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Expert Rating

Volvo V90

(2016 - present)

Expert Rating

New car score:

67
%
B

Used car score:

66
%
B

Expert Rating report card

Media Rating:

70
%
B

Safety Rating:

67
%
C

Eco Rating:

70
%
A

Reliability Rating:

81
%
B

Running Costs:

58
%
D

How are our Expert Rating scores calculated?

Expert Rating

New car score:

67
%
B

Used car score:

66
%
B

Expert Rating report card

Media Rating:

70
%
B

Safety Rating:

67
%
C

Eco Rating:

70
%
A

Reliability Rating:

81
%
B

Running Costs:

58
%
D

Summary

The Volvo V90 is a premium large estate car, the saloon version of which is called the S90. It was launched in 2016, with a lightly facelifted version arriving in the UK in early 2020. After being discontinued in Autumn 2023, Volvo has decided to bring the model back in 2024 due to rising demand for the estate bodystyle.

In addition to the regular V90 range, there is a more rugged version called the the V90 Cross Country aimed at owners who want more off-roading ability but don’t want an SUV.

The Volvo V90 has received consistently good ratings and several awards from the UK motoring media, although the model tends to sit in the shadow of its SUV sister, the enormously popular Volvo XC90. It has received widespread praise for its exterior and interior design, as well as its overall comfort levels. The driving experience is not as good as the class-leading BMW 5 Series Touring, but this is not necessarily a priority for a large estate model.

The Volvo V90 Cross Country has also received considerable praise and is considered an excellent compromise for those who want the ability to venture beyond the bitumen but would prefer a regular car to an SUV-style vehicle.

As of January 2025, the V90 has a New Car Expert Rating of B with a score of 67%, based on 64 different UK reviews. That’s a few points above the similar S90 saloon.

Key specifications

Body style: Large estate
Engines: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid
Price: From £50,315 on-road

Launched: Summer 2016
Last updated: Spring 2020
Discontinued: Autumn 2023

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert

+

Auto Express

+

Auto Trader

+

Business Car

+

Car

+

Car Keys

+

Carbuyer

+

Carwow

+

Company Car Today

+

Daily Mail

+

Daily Mirror

+

Eurekar

+

Evo

+

Green Car Guide

+

Heycar

+

Motors

+

Parkers

+

The Sun

+

The Sunday Times

+

The Telegraph

+

Top Gear

+

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: January 2017
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 95%
Child protection: 80%
Vulnerable road users: 76%
Safety assist: 93%

Eco rating

No eco rating

As of January 2025, the Volvo V90 has not been lab tested by Green NCAP.

Reliability rating

MotorEasy logo 600x167

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of January 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Volvo V90 to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the V90, we’ll publish the score here.

Running cost rating

Clear Vehicle Data logo close crop

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

CO₂ outputAverageScoreVariationScore
Petrol models171 g/kmC158 – 202 g/kmC – D
Diesel models164 g/kmC144 – 188 g/kmB – C
Plug-in hybrid models19 g/kmA18 – 47 g/kmA – A
Battery rangeAverageScoreVariationScore
Plug-in hybrid models53 milesC52 – 54 milesC – C
Insurance groupAverageScoreVariationScore
All models39C27 – 41B – D
Service and maintenanceCostScore
Year 1£330C
Year 2£815C
Year 3£1,239C
Year 4£1,476C
Year 5£1,936C
Overall£5,796C

The Volvo V90 estate is entirely average when it comes to running costs, according to numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data. Given that it’s a large petrol/diesel vehicle, that’s actually better than it looks.

As you can see from the tables above, the V90 scores a ‘C’ in pretty much every category. We don’t currently have fuel consumption data, but given that the CO2 scores for both the petrol and the diesel models are a C, it’s entirely likely that the fuel consumption scores would be similar.

Insurance and servicing costs are also slap-bang in the middle of our A-to-E scale. Although the plug-in hybrid looks to be very efficient on paper, scoring an A for its emissions, that’s simply a function of the rather useless EU/UK government lab tests that produce completely unrealistic results for plug-in hybrids.

On a positive note, an official battery range of more than 50 miles is very good for a plug-in hybrid (although nowhere near the range of a fully electric car), meaning that you can do most of your day-to-day running on electric power – as long as you are able to keep the battery charged on pretty much a daily basis.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Volvo V90 has received

2023

  • Auto Trader Awards – Best Car for Towing

2019

  • Car Dealer Magazine Awards – Best Used Executive Car

2017

  • UK Car of the Year Awards – Best Estate Car
  • Scottish Car of the Year Awards – Best Estate Car

2016

  • Top Gear Awards – Best Estate
  • Scottish Car of the Year Awards – Car of the Year + Best Estate Car

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Volvo V90, you might also be interested in these alternatives

Audi A6 Avant | BMW 5 Series Touring | Jaguar XF Sportbrake | Mercedes-Benz E-Class estate

More news, reviews and information about the Volvo V90 at The Car Expert

Everything you need to know about Volvo

Everything you need to know about Volvo

Volvo V60 and V90 estates back from retirement

Volvo V60 and V90 estates back from retirement

Volvo expands plug-in hybrid line-up

Volvo expands plug-in hybrid line-up

Volvo recalls more than 700,000 cars over emergency braking issue

Volvo recalls more than 700,000 cars over emergency braking issue

Updates to Volvo S90 and V90 models

Updates to Volvo S90 and V90 models

The best used estate cars for under £20,000

The best used estate cars for under £20,000

Volvo issues vehicle recall over fire risk

Volvo issues vehicle recall over fire risk

Most new diesel cars still pollute beyond legal limits

Most new diesel cars still pollute beyond legal limits

Volvo 90 series adds extra petrol potency

Volvo 90 series adds extra petrol potency

Volvo S90 and V90 gain new petrol engine

Volvo S90 and V90 gain new petrol engine

Volvo V90 Cross Country review

Volvo V90 Cross Country review

Safety body slams Ford Mustang over poor crash results

Safety body slams Ford Mustang over poor crash results

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The Volvo V90 has received consistently good media reviews, with high praise for its comfortable and stylish interior.Volvo V90