Volvo V90 review

The V90’s interior is a properly relaxing place to sit, particularly with the bright leather, open-grain wood and stonking 18-speaker Bowers & Wilkins stereo (ideally cranked loud to drown out the kids) that you get in Ultra trim. Fit and finish is largely excellent and the seats are tremendous. The challenge for Volvo is that everyone is upping their game these days, and this is now a nine-year-old car...

But will my family fit?

Yes, assuming you don’t have 17 children and a clutch of fully grown Great Danes. There’s ample space for a family of four (the middle seat is compromised by the raised floor), however old the kids, and all of their stuff. That said the V90’s boot isn’t as big as its competitors’, which will come as a surprise to those who remember the cavernous Volvo wagons of yore.

In terms of sheer capacity a Mercedes E-Class can swallow more things than a V90. Seats up it's on par with the Audi A6 Avant and BMW 5 Series Touring, but lags behind once you fold them flat.

But that’s not to say the V90 is impractical – the cargo bay still has over 1,500 litres of space (551 litres with the seats up), there’s a clever divider that pops up from the floor to keep things from flying around and decent storage around the passenger cabin. All V90s get a power-operated, hands-free tailgate.

Need more space, or to occasionally carry seven people? Check out the XC90.

Tell us about the tech

The dashboard is largely free from buttons, with most functions accessed through the standard 9.0-inch portrait touchscreen. Yes, including the climate controls. We’d prefer physical knobs for turning the temperature up and down, like the big one directly under the screen that does volume, but Volvo’s integration of the controls into the screen is at least pretty easy to wrap your head around.

This infotainment system remains pleasing to the eye and, once you’ve figured out how the menus are organised, easy enough to use. It is starting to feel its age in places, but the car has been on sale for ages so it’s amazing it still feels as simple and fresh as it does. If you want a glimpse at the next generation of Volvo’s infotainment system, feast thine eyes upon an EX90.