Volvo S90 will be no S-Class

Volvo may build long-wheelbase variants of its next-generation S90 sedan for the USA and China, but it’s not about to go the Merecdes-Benz S-Class, the upper large segment leader.

That’s (in part) the official position from two execs right at the very top of Volvo’s management tree, Volvo Cars Group CEO Hakan Samuelsson and Senior Vice President Product Strategy, Lex Kerssemakers.

Speaking at the launch of the XC90, with which the S90 will share its mechanicals and chassis, along with key safety and connectivity technologies, the two Volvo bosses were at pains to water-down speculation that the big four-door would take on the biggest Benz and its counterparts.

“We will push our sedans up to a high level but [not] S-Class…” a matter-of-fact Samuelsson told motoring.com.au.

“We will never have V12 or V8 engines. We use this Twin Engine [turbo-supercharged plug-in hybrid drivetrain] concept in a bigger S90 sedan. I think Mercedes will not see this as [an] S-Class [comeptitor],” the Volvo CEO stated.

Kerssemakers was more detailed in his response.

“We are not operating in S-Class [territory with S90]. What we do [with new S90 is take on BMW] 5 Series, E-Class [Mercedes] and Audi A6,” he told motoring.com.au.

The S90 is expected to be the next all-new Volvo to hit the streets. It’s tipped to go on sale in the second half of 2015. Built using Volvo’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) modular architecture, the car replaces the S80.

In addition to the sedan variant, a V90 wagon/estate is also expected. Both vehicles were indicated in a nine core model rollout graphic that Kerssemakers talked to as part of the XC90 launch presentation.

It has been variously reported that the S90 would be pushed into S-Class realms as part of Volvo’s quest to become recognised as a premium vehicle manufacturer on a par with Germany’s big three.

Kerssemakers is not having a bar of that assertion, however.

“S90 is D/E segment. S90 is where we were operating with S80 and V70.

“We have developed SPA to meet and manage the requirements for D/E car. It’s definitely not a BMW 7 Series or an S-Class. We stay away from that [marketplace],” Kerssemakers told motoring.com.au.

“The XC90 is our flagship and that competes with all the top, premium brands,” he stated.

A long-wheelbase version of the S90 is on the cards, however — for the Chinese and perhaps even US and European markets.

Already Volvo is building an extended0wheelbase variant of the S60 in its newly commissioned Chinese factory (the first of two). The plant which has a production capacity of 120,000 units per annum when fully operational will build around 30,000 S60 L vehicles this year.

A Chinese-market long-wheelbase S90 has been mooted and Kerssemakers admitted an extended-wheelbase XC90 was also on the way.

In the course of the discussion he confirmed Volvo has already programmed a special version of the new XC90 which dispenses with the three-place second row and two-place third row, instead providing just two aircraft-style Pullman-like recliners.

However, it's not expected to wear the two-sheetmetal of the XC Coupe concept revealed at this year's Detroit show.

Volvo first flagged its intention to build an S80-replacing large sedan as early as 2011, when it revealed the Volvo Universe concept – the first vehicle designed under Geely ownership – at that year's Shanghai motor show.

Since then it also showed the Concept Coupe at the 2013 Frankfurt show and the Concept Estate at this year's Geneva show.