China-spec Volvo S90 L spotted ahead of December debut

The China only Volvo S90 L has been spotted in the People’s Republic ahead of its official debut at the Guangzhou Motor Show in December.  The car gets the same design, feature list and even engine lineup but is 100mm longer than the normal S90. This has allowed for extra space at the back, a favoured preference among car buyers in the People’s Republic.

Noticeable design elements include the hammer shaped headlamps, sports sedan side profile and curvy tail lamps that wrap around the bootlid to give the car a sporty appearance. We already know that the cabin is similar to that of the XC90 SUV and this means there is minimalist design with a large touchscreen infotainment system to control most of the cabin and vehicle functions. Given that the focus of this car is on rear seat optimisation, we believe that Volvo will offer the car with the Excellence package once it is launched.

The Chinese market will get the car in the T4 and T5 variant both of which make use of a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 211bhp and 282bhp respectively. There is also expected to be a T6 or T8 hybrid variant which will arrive sometime next year.  It competes in China with the likes of the Audi A6L, BMW 5 Series Li and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB.
We in India will get the standard wheelbase car later this year. It will be offered with both petrol and diesel engine options and arrive here via the CBU route. This will be an important car for the Swedish automaker as it will allow them to take the fight to the mid-segment cars like the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.