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Volvo, the safe-car company your parents loved, is remaking itself for a changing future. All models introduced by 2022 will have electrified variants. At the same time, information technology'south pushing ahead on safety, including cocky-driving, because it's the driver who's responsible for 95 percent of fatal accidents.

Here's a hands-on look at iv key 2022 Volvos, all of them upscale, all loaded with standard condom features, and all just one offer hybrid and gasoline variants in advance of 2022. We tested the stretched S90 sedan that competes on luxury with big BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes, the XC90 midsize SUV that kicked off Volvo'southward resurrection in 2022, the XC60 compact SUV likely to be Volvo's best-seller in the about future, and the V90 midsize station carriage.

By 2022, every Volvo introduced will be have electrified variants (in improver to gasoline engines): a plug-in hybrid, a mild hybrid running off a 48-volt system, or a pure battery electrical vehicle.

Volvo's Mandate: Become Greenish, Push Toward Autonomous

Volvo's recent electrification pledge says all lines introduced for 2022 and across will be electrified. There will be a plug-in hybrid, which is offered on the four cars tested hither and represents Volvo's nearly powerful engine (400 hp), a 48-volt hybrid with a lithium-ion bombardment pack; and/or a pure electric vehicle.

For efficiency, all Volvo combustion engines onward will exist four or three cylinders. The turbocharged base of operations engine is called the T5, delivering 240 hp, and is typically front-drive-but.

The center engine is the T6, turbocharged (the impeller driven by frazzle gas) and supercharged (driven by a belt), producing 316 hp, delivered with all-wheel-drive.

400-hp Volvo T8 engine

The pinnacle-of-the-line T8 engine is a plug-in hybrid with turbocharger and supercharger, producing 400 hp. All are four cylinders. Collectively, Volvo calls this high-efficiency engine architecture Drive-Due east. In the United states of america, these are gasoline engines. In many other countries, Volvo will too offering diesel engines.

Most Volvos have three trim lines (levels): Momentum (base of operations), R-Design (sporty), and Inscription (premium).

Volvo says it has the virtually comprehensive suite safe suite versus competitors. It is pushing toward autonomous driving as a safety feature. Volvo has vowed that no one should be seriously injured or killed in a Volvo by 2022. Already, the company has Level 2 autonomy — multiple systems driving the car, just always with the driver'southward hands on or near the bicycle — in the most of current version of Pilot Assist. It will skip Level three (full autonomy some of the time, but the driver must exist prepare to speedily have over) for Level 4 (full autonomy, with advance notice if the commuter needs to accept over).

Volvo S90: 5 inches longer, to-Die-for-Cockpit

New a year ago, the 2022 Volvo S90 (main image) gets a significant 5-inch bump in length to 200 inches, putting it midway between the full-size BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and the midsize five Series and E-Course. The back seat now is limousine-spacious. It reclines, heats, and cools. The side and back shades block the sun and curious outsiders. The interior leathers are fabled, equally is the stitching on the dashboard seams. The front end seats take back massagers.

On battery power, the T8 plug-in version of Volvo's largest sedan travels 17 miles (EPA rating) on the 10.4 kWh lithium ion battery. Tromp the throttle and it rockets to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds with a bit more clatter than the competitions' gas-engine offerings (they have hybrids every bit well). I drove the model with a $i,200 air suspension that smoothed the ride considerably; other testers have said Volvo's standard suspension can feel jouncy at times. Pilot Assist worked well.

The base Volvo S90 with the T5 engine starts at $49,095 including shipping, undercutting the base price of the 5 Series and E-Class (the Audi A6 starts $545 cheaper). My fully equipped examination car came in at just over $80,000, including the T8 drivetrain, Inscription trim, convenience parcel, and rear seat luxury parcel. Every rubber feature comes standard on all S90s; the Momentum, but non the Inscription, makes optional two driver assists, a 360-degree camera system and steerable headlamps.

For condolement — make that extreme comfort — and roominess for four, you'll pay $100,000-plus from the other European automakers. The full-size luxury market place will exist most 50,000 units this year, the midsize luxury market (where the S90 is typically placed) will be nigh 280,000. Volvo will brand inroads no affair how it'southward categorized.

Volvo V90 carriage comes in R-Pattern (sporty) and Inspiration (upscale) trims.

Volvo V90 Wagon: Exclusively Small-scale Volumes

The midsize luxury station wagon is one of the smallest car categories. There's the Mercedes-Benz E-Class carriage, the Jaguary XF Sportbrake (this fall/winter), and at present the Volvo V90, sibling to the S90 but without the lengthened chassis. In that location are also couple meaty wagons: the Audi A4 Allroad, BMW iii Series, and Volvo V60. Requite Volvo credit for being in this select group.

Compared with indigestible Volvo wagons of yore, the ones with "Split Wood Not Atoms" bumper stickers, the V90 is sleeker and gives up a bit of cargo capacity.  Information technology rides well enough, especially with the optional air intermission. The interior is well washed, every bit in the S90.

The line includes the V90 R-Blueprint, the least expensive of the lot at $l,945 in front-drive grade with the T5 (turbo just) engine, through $58,945 for the base Inscription (no Momentum V90) with all-wheel-drive and T6 (turbo and supercharger) engine, and about $70,000 for a fully optioned Inscription.

Because of expected low sales book, at nigh dealers the V90 will be special-order, and there'due south no T8 hybrid currently offered. Interestingly, premium wagons attract premium buyers. Mercedes says buyers of the E-Class wagon have the highest income demographics of all Benzes, even higher than for the S-Class sedan or the GLS SUV.

XC90 is the biggest Volvo, with three rows, and the biggest seller in the US.

Volvo XC90: Standing Improvements

The Volvo XC90 midsize SUV was the kickoff Volvo, in 2022, to use the modular engine architecture (turbo, turbo/supercharger, plug-in hybrid) and Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) that allows Volvo to build midsize and meaty vehicles from the same basic platform. It continues for 2022 with upgrades to the most electric current safe technologies. It'due south the one Volvo with 3 rows of seating and information technology's currently Volvo's best-seller, with 12,031 sold in the commencement half of the twelvemonth, versus 46,737 for the leader, the Lexus RX.

The T8 hybrid keeps the large Volvo's fuel economic system reasonable for the class at 25 mpg overall, 2-three mpg better than the non-PHEV XC90s. Acceleration isn't much different from the T6 (turbo, supercharger) XC90 because the plug-in weighs an extra 450 pounds. Fifty-fifty though noise insulation is start-rate, some buyers paying this kind of coin — $45,845 to $105,000 for a special XC90 Excellence edition — may find the engine less shine than competitors' half-dozen- and eight-cylinder offerings.

Volvo XC60 is in the biggest segment: compact SUVs.

Volvo XC60 Crossover: the Sales Leader

I tested the Volvo XC60 compact crossover/SUV before in the year. The biggest difference was the improvement in Pilot Assist II, Volvo's Level 2 autonomous driving organization. The XC60 now seems better tracking around sharper curves on Interstates, as well as almost curves on 55 mph country roads that weren't also twisty. Every bit with other vehicles with semi-democratic driving or but adaptive prowl command, information technology can be startled when a machine changes lanes and cuts just in front end of you.

Either I've put more miles on Pilot Assist and experience comfortable letting the car drive me, or Volvo has connected to tweak the software since we drove the first production XC60s in the jump. Regardless, Pilot Assist is impressive, and roughly on par with Tesla Autopilot. You lot do have to proceed your hands lightly on the wheel. Take them off for ten-15 seconds and you lot'll be warned, and if y'all ignore the warnings, it shuts off (with another alarm prompt) and returns control to the driver.

The XC60 is in the most competitive and biggest automotive segment, the compact crossover. Amongst premium compacts, the Audi Q5 is the benchmark and the Acura RDX is the sales leader, with 26,276 sold the first one-half of 2022 versus 8,809 for the XC60.

Premium compact SUV safe features (source: Volvo)

Volvo makes a big bargain well-nigh how many safety features it offers relative to the competition (chart above). It is impressive. Curiously, on the XC60, Volvo makes optional its blind spot detection, to which Volvo adds steering assist to pull you back into lane if yous try to alter lanes into the path of another car. Adaptive cruise control is too optional here, even though mainstream automakers Honda and Toyota brand information technology virtually standard. Volvo says information technology distinguishes between rubber features (standard) and driver assists (optional on some models).

Volvo sells the XC60 with all-wheel-drive, all 3 engines, and all three trim lines: Momentum, R-Blueprint, and Inscription. Prices start at $42,495 for a T5 Momentum and reach almost $70,000 for a loaded XC60 T8 (hybrid) Momentum.

Cockpit of the Volvo V90 railroad vehicle (Inscription trim line).

Should You Buy?

B&W premium audio.

For someone who appreciates luxury, value, and roominess, the Volvo S90 is a very good sedan, well-priced against midsize Audi-BMW-Lexus-Mercedes competitors and a bargain compared with their full-size offerings. Just don't look it to handle quite besides every bit the big Audis and Benzes. On this machine especially, where the price tin hit $80,000, the $3,200 upgrade for the Bowers and Wilkins 1,100-watt, 15-speaker sound arrangement is worthwhile.

The V90 is a worthy competitor to the Mercedes-Benz Due east-Grade wagon. But it may be a while until other motorists railroad train themselves to think, "There goes repose wealth."

The XC90 midsize crossover continues to be tweaked and improved every bit it approaches its third year. Cockpit fit and stop is excellent. Larger passengers might wish for more than backseat room. Information technology'south an excellent highway cruiser and the only Volvo with 3 rows of seats.

Volvo Sensus infotainment system.

All these Volvos have superb safe systems. Pilot Assistance is very good, a match for other Level two autonomous systems as well as Tesla'south Autopilot, which has been variously called Level 3 and, more accurately, Level 2.

They all also incorporate Apple tree CarPlay and Android Auto. The 9-inch vertical Sensus touch screen is Volvo's pride and joy. Consumer Reports calls it "unintuitive [and] frustrating to use," and it might all-time exist described equally easy to use in one case you spend a couple weeks getting familiar with it. But think of Sensus every bit an in-nuance tablet — and if yous don't come across what you lot demand, tap the card button beneath the screen, or swipe left and correct. Or use the vocalization menus.

J.D. Power's current Vehicle Dependability Study (of iii-year-old vehicles) finds Volvo only in a higher place average, essentially tied with Audi, Cadillac, and Lincoln; beneath leaders Lexus (No. 1 overall with Porsche), Mercedes-Benz and BMW; and ahead of Acura and Infiniti.