-in hybrid model, known as the Recharge, gets a significant midyear update that includes a higher-capacity battery and a more powerful rear electric motor. The combination provides more power — a heady 455 horsepower — plus the ability to drive around 38 miles on a full charge, which is quite good for a plug-in hybrid. Recharging frequently can really help reduce your use of gasoline.

For 2022, the S90 also gets a 48-volt mild hybrid system for its base non-plug-in hybrid engine. It gives the S90 a slight boost in EPA-estimated fuel economy (1 mpg compared to last year's S90) and helps to smooth out operation of the engine's stop-start system while at stoplights. Techwise, Volvo has integrated a small suite of Google-based functions into the infotainment system, such as maps, voice assistant and smart home device controls. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration is a delayed feature that should arrive midyear.

While the S90 lacks the polish of established heavies like the BMW 5 Series or Lexus ES, it remains a compelling choice for a roomy and classy luxury sedan, especially if you pick the Recharge version. Read our Expert Rating below for a deeper dive into the S90's features and performance.

The Volvo S90 is a midsize luxury sedan that seats up to five passengers. It comes in three trims: Momentum, R-Design and Inscription. Each comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is both turbocharged and supercharged (316 horsepower, 295 lb-ft of torque) and an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is standard.