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The Volvo S60 is a luxury saloon car from the Swedish manufacturer first developed and released in 2000 although it's been updated since then and is now in its third generation. It became one of five new electric models launched in 2019 when it became available as a plug in hybrid model and has also been available as the S60 Polestar engineered version.
The Volvo S90 is an executive saloon that Volvo have manufactured since 2016, with the Volvo V90 being its estate version. It's become one of the first cars in the Volvo range to be offered only as an electrified model thanks to it's plug in hybrid engine and is a fierce competitor in the saloon class.
Our guide will compare the Volvo S60 vs S90 and highlight where the two models differ so that you can decide which model will suit you and your needs best.
Looking at dimensions alone, the S90 is 202mm longer and 9mm taller whilst the S60 is 145mm wider which makes both cars suitable if you have a full car of passengers.
Volvo has taken its reputation for square and slightly boxy shaped design and used it to their advantage when designing the S90 to make it stand out against its German competition. For the 2022 model year, the Volvo S90 was released as a plug in hybrid model only, with a petrol engine used in combination with an 11.6 kWh battery. In comparison to the previous petrol and diesel engines this is designed to give instant torque with smooth and quiet acceleration.
The Volvo S60 uses the brands Scalable Product Architecture model, as other models in the Volvo line up do, which Volvo have said allowed for "significant improvements when it comes to offering protection in worst-case scenarios and when creating innovative features that support the driver in avoiding accidents" and also helped to achieve weight reductions and support hybridisation.
There's no issues with styling or comfort in either the Volvo S60 or the Volvo S90, although the S90 has marginally more headroom in both the front and rear seats.
They both have three rear seat belts but do suffer with a middle rear seat that has a high transmission tunnel which means that any passenger sat there will need to share legroom with their neighbours, it might feel a bit tight for three adults to share comfortably.
The outer rear seats also have isofix child seat mounts fitted so that the whole family can travel together safely. This is paired with power child locks for each rear door too, giving you complete peace of mind that your little ones are safe and secure in their seats.
There's about 40 litres of difference in the amount of cargo space that they both have. The larger S90 holds 461 litres whilst the S60 will hold 427 litres and is reduced to 391 litres as a plug in hybrid.
Volvo is well known for it's additional touches that allow you to really use the car to suit your needs. Whether it's the luggage hook in the boot space or the laminated side and rear windows which help to reduce road noise, the Volvo S90 and S60 are designed with the user in mind.
There's a range of standard equipment on both the Volvo S60 and the Volvo S90 that you'd expect from luxury saloon cars.
This includes the full range of integrated Google Automotive Services with a 4 year data plan so that you can use those and other enabled apps such as Apple Carplay and Android Auto, LED day time running lights,
The Volvo S60 and Volvo S90 are very well matched for equipment, particularly in terms of safety. Both models have a full set of airbags which includes rear curtain, dual stage driver and passenger airbags, and a side impact protection system. Additionally, the S90 offers drivers knee airbags on top of these.
There are several instances where the two models differ in equipment at entry level. The S90, generally, has more to offer in terms of additional equipment. For example you can expect LED tail lamps with sequential indicators, adaptive brake lights with a high level led brake light, power tail gate, adaptive cruise control, a power integrated rear window sunblind, ambient door and instrument panel lighting, a 360 degree camera with side proximity sensors, and integrated rear door sun curtains.
The S90 also has a premium Harmon Kardon sound system which has Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound which really enhances the in car entertainment and really extends it to be a front and rear entertainment system.
The S60 only has a couple of differences in equipment; wireless phone charging, 4 zone climate control, and front LED fog lights but these are only available with the petrol model. Opting for the plug in hybrid removes these from the build.
The Volvo S90 Recharge and the Volvo S60 Recharge both come with a great plug in hybrid engine, the T8 AWD.
This is a 2.0 litre, 4 cylinder petrol engine which is supported by an 11.6kWh battery which can give you up to 54.1 miles of pure electric power according to Volvo. Combining the two together gives you a phenomenal 455HP: 310HP from the petrol engine and a further 145HP from the electric motor.
The T8 AWD can offer as much as 353mpg combined thanks to it's electric battery and also CO2 emissions as low as 17g/km. A plug in hybrid offers the best fuel economy and the most green option, although it does come with a larger price tag than its petrol equivalent.
As a plug in hybrid these also use regenerative braking, which is a great battery saver, to recoup some of the energy that would usually be lost when the car applies the brakes. Instead this energy is recaptured and sent back into the battery to be used at a later date when the car uses its automatic braking system.
The S60 also offers the B5 front wheel drive petrol engine, another 2.0 litre engine with a fuel tank capacity of 60 litres. This is capable of 250HP, less than the hybrid offers, and has fuel economy at 41.5mpg combined and CO2 emissions of 154 g/km.
Both the Volvo S60 and Volvo S90 are great options and alternatives to some of the more well recognised luxury saloon cars. They're spacious, offer great equipment, and are future proofed with their plug in hybrid options.
Our knowledgeable and friendly teams at our John Clark Volvo sites in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh are always on hand to answer any further questions that you may have and to show you the models in person.
