Our tester came with a "Mussel Blue Metallic," and extremely attractive choice for this very well-designed four-door.
Volvo has kept the exterior design very simply and dignified. It's not the boxy Volvo 240 of old, but it is the contemporary version that idea: draw attention to yourself by not drawing attention to yourself. Front to back, the S90 cuts a smoothly confident figure. For my money, this sedan looks better than anything Mercedes currently has on the road and is closing in on Audi territory.
The engine is way more complicated that the LaCrosse's. It's a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, with a turbocharger and and supercharger bolted on, making 316 horsepower. On the spec sheet, it doesn't look that different from the LaCrosse, and mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the fuel economy is about the same, 25 combined city/highway.
Of course, the combination of boost and blower means that S90 has some serious pop off the line when you put it in its sportier mode and can keep pouring on the power as you move north with the MPH. Too much pop and power-pouring, really, for my taste. One minute you've got a calm cruiser in your hands, the next you've got a wild thing. But fans of European sport sedans are going to want that.
The S90 actually compares favorably with the Audi sedans in this respect, although it doesn't quite edge in to BMW territory. The Buick doesn't do the sport sedan thing — for that, you will want to investigate the LaCrosse's little brother, the Regal GS.
Overall, the S90 is a meaningful departure from the good-old Volvo's of yesteryear and an solid update of the brand's cars from the 2000s and 2010s. But is also has an abundance of Nordic reserve.