The most expensive Volvo of all time has arrived

With a starting price of $104,900, the Volvo XC90 T8 Excellence is the most expensive car the company has put into production. It's also the first time Volvo has crossed to the $100,000 mark on any of its production cars. Most significant, the XC90 Excellence is Volvo's clearest signal that it sees itself as a full-fledged luxury brand.

Volvo's new-found luxury tilt veers from the brand's traditional image as an inconspicuous, safe, and reliable option for the everyday commute. In recent years, Volvo has steadily moved from the near-luxury space into full-on luxury. As a result, the Swedish brand will how have to contend against stalwarts from Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Jaguar, and Land Rover. Instead of more pragmatic buyers, Volvo's stylish-minded offerings gives the brand access to a whole new group of customers.

"The Volvo XC90 Excellence is a fantastic expanded version of Volvo's idea of luxury. It brings together fantastic materials, uncompromising safety and performance into an amazing package," Volvo's Lex Kerssemakers said in a statement. "This car exposes Volvo to a new type of buyer." Last year, at the Shanghai auto show, Volvo introduced the concept version of the Excellence Interior and made the brand one of the hot topics of discussion.

Now, Volvo has turned the concept into a production car.