Volvo S80 successor to be christened S90

Volvo might cease using the S80 moniker, as reports suggest that the successor to Volvo’s popular premium saloon will be christened as the S90. Based on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, the Volvo S90 is expected to make its global debut by the end of this year, and will go on sale in international markets in early 2016.

Aesthetically, the new S90 will be heavily influenced by the 2011 Volvo Concept Universe and will also come in an estate avatar. While the overall design might be retained from the current car, the front is expected to feature sculpted headlamps, an upright grille and horizontal ‘T’ LEDs along the lines of Volvo's latest design language. The powertrain options will be borrowed from the new Volvo XC90, an SUV which is also based on the SPA architecture. We can also expect Volvo to offer a plug-in hybrid version of the sedan.

Volvo’s ageing S80 is going to be phased out globally by the end of this year. With the new S90, Volvo will be moving upmarket, targeting the likes of the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class as well as the new Jaguar XF.