Test drive Volvo S90 vs BMW 5
The S90 is so safe that it can distinguish between moose on the track and avoid collisions. Meanwhile, the "five" gathered spectators at a large shopping center - she knows how to leave the parking lot without a driver inside
The Scandinavian Defense is used in chess to knock White out of his usual play and seize the initiative. Volvo is hoping for the S90 flagship sedan like a chess player for the black queen. The LED "Thor's hammers" in the headlights are burning with a cold fire, the concave radiator grille bears thin chrome fangs - for the first time in many years Volvo is not lost against the background of BMW, especially such as the newest 5-Series.
The Volvo S80 was a very good car in terms of equipment and driving characteristics, but its production began back in 2006. Every year the lag behind the reference in the business class German sedans only increased. In addition, the appearance of the "eighties" was too "herbivorous", while its heir is a real predator.
The silhouette of the S90 has a classic rear-wheel-drive business-class sedan with a multi-cylinder engine under the long bonnet, but the S90 is actually built on a front-wheel-drive platform. The motors are only four-cylinder, and they are located transversely. For the sake of visual effect, the front axle was moved to the nose, and the cockpit was moved back. In order to keep the low bonnet line, even the front air struts were abandoned - the visual effect is put at the head of everything.
Volvo speaks premium language quite fluently, but with a distinctive accent. It seems to be repeating Hoffmeister's bend for BMW, but in its own way. The feed of the "Swede" turned out to be heavy, and the combination of lights and a folded trunk lid looks cumbersome.
Despite the efforts of the designers, the S90's formidable appearance literally exudes friendliness. Strangers easily come up during shooting, ask to take a selfie, look into the salon, and ask for details. The gloomy aura of the BMW 5-Series, on the contrary, protects passengers from gazes and unnecessary questions. A classic BMW is a car that cannot be confused with any other.
Three separate air intakes in the front bumper - the most visible feature of cars with the M Sport package
The question is which model is in front of us. The new "five" is the spitting image of the 7-Series flagship sedan, only smaller. The same swollen nostrils, headlights adhered to them, the differences between cars are not so striking. The differences in the suspensions are small: there is a double wishbone in front, a lightweight multi-link at the rear, but air bellows cannot be installed on the 5-Series. The modular CLAR platform with advanced electronic systems is more than a serious classroom application.
In terms of dimensions, the new "five" is not far from the previous generation car: the S90 is much larger than the S80, but inferior in height. Volvo is slightly longer than BMW due to its massive stern, and the wheelbase of the Swedish sedan is smaller. Logically, the S90 should lead in trunk volume and give way in space in the back row. But in fact, the difference in trunks is only 30 liters in favor of BMW, but Volvo can boast of the width of the opening and a separate hatch into the salon.
Long-legged passengers in the S90 will be more comfortable: there is more headroom between the knees and backrests. These are, firstly, the advantages of a front-wheel drive "transverse" platform, and secondly, the importance of movement in the back row, instilled in Volvo by the new Chinese owner.
BMW's focus has traditionally been on the driver, so getting into the second row is less comfortable: the seat cushion is longer, the doorway is narrower, and the sill is curved. The legroom in comparison with the previous generation has increased nominally - only by a centimeter. It cannot be said that the back row of the "five" is terribly crowded. In the height of the ceiling and the width of the cabin at the shoulders, it has a small, but still an advantage over the S90.
In the equipment of the second row, the cars have parity: an air conditioning unit with two zones, air ducts in the racks and heated seats. The climate control panel of the Swedish sedan is newfangled, touch-sensitive. In addition, the Swedes do not forget about various useful little things like a household 230 volt outlet or a baby booster built into the seat.
The key-fob from the "five" noticeably pulls back the pocket. It comes close to a mobile phone in size and number of functions: color touchscreen display and wireless charging. From it you can not only unlock the car, raise the trunk lid and turn on the climate control, but even remotely control the car.
You slide your finger along one drawn arrow, the sedan moves forward, along the other - back. In theory, this allows you to roll the car out of a tight parking pocket, in practice - to gather around the "five" spectators. The leather-trimmed S90 key fob is smaller and simpler, and the buttons on the end are not very comfortable.
The 5-Series offers a variety of color finishes, this brown is called Mokka
"Five" tightly closes the doors with closers behind the passengers, the set tone of communication maintains a strict and solid interior - almost the same as in the "seven". This is not a house, but the manager's personal account. And at the same time, the driver, who is again a priority - only his seat can be equipped with the massage function.
The seat, like a business suit, adjusts exactly to the figure - even the upper and lower back can be individually adjusted. BMW is gradually, as if reluctantly, yielding to the onslaught of modern technology - the tastes of most buyers are all conservative. The edges of the dials violate the virtual smoothness of the dashboard, the touch keys on the center console are adjacent to the real buttons and knobs.
Volvo seems to deliberately underestimate the age of the audience - there are a minimum of physical buttons on the console, and the vertically elongated screen with the Home button is a format that is well understood by a confident smartphone user. The interior of the S90 is homely cozy, like in grandfather's apartment on Kutuzovsky. The cover of the compartment on the central tunnel with slats made of natural wood resembles parquet, on which it was so delightful to roll cars in childhood. The trims on the dashboard and doors evoke the bulging backs of Viennese chairs.
Volvo S90's cream seats can be combined not only with the black interior, but also with the cream
The Swedes do not adhere to strict business etiquette - this is evidenced by the lack of door closers. At the same time, it is almost the same as on a BMW, a high-end Bowers & Wilkins audio system with aluminum speaker grilles. On Volvo it is less powerful, but only advanced music lovers will feel the difference in sound, and the rest will like it equally. The front seats are only slightly inferior in terms of the number of adjustments to the German ones, but they are no less comfortable and can massage not only the driver, but also the passenger.
A shiny switch starts the S90 motor, while driving modes are controlled by scrolling the faceted cylinder. You don't need to get used to everything else - here are the most common paddle shifters. However, BMW is now also - from the non-fixed switches have been abandoned due to the numerous requirements of the customers of the rental offices.
The automatic transmission joystick is still devoid of fixed positions, but getting into the desired one is easy, and the Parking mode is activated by a separate button. Looks like a cutting edge gadget, especially with a ceramic finish. Not like a simple Volvo lever that moves in a straight slot with noticeable effort.
The diesel S90 D5 starts briskly, without a hitch - the secret is in the PowerPulse system, which helps to spin the turbine using compressed air, which is stored in a two-liter cylinder. The initial impulse is good even in comparison with the six-cylinder unit of the BMW 530d - its turbo lag is noticeable even in sport mode.
Only four cylinders are hidden under the long hood, in addition, located across
The power of the engines is close: 235 Swedish forces against 249 German ones. But miracles do not happen, and two liters with 480 Nm of torque are opposed by three liters with 620 Newton meters. BMW in spurt up to 100 km / h brings Volvo a second and a half, and the speedometer needle reaches 250, while the ceiling of the S90 is 230 km per hour. The diesel of the "five" is noisier at idle, but sounds good during acceleration, while the Volvo one is quiet and intelligent. According to the passport, BMW is more economical, but in fact the onboard computer showed 11,5 liters - a whole liter more than Volvo's.
Both cars are all-wheel drive: BMW has a front axle, Volvo has a rear axle. But in corners, the sedans are equally balanced. And of course, the stabilization system in the Swedish car is tuned stricter. The S90's chassis feels a bit of a mismatch due to the padded rear air struts that allow the stern to swing and the front spring suspension to mark the road junctions. However, the S90 is comfortable even on 20-inch wheels and in "dynamic" mode, which crushes the shock absorbers. Broken Moscow asphalt is his element. At the same time, the car is controlled accurately, and the lighter the effort on the steering wheel, the more transparent the feedback.
The new 5-Series is a comfortable car by BMW standards, but it still has a lot of sport. Powerful brakes here, like a sports car. The wheels are smaller in diameter, but wrapped in runflat tires with stiff sidewalls. The responsive BMW steering wheel is heavy at low speeds, which makes parking turn into a warm-up for the arms and shoulders. At the same time, the 5-Series strikes with unambiguous chassis tuning, precise responses and a driving character, just like the Volvo captivates with comfort.
The S90 automatic braking system is able to distinguish between moose and other large animals, but in a sluggish traffic jam it is frightened by a rusty GAZelle driving in the next lane and hits the brakes. With autonomous driving, things are better - the Pilot Assist system is activated at the push of a button, confidently keeps the distance and goes through gentle turns.
BMW has a similar arsenal, but it needs to be looked after. If Volvo sees well even the worn out markings, the "five" now and then loses the row, even with a double solid. In theory, the German sedan is able to rebuild itself. In fact, it happens like this: first you hold the direction indicator for a long time, wait for a reaction, and then you catch a car that did not want to stay in the next lane. So far, BMW is better at driving cars than cars that go without.
Prices for the S90 are quite premium. The diesel version of the D5 with all-wheel drive in the simplest configuration costs $ 41. This is at the level of the diesel Mercedes-Benz E 730 (200 hp) and more expensive than the Audi A194 6 TDI and BMW 2.0d with 520 hp engines. The test "five" with a 190-cylinder unit and all-wheel drive costs at least $ 6, and good equipment will require more money than in the case of Volvo.
The new S90 sedan complies with the conventions of the business class, but at the same time turned out to be quite distinctive. It looks like Volvo's debut was a success and the black queen was not eaten by the enemy. The S90 is a small revolution: the Swedish company now has much to offer in the premium segment beyond its much-praised safety. The "five" is the result of continuous evolution. This is a BMW, and it simply cannot be different.
| Body type | Sedan | Sedan |
| dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4936/1868/1466 | 4963/1879/1443 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2975 | 2941 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 144 | 152 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1770 | 1779 |
| Permissible total weight, kg | 2385 | 2230 |
| engine's type | Diesel 6-cylinder, turbocharged | Diesel 4-cylinder turbocharged |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 2993 | 1969 |
| Power, hp with. at rpm | 249 at 4000 | 235 at 4000 |
| Max. torque, Nm at rpm | 620 at 2000-2500 | 480 at 1750-2250 |
| Transmission, drive | AKP8, full | AKP8, full |
| Maximum speed km / h | 250 | 230 |
| Acceleration to 100 km / h, from | 5,4 | 6,8 |
| Fuel consumption (city / highway / mixed), l | 6,2/4,9/5,4 | 5,7/4,3/4,8 |
| Cargo space, l | 530 | 500 |
| Price from, $. | 47 480 | 41 730 |
The editors would like to thank O1 Properties and the administration of the Stanislavsky Factory business center for their help in organizing the shooting.
