Volvo's image gets two more big boosts with the arrival of the executive S90 saloon and V90 estate. They're all about relaxed confidence, says motoring editor Andy Russell.

Volvo's reinvention is stepped up with its new stylish S90 executive saloon and the V90 which aims to redefine the premium estate car market for which it is known.

Following the XC90 luxury sport utility vehicle, they are the next phase in showing Volvo's new clean sheet design and direction since being sold by Ford to Chinese car-maker Geely.

Looks and image

If you still think big Volvos are boxy, boring and built for older drivers, you're in for a surprise. The S90 and V90 combine Volvo heritage and clean Scandinavian design into the shape of things to come.

They also use Volvo's new highly-modular scalable product architecture, which will underpin all its large cars and is geared for electrification, connectivity and safety advances.

And they certainly stand out style-wise with the saloon's coupe-like roofline and huge rear lights and estate's steeply raked powered tailgate. The front is set off by the T-shaped 'Thor's hammer' daytime running lights from the XC90 and a concave grille inspired by the iconic P1800 coupe.

Under the bonnet

In keeping with Volvo's new powertrain policy of smaller, four-cylinder engines, they are launched with 2.0-litre turbo diesels – front-wheel drive 190hp D4 and all-wheel drive 235hp D5 – both with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The D4, expected to take 70% of sales, cruises quietly and effortlessy but needs a firm prod of the throttle for swift overtaking – not a problem in the D5 with its ingenious PowerPulse to overcome turbo lag. The system, being patented by Volvo, automatically stores compressed air to spool up the turbocharger, making it quicker off the mark than 3.0-litre V6-powered rivals.

But the D5 costs £7,000 more than D4 in entry Momentum trim and £6,500 in sporty R-Design and luxury Inscription which could be hard to justify unless you need the extra traction.

Next year they will be joined by the T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid combining a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine driving the front wheels and an electric motor driving the rears giving a combined 407hp, C02 emissons as low at 44g/km and pure electric range of up to 28 miles.

How it drives

Stefan Sallqvist, senior product manager, summed it up. 'We are not going after the Germans when it comes to the driving properties of our cars.'

Instead Volvo's mantra is 'relaxed confidence' – knowing the car will do exactly what you expect and want and providing a comfortable, composed ride.

It's entertaining rather than dynamic with the standard chassis featuring an innovative integral rear axle with transverse composite leaf spring, instead of coil springs, for flatter cornering and better grip.

The optional active chassis with rear air suspension and adaptive damping sees a noticeable difference between comfort and sport settings – ideal for wafting along motorways or more dynamic on twisty roads, where sheer size is the limiting factor.

Space and comfort

The new styling hasn't been at the expense of space with impressive rear legroom for passengers to stretch out luxuriously, although a centre occupant has to straddle a tall transmission tunnel.

Even the S90 is a load swallower with the 500-litre boot's wide aperture, long load floor and power-folding 60/40 split rear seat backrest.

The V90's 560-litre load bay will meet most needs but that sloping rear screen limits ultimate practicality with volume rising to a maximum 1,526 litres to the roof with the rear seats folded flat.

At the wheel

Modern Volvos are such soothing places to be with their exemplary fit and finish and top-notch materials – the design is so clean, co-ordinated and tasteful.

The highlight is the nine-inch portrait tablet-style touch screen for the Sensus connectivity and infotainment technology with swipe menus, pinch and zoom adjustment and sophisticated voice control and you can even use it while wearing gloves – ideal for a Swedish winter then! It means there are only seven buttons on the fascia. The whole idea is that it just becomes an extension of your smartphone.

Equipment and safety

With a high level of standard equipment, some of which are options on rivals, the S90 and V90 look good value.

Safety is also part of the Volvo DNA – 'we breath it' says Sallqvist – so the suite of electronic driver aids on all models include:

Pilot Assist – semi-autonomous drive technology which steers, brakes and accelerates to keep the car in the lane at up to 80mph even without a vehicle in front.

Two world-first safety technologies – the ability to detect the risk of colliding with large animals (it's the elk cliché in Sweden but there are 42,000 deer accidents a year in the UK) as well as other traffic and pedestrians and automatically brakes and another system to prevent running off the road.

Final say

Volvo is on a roll with desirable new models that look good and feel right to drive. In fact, the mood in the whole Volvo camp is one of relaxed confidence.