Next Volvo S80

[Rainer271]

Volvo wants to grab 5-Series, A6, XF customers with more distinctive S90
Replacing the aging S80

Volvo has announced the upcoming S90 will act as a direct adversary for the BMW 5-Series, Audi A6 and the recently unveiled Jaguar XF.

Fueled by the success of the XC90, Volvo has high hopes for the S90 which will serve as a replacement for the aging S80. According to company's vice-president of product strategy, Lex Kerssemakers, they want the S90 to grab customers who would usually go for the 5-Series, A6 and XF. A wagon version labeled V90 has already been confirmed and will be out shortly after the sedan which is programmed to come out towards the end of the year.

Kerssemakers says the S90 will be more distinctive than the XC90 and will have all the assets to rival the big boys especially in markets such as China and U.S. where bigger sedans are still popular even though in most other markets the demand is diminishing.

Since the S90 will attack the mid-size segment, this leaves room for a larger model likely labeled "S100" to tackle the 7-Series, A8, S-Class and XJ. If green-lighted for production, it will share the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) with the S90 from where it will inherit the beefier engines which all have four cylinders. The most powerful new-gen Volvo hardware setup available now is a T8 Twin Engine 2.0-liter supercharged & turbocharged gasoline motor working together with an electric motor granting a combined output of 400 PS (294 kW) and 640 Nm (472 lb-ft) in the fresh XC90.

Source: autocar.co.uk

 

[slicknick]

Another very important vehicle for the Volvo brand...Well, the XC90 seems to be doing well thus far, w/ ~24,000 orders already in the bag...Hope this one also helps them get the sales figures they've been looking for...

That aside, looking forward to this thing really, the S80 has been a bit too long in the tooth for my liking

 

[KiwiRob]

But they are still hamgstrung by only offering 4 cylinder engines, when the opposition offer, 4's, 6's, 8's and hybrids.

 

[Mr Robert]

But they are still hamgstrung by only offering 4 cylinder engines, when the opposition offer, 4's, 6's, 8's and hybrids.

I'd say it's the other way around. They're first to the party. This will be the norm.

 

[Giannis]

I'd say it's the other way around. They're first to the party. This will be the norm.

I believe they should still offer an inline six as their top of the line. A four pot is the most common engine configuration in Europe. There should be something more than that available.

That said, their top of the line gasoline hybrid offering is quite powerful for a four pot and doesn't fall back in power output to the German offerings...

 

[martinbo]

Personally I feel that the next XC60 is Volvo's most important next-gen product. Turbo-fours with optional hybrid-augmentation in two and four wheel drive guises. I reckon that's the vital model right there.

 

[Centurion]

Another very important vehicle for the Volvo brand...Well, the XC90 seems to be doing well thus far, w/ ~24,000 orders already in the bag...Hope this one also helps them get the sales figures they've been looking for...

That aside, looking forward to this thing really, the S80 has been a bit too long in the tooth for my liking

The outgoing XC90 was immensely popular abroad and kept Volvo afloat for many year until sales eventually weaned and they had to be rescued. In Scandinavia, the S80 has always been in the shadow of the V70 which is arguably the most popular car in Sweden.

For the S90 to make an impact on foreign or even domestic markets, it will need to be something very special.

 

[klier]

I'd say it's the other way around. They're first to the party. This will be the norm.

In 15 years maybe, but right now it's simply a cheap solution to a problem other brands don't have.

In Scandinavia, the S80 has always been in the shadow of the V70 which is arguably the most popular car in Sweden.

Not just Sweden, the whole of Europe I would say. The '850' V70 is the most important Volvo, and the icon of the brand.

 

[KiwiRob]

That said, their top of the line gasoline hybrid offering is quite powerful for a four pot and doesn't fall back in power output to the German offerings...

The reviews of this power train haven't been all that good. Which ever way you look at it a tubo 4 is not the same as a turbo 6 or 8. I know this is good for Europe and if I was buying one it would be a 4 cylinder diesel, but Europe isn't the US or Russia where people with money don't give a crap and like vehicles big engines.

 

[Giannis]

The reviews of this power train haven't been all that good.

I haven't read any reviews, to be honest. I only saw the official power figures.

 

[KiwiRob]

The outgoing XC90 was immensely popular abroad and kept Volvo afloat for many year until sales eventually weaned and they had to be rescued. In Scandinavia, the S80 has always been in the shadow of the V70 which is arguably the most popular car in Sweden.

Rescued by who, it was developed when they were still part of Volvo Group and sold well under Ford and was still selling well when Ford sold them to Geely.

Volvo sold Volvo cars when they needed the cash to buy Scania and consolidate in the heavy truck, bus and construction equipment market. Volvo were then told they could not buy Scania because it would control to much of the European market, this was a stupid decision and makes no sense, in the end Scania became a member of the VW Group along with M.A.N. making VW the largest player in Europes bus and truck market.

 

[Gianclaudio]

The reviews of this power train haven't been all that good. Which ever way you look at it a tubo 4 is not the same as a turbo 6 or 8. I know this is good for Europe and if I was buying one it would be a 4 cylinder diesel, but Europe isn't the US or Russia where people with money don't give a crap and like vehicles big engines.

KiwiRob and his ever changing "logic":

Have you ever driven an EVO X or WRX STi, no lack of power with them 4 cylinder motors? You also realise that Audi, BMW and Mercedes sell more 4 cylinder powered vehicles than they sell of 6, 8 & 12 cylinder engines combined. Besides a 400hp 4 cylinder with battery is gonna give you plenty of poke, you probably won't even notice it's not an 8. I live in Norway so not being able to get a multi cylinder engine won't cause me any concern at all, a 180hp diesel is the sweet spot here.

My wifes 170hp Touran performs just as well (seat of my pants here) as the near 300hp Ford Flex we had as a rental in the US last month, with the Touran you don't need to stop every 300 miles to fill up.

http://www.germancarforum.com/threads/volvo-announces-eight-speed-auto-new-diesel-technology.48786/

 

[KiwiRob]

KiwiRob and his ever changing "logic":

MY logic hasn't changed at all, what I said was applicabel to the European market, in other posts if you can be bothered to look them up I've always said Volvo's strategy is great for Europe and will not be a problem there but in other markets like Russia and the US people buying these cars don't want 4 cylinder engines in their premium autos.

If you've seen under the bonet of a new XC90 you'd notive it's narrow but quite deep, I think a transverse V6 or V8 engine could easily fit. Since they have a modular 3-4 cylinder engine right now it wouldn't be difficult to build a V6 or V8.