Volvo Volvo S90 -Hybrid PHEV

I planned to buy a car in March this year, and the models I researched included the Mocha PHEV, Tang DM-p, Han DM-i, Audi A4L, and Volvo S90. I gave up on the Mocha because its price was too离谱 (unreasonably high). For the Tang and Han, I simply didn't want to wait any longer, and there were cases of spontaneous combustion. In the end, I test-drove the A4L and S90 for comparison. Overall, the A4L was more in line with my needs, but the order of the test drives—first the A4L and then the S90—resulted in a very obvious perceived difference. After test-driving the S90, driving the A4L felt like riding a horse-drawn carriage, with the road feel being too clear. When test-driving the S90, I was actually only considering the Zhi Yuan or Zhi Ya trims, not the T8. When I arrived at the 4S store, the salesperson directly took me to test-drive it and demonstrated the vehicle's acceleration performance, assisted driving, and safety braking performance. As a result, I was conquered by the acceleration performance and then placed an order and picked up the car; the entire process took less than a week.

【Space Performance】
The space of the S90 is very good. As a C-class sedan, it is nearly 5.1 meters long with a wheelbase of over three meters, resulting in excellent seating space. No matter how the front seats are adjusted, sitting in the back is very comfortable.

【Comfort】
In terms of comfort, the seats of the S90 are overall on the firm side but have good wrapping. The only drawback is that features like leg rests, seat ventilation, and massage are only available in the high-end trims. The ride comfort isn't particularly great either because the S90's chassis is on the stiff side, causing noticeable body晃动 (shaking) when the road is uneven. It seems that the new 2023 model has upgraded the rear seats, with longer seat cushions and head support.

【Safety】
When talking about Volvo, we have to mention its safety performance; Volvo's safety configurations are standard across the entire lineup. Its Intelligent Pilot Assist system combines ACC adaptive cruise control with the original Pilot Assist. The usage logic is very simple: just click the button on the left side of the steering wheel to activate it, and the vehicle will recognize the distance to the vehicle ahead and its speed. When the vehicle ahead is faster than the set speed, it can drive at the set speed; when the vehicle ahead is slower, it will follow at a certain distance. The threshold is low. When my friend drove my car, I only taught him once, and he was able to use it proficiently. Passive safety systems such as Pedestrian Collision Warning, Forward Collision Warning, and Emergency Avoidance have also helped me several times.

【Infotainment System】
The infotainment system can only be described as adequate. It can handle daily navigation and music listening needs but is not particularly intelligent. The pre-installed Gaode Navigation in the car can sync the destination and driving route from the mobile phone. However, the experience with Tencent Aiting is average, and its smoothness needs improvement. When playing randomly, only a small part of the songs in the playlist can be displayed, and pulling down to refresh is also slow. In this regard, there is still much room for improvement compared to domestic new power manufacturers. I hope that CarPlay support can be updated soon, along with support for the next-generation CarPlay's instrument cluster functionality, which would to some extent make up for its biggest shortcomings.

【Fuel Consumption and Charging】
As a hybrid model, the fuel consumption performance is good. Daily driving with a low battery is approximately 7L/100km; driving on the highway at around 100km/h is its optimal speed, with fuel consumption of about 5 to 6L/100km; when the speed is too high, it is more fuel-consuming, approximately 7 to 8L/100km. If there are good charging conditions, it can be very fuel-efficient, or even run without using gasoline. The biggest problem with charging is that it does not support fast charging, only AC slow charging. It takes nearly 5 hours to charge, providing a range of approximately 71 kilometers.

【Driving Experience】
Overall, the driving experience is good. The 2.0T turbocharged engine plus the rear-mounted motor deliver a combined output of approximately 450 horsepower and nearly 700 Nm of torque, which can rival a V6 engine to a certain extent, with quick throttle response. Whether on the highway or in urban路况 (road conditions), stepping hard on the accelerator can awaken the roar of the turbocharged engine, making people's blood boil. It's hard for young people to resist the thrill of stepping hard on the accelerator. The 0-100km/h acceleration time of less than 5 seconds is a roller-coaster-like excitement that you need to experience firsthand. The steering is on the light side, but the turning radius is slightly large.

Overall, the space, appearance, and safety of the Volvo S90 are satisfying. What I like most is its mechanical quality and acceleration performance. Unlike some car companies that simply add a battery, Volvo's T8 model uses the battery to further enhance vehicle performance. The battery brings Volvo not only a quiet driving experience but also four-wheel drive power. However, there is indeed room for improvement in charging speed and comfort.

【Personal Information】24 years old, postgraduate student, located in Hangzhou. Previously drove a 10-year-old Nissan Teana from home, which required minor repairs every two months and major repairs every six months. After selling it, the family decided to buy a new car. The budget is 500,000 yuan, targeting a C-class car. Since my wife is pregnant, comfort, safety, space, and environmental friendliness are the main considerations.
【Car Selection Comparison】Mercedes-Benz E300L: The appearance is moderate, and the interior is unbeatable, but the price is the biggest obstacle, exceeding the budget by 30,000 yuan. As for the E260L, I feel the engine horsepower is too small, and I may occasionally drive aggressively, so it is excluded.
BMW 530Li: The configuration is good, the appearance is nice, suitable for young people, and the seats are comfortable, but the price is still too expensive, exceeding the budget, so it is excluded.
Audi A6L: The interior is really good-looking. Before looking at Volvo, I thought I would definitely buy an Audi. The front seats are quite comfortable, but the angle of the rear seats is too large, making people feel like they are embedded in them. The downside is the lack of 360-degree camera (due to configuration reduction) and no available inventory. After a test drive, the power is good enough. However, when family members sat in the back row, they all voted against it, so it is excluded.
Volvo S90 T8 Zhiyi Luxury Edition: The salesperson in the store was very enthusiastic when I walked in. Because I had heard recommendations from netizens online before, I went straight to the S90 T8 exhibition car. When I got into the driver's seat, the Nordic-style interior really appealed to me and was pleasing to the eye. The wood grain interior creates a sense of luxury, so the interior passed the test first. Considering fuel consumption, the motor of the Volvo S90 T8 can reduce fuel consumption significantly. After the test drive, considering power, safety, environmental friendliness, space, and fuel consumption, I decided to order the Volvo S90 T8 Zhiyi. Paid the deposit that day and picked up the car on the third day.

【Driving Experience】
The exterior design meets my aesthetic preferences. The aggressive, low-slung front face and the Thor's Hammer headlights easily remind me of Thor's weapon in Marvel movies. The side profile is修长yet elegant, exuding a sense of luxury even from a distance. Interior design is subjective, but I personally find it very comfortable overall. The combination of walnut wood and荔枝纹leather offers excellent visual and tactile quality, creating a more homely feel compared to the monotonous all-black interiors. There's no strong odor inside the car, just a slight leather smell from the seats that you can only detect by putting your nose close. The rear seating space is very generous, especially legroom. At 170cm tall, I still have about three fists of space between my legs and the front seat, with no sense of crampedness. However, the rear feels more suitable for two people as the central tunnel is quite high. The rear has independent air conditioning with zone temperature control, which is very user-friendly. The steering wheel offers a well-balanced weight, making it easy to find direction. The brakes are linear. Whether assisted by the electric motor or not, the strong acceleration push leaves an unforgettable first impression, though passengers might feel motion sickness if you accelerate aggressively. The highway pilot assist is very convenient, but you must use the turn signal before changing lanes; otherwise, the system will cause the car to蛇形走位and pull back to the original lane. It also alerts you if you doze off. The automatic emergency braking has helped me avoid two incidents with suddenly appearing pedestrians and vehicles. Occasionally, it mistakenly brakes even when it doesn't recognize a cut-in vehicle, but prioritizing safety, it's good to have these features as they can correct some of my bad driving habits. Acceleration from a standstill is quick, and the overall acceleration feels steady and confident. The entire acceleration process is smooth without顿挫, making overtaking effortless with a press of the throttle, which inspires confidence. Pure electric driving produces almost no noise, and power delivery is brisk. I've reached a top speed of 120km/h, and once you get used to electric driving, you won't want to switch back to fuel.

【Energy Consumption Summary】For daily commuting, I need to charge once every one or two days. I charge at home using slow charging after work at night. A full charge at 11.6kW costs about 7 yuan, with a range of 50km. I strongly recommend installing a home slow charger, as it causes less battery degradation and is more economical. Fast charging at shopping malls costs 19 yuan per session. I mostly drive in pure electric mode in the city, so a full tank of fuel lasts over half a month. When the battery is depleted and using fuel, consumption is around 9L/100km in congested urban areas and about 7L/100km on the highway, which is more fuel-efficient. Admittedly, my driving style is relatively aggressive, with frequent hard braking and acceleration. With a gentler style, highway consumption of 6-7L/100km is achievable. Remember to maintain a certain battery level on the highway and use the燃油发动机, then switch to electric when entering urban areas after exiting the highway. If you can consistently use electricity instead of fuel, the combined fuel consumption is expected to decrease further.

【About the Charging Pile】When buying the car, inform the 4S shop in advance, provide them with your小区installation address and contact information, then wait for someone to contact you for installation. It's best to have a fixed parking space. I paid 2000 yuan for installation in our小区. State Grid installs new electricity meters for free, but if the charging pile cable exceeds 30 meters, there's a charge of 70 yuan per meter. Fortunately, my parking space was close enough that I didn't have to pay this extra fee. After installation, you'll receive three cards; you need to swipe the card to charge and to unplug the charging gun, otherwise the gun cannot be removed.

【Least Satisfactory Aspects】
1. The rear central tunnel is too high, reaching calf level, making the middle seat very uncomfortable for passengers.
2. It lacks a crystal gear lever, even though the gasoline version of the same model has one.
3. The infotainment voice system is a bit slow; by the time I call it, I could have already finished the manual operation myself.
4. When using CarPlay for navigation, the map only displays on half the screen, making it less convenient than using a手机directly.
5. The new car's windshield wipers tend to leave water streaks and don't clean well. The car wash师傅resolved this by applying glass coating.
6. Despite the large center console armrest box, it houses the battery underneath, leaving only surface space for placing a手机.
7. The suspension is a bit stiff. It drives smoothly on city roads and handles speed bumps relatively easily, but on rough roads in城乡结合部, the rear passengers get颠得怀疑人生.
8. The steering wheel had a slight rattle, which was fixed by the 4S shop adding some lubricant to the spiral cable.
9. There is no spare tire, so you can only hope the tires don't get punctured; otherwise, you'll have to call for roadside assistance as you can't change it yourself.