2021 Volvo XC90/S90/V90/V90 Cross Country First Look: Updated for More Swedishness

Volvo’s ’90-series’ models are the brand’s flagships, and as such the XC90, S90, V90, and V90 Cross Country represent the biggest and best from the Swedish brand. For 2021 they’re getting a number of updates to keep them competitive against rivals like Mercedes and BMW. We covered a few of the car models’ changes previously, but for the sake of a recap we’ll include them here and add new details, such as U.S.-market pricing.

Both the S90 and XC90 Recharge—that’s Volvo’s new name for its T8 plug-in-hybrid electric vehicles, as the T8 badge is retired—get a major price cut for 2021. The XC90 Recharge is now $64,445 at base—a $3,550 reduction compared to the 2020 T8—and that’s before a possible $5,419 federal tax credit is applied. The S90 Recharge is now $3,150 less expensive than it was last year, and will start at $61,045 in 2021, again, before the tax credit.

The price difference between Volvo’s T6 and the plug-in-hybrid Recharge trims has been made considerably smaller for 2021. In 2020, the gap between the XC90 T6 and T8 was $10,700, but in 2021 it’s been brought down to $6,500, and a similar discount has been made to the S90. In 2020 the S90 T8 was $9,550 pricier than the T6, but for 2021 that price delta is now jut $5,400. Clearly this is to incentivize buyers to reach for pricier trims, but a Recharge is now a much better value than a T8 was in 2020 thanks to additional standard equipment.

The S90 sedan and both wagon variants get minor styling refreshes for 2021. The S90 gets a new grille with inner slats, a full-width chrome strip at the bottom of the car’s front fascia, a new trunklid with a more distinct lip spoiler, and redesigned taillights that Volvo says gives the car a “more technical and more premium” look. Volvo also has redone the rear ends of the S90 and friends, removing the exhaust finishers and hiding the tailpipes in a signal the brand is moving ever closer to full electrification.

For 2021, the V9o Cross Country gets rid of the plastic trim on its doors for a cleaner aesthetic, sports a new grille, and gets a redesigned front fascia whose lower portion now juts forward instead of tucking under for a slightly tougher look, Volvo says. The car also has new wheels and a larger, more pronounced faux skidplate at the back that also loses the previous model’s exhaust finishers. The less rugged V90’s exterior is largely unchanged from 2020 with the exception of some redesigned taillights and a front end matching the S90’s. Both wagons also get some new dashboard materials and the interior air vents have been slightly redesigned. Those vents do move air from a beefed-up filtration system that can now deal with particles as small as 2.5 microns across.

The XC90 gets small updates for 2021, too. There is a new six-seat interior option with captain’s chairs where a three-place middle row would normally go, and a Lounge package adds massaging seats. There are also new materials for the interior, including a wool blend. That might sound small, but wool is more luxurious than it sounds—it remains cool to the touch and doesn’t capture odors the way normal cloth does.

All of Volvo’s 90-series cars have the Premium package as standard, as well as blind-spot monitoring, LED lights that bend to illuminate corners, and a wireless charger for smartphones. Volvo is also adding new wheel designs across the 90-series range and a “Connected Safety with slippery road and hazard-light alert” function for 2021—essentially, connected Volvos give each other a heads up when they have encountered a dangerous driving condition or are stopped with the hazards on.

The Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system has been upgraded with a new amplifier, a new dome tweeter, a new “Jazz Room” audio-field option (modeled after an actual jazz club in Volvo’s Gothenburg hometown), and new continuum cones that all aim to improve occupants’ listening experiences.

The plethora of small changes and large discounts look like they’ll continue to make Volvo an interesting, well-designed, and slightly offbeat alternative to other, more mainstream luxury brands going into 2021.

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