The time has come for Volvo’s S90 and V90 models to
receive their mid-life facelift, and our spies spotted a slightly camouflaged
V90 being tested on the road. The test car you see in the pictures made use of very little masking
tape front and rear, more specifically on the fog light surrounds up front and
on the lower parts of the rear bumper and part of the taillights.
As you might have guessed already, the facelifted
Volvo V90’s (and S90’s) visual changes will be really subtle and will include a
new lighting signature for the taillights, new fog lamps and refreshed trim
around the bumpers. The highlight of the facelift will come from under the bonnet, as the
Volvo S90/V90 is expected to get the company’s latest mild-hybrid tech that debuted
in the updated XC90. Volvo’s new electrified tech involves combining a KERS
system with its existing turbocharged four-cylinder engines, claiming up to 15
percent of fuel savings in the real world.
The new Kinetic Energy Recovery System works through
the also new brake-by-wire system in order to improve fuel economy and tailpipe
emissions. Models equipped with this powertrain tech will bear a ‘B’ badge
instead of the ‘T’ for petrol/petrol-electric and ‘D’ for diesel vehicles.
Following the same recipe with the updated XC90, the
facelifted S90/V90 duo will also get a revised range of driver assistance
systems, including Oncoming Lane Mitigation and City Safety with Autobrake, as
well as an upgraded Sensus infotainment system that’s finally getting Android
Auto in addition to Apple CarPlay.
The facelifted Volvo S90/V90 are expected to reach
the market sometime towards the end of the year.