2023 Volvo S90

2023 is a change year for the first-generation (2017–2025) S90: the Recharge T8 gained the extended-range pack and a stronger 143 hp rear motor, lifting combined output from 400 hp (2022) to 455 hp — Volvo's most powerful production cars at the time. That is far above the 255–300 hp volume engines in the mid-size luxury sedan set.

Combined torque of 523 lb-ft clears the top of the sedan band, the rear motor's 228 lb-ft stacking on the boosted four's 295 lb-ft. Rolling response is the T8's strongest objective trait.

Volvo's 4.6-second claim for the 2023 455 hp T8 is quoted by independent reviewers and is quicker than the 2022's 400 hp version. It undercuts volume E 350 and 530i variants by well over a second.

Electric running is silent and the 143 hp rear motor gives immediate, linear response, but the combustion half is a busy twincharged four rather than a smooth six, and reviewers note a rough, delayed engine start when EV mode calls for gas plus 'peaky' delivery depending on mode and speed. Seamless EV delivery with occasional coarse notes is top of the 50–79 band.

The Aisin 8-speed automatic is smooth and unobtrusive in relaxed driving, with the main complaint a beat of hesitation before kickdown for passing — a step behind the ZF 8HP in the 5 Series. Manual control is an afterthought.

Every 2023 US S90 is all-wheel drive — B6 AWD Plus, B6 AWD Ultimate and Recharge T8 eAWD Ultimate — with no FWD version, broader standard coverage than the 5 Series or E-Class. Short of 90 because the T8's AWD is a through-the-road electric rear axle with no low range, terrain modes or torque vectoring.

Two electrified choices for 2023 — the 295 hp B6 48-volt mild hybrid and the 455 hp Recharge T8 PHEV — but both share the same 2.0L four architecture, and the plug-in is restricted to the top Ultimate trim (the cheaper T8 Plus did not arrive until 2024). No six, no diesel and no battery-electric S90, versus rivals offering three genuinely distinct powertrains.

Per the PHEV convention this is the charge-sustaining figure for the 2023 Recharge T8: 30 MPG combined once the new 18.8 kWh pack is depleted, a twincharged 2.0L four hauling a heavy long-wheelbase AWD sedan. Low in the PHEV sedan band even though the electric side (66 MPGe) is competitive.

28 MPG city in charge-sustaining mode shows the hybrid system recovering energy in stop-start traffic, but a commuter staying within the 38-mile electric range rarely sees this figure.

33 MPG at cruise is respectable for a 455 hp AWD luxury sedan and is the number that governs road trips, but it sits low against lighter plug-in sedans in the band.

EPA's combined gas + electric range of 520 miles covers any touring need, but is modest for the class because it is limited by 30 MPG charge-sustaining economy rather than tank size.

2023 brought the extended-range pack (11.6 → 18.8 kWh nominal), raising the S90 T8's EPA electric rating to 38 miles — enough for most daily commutes. Mid-band because the best plug-in sedans clear 50 miles.

The EPA label figure is $1,700/yr blended electricity and gasoline, well below a non-plug-in luxury sedan — but contingent on charging; never plugged in, every mile runs on 30 MPG premium at about $2,750/yr.

Mixed: the twincharged T8 requires premium with no regular-grade or E85 option, so every gas mile carries a surcharge, but the plug-in side is cheap and easy — 38 electric miles from a 240V outlet in about five hours. No DC fast charging, which is normal for a PHEV.

NHTSA never crash-tested the S90 in this generation: the 2023 S90 Recharge T8 is in the SafetyRatings database, but every frontal, side and rollover field reads "Not Rated". The 4.5★ placeholder follows the convention used for the other untested low-volume luxury sedans in this dataset. NHTSA skipped the car because few were sold, not because of any known weakness.

The 2023 S90 and S90 Recharge carry an IIHS Top Safety Pick+. The 2022 award applied to 2022–23 builds. Every crashworthiness result on file is Good: driver- and passenger-side small overlap, original moderate overlap, roof strength and head restraints. Held below the top of the band because the results come from 2017–18 tests and the car was never run through the updated side or updated moderate-overlap protocols, and it lost the award for 2024.

Every 2023 S90 trim, Plus and Ultimate, B6 or Recharge T8, comes with City Safety AEB (pedestrian, cyclist and large-animal detection), BLIS blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, rear auto-braking, lane-keeping aid, Pilot Assist adaptive cruise with steering assist and a 360° camera. None of the safety equipment is reserved for a higher trim.

IIHS rates the standard City Safety system Superior in the vehicle-to-vehicle test, avoiding impacts at both 12 and 25 mph. It is only Advanced in the daytime pedestrian test, where it avoided the crossing adult but only reduced the crossing-child impact by 12 mph. There is no nighttime pedestrian result.

BLIS with steering-support intervention, cross-traffic alert and rear auto-braking are standard on every trim, so the system can steer or brake rather than only warn. Docked only because there is no safe-exit warning for rear passengers.

Lane-keeping aid and departure warning work, but the lane centering in Pilot Assist (the same software as later years) wanders. Reviewers find it gets confused by worn or broken lane lines and rough highway surfaces, and some stop using it. It trails the BMW and Genesis systems.

The adaptive cruise is full-speed-range with stop-and-go, standard on every trim, and smooth. As a combined highway assist it is held back by the unreliable steering side, there is no assisted lane change, and the set-speed buttons step in 5 mph increments.

No hands-free capability. Pilot Assist requires hands on the wheel and disengages if it senses none. Volvo's Ride Pilot was never offered on the S90.

IIHS rates the only headlight fitted, an LED reflector with curve-adaptive beams and high-beam assist, Acceptable on all trims. That is below the Good rating common in this class, and no trim offers a better lamp.

Thick A-pillars from the raked windshield, a high beltline and wide rear pillars limit natural sightlines, which is typical for the class. The standard 360° camera and BLIS make up for much of it.

IIHS rates the LATCH setup Acceptable. Both outboard seats have full LATCH hardware with visible anchors, but they are hard to get around, and the center seat has a tether only. The long-wheelbase US body leaves plenty of room for rear-facing seats.

The 2023 S90 is a five-seat sedan in every US configuration (B6 Plus, B6 Ultimate, Recharge T8 eAWD Ultimate); five seats tops the sedan band.

37.8 in is mid-pack for a mid-size luxury sedan. The panoramic moonroof is standard on the T8 Ultimate, so this is the figure buyers get. U.S. News notes the S90 PHEV trails the BMW 530e on front headroom.

42.2 in is a little above the segment midpoint. The Ultimate's power front seats, memory and cushion extenders make it work well for tall drivers.

Rear headroom equals the front at 37.8 in, which is in the upper part of the sedan band. The roofline stays flat behind the B-pillar where coupe-profiled rivals taper it.

Every US S90 since MY2018 has used the long-wheelbase body, stretched 4.7 in behind the B-pillar. That gives 40.4 in of rear legroom, about three inches more than the 5 Series, E-Class or A6, and close to full-size territory.

13.5 cu ft is one of the smallest trunks in the class: the long wheelbase was spent on rear legroom, not luggage space. The SPA platform puts the PHEV battery in the center tunnel, so the T8's trunk is the same size as the B6's.

Small-item storage is weak. The center console bin is shallow, there is little up-front storage beyond the door pockets, and there are no underfloor bins, fold-flat surfaces or onboard power. The cabin is otherwise unchanged from the 2024 car, where reviewers made the same complaints.

Volvo's seats set a segment benchmark. The 2023 T8 Ultimate comes standard with heated and ventilated Nappa front seats with power cushion extenders, and the long-wheelbase rear bench is genuinely comfortable for adults over long trips. The small front door openings are an access problem, not a seat problem, but they keep this out of the very top band.

The S90 is tuned for comfort. On the AutoGuide test car with the optional air suspension, a pothole hit hard enough to damage a wheel was barely felt in the cabin. It stays short of the class best because the passive setup is a step behind the Genesis G80, and the large wheels can still be felt over sharp edges without the air suspension.

Highway refinement is strong, and the 38-mile electric range keeps the engine off for most commuting. It sits mid-pack rather than at the top because the twincharged four-cylinder is audible and coarse when it starts or works hard, and overall isolation trails the German and Lexus benchmarks.

In 2023 the plug-in came only as the Ultimate, so the scored car has the full comfort kit as standard: four-zone climate, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a panoramic roof, and power rear and rear-side sunshades. The cabin can also be pre-conditioned from the app. Only the front-seat massage is an option.

For 2023 the plug-in hybrid was sold only as the top Ultimate grade (a cheaper Recharge Plus did not arrive until 2024), so the scored T8 starts at $70,500 plus destination. That is about $16,600 past the top of the sedan pricing band, so the item floors.

With one plug-in trim, the volume trim is the base trim, and many dealer cars also carried the Bowers & Wilkins audio and Lounge packages. Because it was built in China, it lost eligibility for the federal purchase credit under the IRA's final-assembly rule from August 2022. That leaves the full sticker price as the purchase cost.

Volvo's complimentary scheduled maintenance pays for the 10k/20k/30k-mile services in the first three years, which keeps the S90 well under the German mid-size luxury sedans on this item. Years four and five carry European-brand service rates, large tires and the T8's extra plug-in hardware. Hardware is unchanged from the 2024 car apart from the larger 2023 battery, so the estimate sits in the middle of the published spread.

Depreciation is the largest cost of owning this car, and the plug-in hybrid holds its value worst of any S90. A $71,600 sticker with no federal credit, the steep resale discount on luxury PHEVs, and the S90's 2025 exit from North America all push used prices down. This estimate leans on the powertrain-specific figure rather than the gentler nameplate averages.

Volvo's New Vehicle Limited Warranty runs a year longer than the 3-year/36,000-mile mainstream norm and matches the German luxury brands. It is short of the 5-year terms from Genesis and the Korean brands that lead this item.

The scored figure is the federally required 8-year/100,000-mile coverage on the plug-in hardware. Volvo publishes no separate, longer powertrain warranty in the US, so the twincharged engine and 8-speed automatic lose coverage at 50,000 miles.

Volvo covers one factory service a year for the first three years or 30,000 miles, plus four years of roadside assistance and four years of connected services. That is a real edge over the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class, which include no scheduled maintenance. It stops short of the 90s because the 30,000-mile cap is modest and the plug-in comes with no charging credit or home-charger perk.

$71,595 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (38% retained, or about $27,206) leaves about $44,389 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,400 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $49,789 in total.

The signals are mixed, which puts this in the middle of the band. Consumer Reports has no rating for the 2023 S90 because its owner sample is too small. Every brand-level signal is weak: in J.D. Power's study of 2023-model-year cars, Volvo scored 250 PP100 against a 192 average and was among the last few brands. Plug-in hybrids also do worse than gasoline cars in dependability data. On the positive side, 2023 is a carry-over year late in a long-running generation. Three years in, NHTSA has no owner complaints logged for it, though there is one more defect campaign than the 2024 has.

Volvo has been in the bottom third of every recent quality and dependability study, and the trend is getting worse. In the study of this car's own model year it was near the bottom at 250 PP100 against a 192 average. Its three-year dependability score then fell to second-worst of 31 brands in the 2026 VDS. Most failures are in software, electronics and infotainment rather than mechanical parts. That limits the risk of a catastrophic failure, but this item measures the ownership experience, and those faults still count against it.

There are two defects across three campaigns, and nothing structural or fire-related. The more serious one, 22V793, is specific to this powertrain. An engine-control-module software error could stop the gasoline engine from starting, so the car loses drive power once the high-voltage battery runs down. That puts it a few points below the 2024. The second defect is the fleet-wide rearview camera software fault (FMVSS 111). Its first remedy did not work and had to be reissued, so cars already fixed need a second visit. Every remedy is a free software update. The 2023 S90 is also not covered by the June 2025 PHEV brake-function campaign 25V392.

The powertrain has a mixed history, but its best-known weakness has been engineered out. The 2.0-litre VEA four-cylinder has run since 2015 with no systemic failure. In T8 form, though, it is both turbocharged and supercharged, its most stressed tune. It also uses a timing belt on a 10-year/100,000-mile interval in an interference engine. The rear electric drive unit (ERAD), historically the T8's main failure point, was redesigned for 2022.5 with a planetary gearbox in place of the clutch pack. The 2023 car uses the redesigned unit along with the 18.8 kWh pack. The high-voltage battery remains a long-term financial exposure after its 8-year/100,000-mile warranty, and the 22V793 engine no-start software defect is a minor mark against this generation.

This is the car's strongest point. The cabin uses open-pore wood, leather or Nappa, brushed metal, finely grained plastics and the Orrefors crystal shifter, and reviewers praise its restrained, considered design. It falls short of the top of the band because the layout dates to 2016, and newer rivals have moved the screen graphics and presentation forward.

The physical build holds up. Reviews and owner reports of the Daqing-built car show no complaints about rattles, squeaks or panel gaps, and no assembly-process recall applies to the 2023 model year. Initial-quality data for the 2023 cohort is poor, though: Volvo scored 250 PP100 against a 192 average. Most of those complaints concern infotainment and connectivity rather than misaligned trim, so the score sits in the middle of the band rather than low.

The network is adequate rather than good. About 281 retailers across 48 states gives nationwide coverage, but it is thinner than BMW's or Mercedes'. Volvo's service satisfaction ranks near the bottom of the premium brands. The S90 was also withdrawn from North America after 2025, so dealers will see fewer of them each year.

Repair costs are normal for the class. RepairPal estimates about $522 a year in unscheduled repairs for the S90. Volvo also has a healthy independent parts supply (FCP Euro, IPD, Skandix). Against that, the T8's high-voltage pack is a five-figure cost once its warranty lapses. A China-built nameplate that has since left the US market also carries long-term risk on parts supply and tariffs.

2023 keeps the original 9-inch portrait center screen, now running Google built-in, which arrived for MY2022. No larger panel was offered. The 11.2-inch screen came with the April 2025 second facelift and never reached the US. A 9-inch screen is the smallest in the class.

Google built-in is quick and has smartphone-like logic, and reviewers rate it a clear improvement on the old Sensus system. On the other hand, the portrait 9-inch screen holds climate and seat controls with almost no physical switches, and deeper settings menus are clumsy. The 2023 car shipped with the older layout and received the redesigned Volvo Car UX later by OTA.

This is the bottom of the middle band. Apple CarPlay on Google built-in Volvos is wired-only. Android Auto was not supported at delivery because the car runs Android Automotive natively, and it only arrived on these cars by software update in late 2024. Wireless projection was never offered on the SPA-platform S90.

The built-in navigation is Google Maps with live traffic, and the voice assistant is Google Assistant, which handles natural-language commands for navigation, climate, media and phone. Owners have little reason to fall back on phone projection.

Because the 2023 T8 was Ultimate-only, the 14-speaker Harman Kardon system is standard on the scored car. The optional 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system is excellent, and AutoGuide called it well worth the price. The main drawback is the cost of the B&W upgrade.

A 12.3-inch fully digital driver display is standard and can show Google Maps. AutoGuide notes the layout options are quite limited compared with the configurable German clusters, which keeps it out of the top band.

The S90 and S90 Recharge are OTA-capable from MY2022 onward. The 2023 car has received real feature-adding updates for free, including the Volvo Car UX interface redesign and later Android Auto. Updates come roughly quarterly, and chassis and powertrain calibrations still need a dealer visit.

The Volvo Cars app covers remote lock and unlock, remote start with pre-conditioning, a car locator, send-to-car destinations, and PHEV charging status and timers, bundled with the connected-services term. There is no phone-as-key on this platform, and owners report slow or failed connections.

There are four USB-C ports, two in front and two at the rear of the tunnel, so both rows are covered. However, AutoGuide's well-optioned 2023 T8 test car had no wireless phone charging, and there is no AC outlet. That puts it low in the adequate band.

Proximity entry, push-button start, app remote start and a hands-free power trunk lid are all present on the Ultimate. Phone-as-key is not offered on this platform at any price.

A 360-degree surround-view camera, front and rear sensors and park assist are standard on the T8 Ultimate. The camera resolution is softer than current BMW and Mercedes systems, and there is no automated parking.

In 2023 the only plug-in trim was the Ultimate, so the head-up display is standard on the configuration being scored. That is the condition for the top band. The display is clear and well placed but conventional in size next to the AR units some rivals fit.

The long-wheelbase body's 40.4 in of rear legroom lets a rear-facing seat fit without pushing the front passenger forward. On the other hand, IIHS rates the LATCH hardware only Acceptable, the center seat has a tether only, the door openings are small, and the 13.5 cu ft trunk takes a full-size stroller grudgingly.

None of the safety equipment costs extra. City Safety AEB with pedestrian, cyclist and large-animal detection, BLIS, cross-traffic alert, Pilot Assist and a 360 camera are all standard. Unlike 2024, the 2023 model year still carries an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, though that rests on older tests. NHTSA has not crash-tested the car, and there is no rear-occupant reminder.

The Ultimate-only 2023 T8 comes standard with four-zone climate, heated rear seats, power rear and rear-side sunshades, a panoramic roof and rear USB-C ports, and the rear bench is limo-like. The limit is luggage: 13.5 cu ft makes a week's bags for four a squeeze.

The car has excellent seats, a soft ride, light steering, standard adaptive cruise and 38 silent electric miles that cover most commutes. It falls short of effortless because drive modes and climate controls are buried in the touchscreen, the engine starts roughly when the battery runs low, and the transmission hesitates before kicking down.

Energy cost is low if you charge daily: EPA estimates $1,700 a year blended, and the 38-mile electric range covers most commutes. Other costs are high: it requires premium fuel, insurance and maintenance are luxury-level, and it rides on 20-inch tires. It is cheap to fuel but expensive to keep.

The car is long (about 200 in on a 120.5 in wheelbase), its A-pillars are thick, and its turning circle is 38.7 ft. A standard 360 camera, sensors and light steering make it manageable with camera help.

Not a work vehicle. There is no factory tow rating or tow pack in North America, no published payload beyond passenger GVWR, and only a 13.5 cu ft trunk.

This is a luxury car with no fleet history. Its hardware is complex: a twincharged 2.0L four, an 18.8 kWh battery pack, optional air springs, 20-inch wheels and an all-leather cabin. Volvo's reliability standing in the US is also mediocre.

There are no work provisions: no V2L or AC outlet despite the plug-in powertrain, no factory hitch in North America, no upfit ecosystem, and leather and wood surfaces throughout.

This is the S90's strength. EPA rates total range at 520 miles, and the car has superb seats, excellent ride isolation, standard ventilated seats and HUD on the Ultimate, and standard adaptive cruise. Pilot Assist's mediocre lane centering and the small trunk keep it out of the very top.

AWD is standard and the heated seats and steering wheel make it a credible ski-trip car on plowed roads. Otherwise it is pavement-bound: about 5.6 in of ground clearance, a long wheelbase, no roof rails, no factory hitch, no AC outlet and no terrain modes.

The 13.5 cu ft trunk is small but wide and low, and 60/40 folding seatbacks open a pass-through. The sedan opening is fixed, and there are no roof rails, no hitch and no underfloor bins.

The 2023 T8 grips hard and stays composed thanks to double-wishbone front suspension, multi-link rear and standard AWD. But the roughly 4,700 lb long-wheelbase body has a comfort-biased tune and does not like quick changes of direction. It belongs with the G80 and ES, not the 5 Series.

The steering is light, direct and accurate, but deliberately isolated, with little road feel. Precise but numb.

The blend of regenerative and friction braking feels natural, and the brakes are strong in hard stops. There is no published instrumented 60–0 figure for the 2023 T8, and there is a lot of mass to stop.

The new-for-2023 143 hp rear motor gives immediate, linear thrust, and EV-to-gas transitions are mostly smooth. AutoGuide found the first engine start rough and delayed, with peaky delivery depending on mode, and the 8-speed hesitates before kicking down.

The car is silent on battery power and quiet at a cruise, but the twincharged four sounds coarse at high revs, where rivals at this price use sixes. Audible but inoffensive.

The US long-wheelbase body (120.5 in) has no rear-axle steering, so 38.7 ft sits near the wide end of the sedan band.

The seats are superb, with a wide adjustment range, and the dash is clean. The deduction is for controls: climate and many routine functions live in the portrait touchscreen, and the cruise buttons step in 5 mph increments unless held.

With 455 hp and a 4.6 s 0–60, the 2023 T8 is genuinely quick. But it is a serene, drama-free cruiser with numb steering and a busy four-cylinder: pleasant but forgettable.

As an Ultimate-only model, the 2023 T8 comes nearly loaded: eAWD, Nappa leather, a panoramic moonroof, heated front and rear seats, a heated wheel, four-zone climate, a head-up display, a 360° camera, Google built-in and a full Pilot Assist driver-assist suite are all standard. That generosity is mostly the price of a $71,600 entry fee rather than a bargain. Massaging seats, Bowers & Wilkins audio and air suspension still cost extra.

$71,595 buys 455 hp, standard AWD, a 38-mile electric range from the new 2023 battery, and near-full equipment. That roughly matches a similarly equipped BMW 530e or E 350, with more power. But the only plug-in grade was the most expensive one, and the China-built car lost the federal purchase credit in August 2022. Add the heaviest depreciation in the S90 range, and the value is fair at best.

There are only three US configurations for 2023: B6 mild-hybrid in Plus or Ultimate trim, and the T8 plug-in in Ultimate trim only. All use one long-wheelbase body and all are AWD. A buyer who wants the plug-in has no cheaper entry point (one arrived for 2024), and there is no six-cylinder or performance grade to rival the many engine choices in the 5 Series and E-Class lineups.

US S90 sales in 2023 were tiny for the segment, at somewhere between a few hundred and roughly 1,500 units depending on the tally, and they had been falling steadily since 2019. The 5 Series, E-Class and Lexus ES each sell tens of thousands a year. Wikipedia cites poor sales as one reason Volvo pulled the S90 from the US after 2025.

Volvo is known for safety and Scandinavian design, and for 2023 the S90 itself backed that up with an IIHS Top Safety Pick+. But buyers treat it as a respected alternative, not an aspirational badge like BMW or Mercedes, and Volvo ranks middling to weak in dependability surveys.

This slow-selling sedan was easy to negotiate on. Dealers advertised subsidized 2.99% financing with up to a $2,500 APR allowance, and Volvo loyalty and conquest cash stacked on top. Discounts were real but not at clearance levels.

2023 is the seventh model year of a generation that launched for 2017, and the last visual update was the 2021 facelift. The 2023 model brought a real powertrain upgrade with the 18.8 kWh extended-range battery, which raised EPA electric range to 38 miles. Still, buyers were getting an aging platform that ended production in late 2024 and was never replaced in the US.

Reviewers like it, but it is rarely the pick of its class. U.S. News rates the 2023 S90 Recharge 8.0/10, fourth among luxury plug-in hybrid cars, and praises the punchy powertrain, the 38-mile electric range and the finely crafted interior. Reviewers fault the ride and touchscreen-heavy controls. It carried an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ but won no 10Best or NACTOY honors.