Volvo S90, XC60 Now More Affordable; Get New Base Variant

Volvo has launched a new base variant -- D4 Momentum -- of the XC60 and the S90 in India. Until now, both the cars were available in the top-spec Inscription variant only. The most-affordable XC60 variant was previously priced at Rs 59.90 lakh and that of the S90 was priced at Rs 58.90 lakh (both ex-showroom).

With the introduction of the new base variant, the starting price of both the Volvos has come down by Rs 7 lakh. The price of the S90 D4 Momentum and the XC60 D4 Momentum is Rs 51.90 lakh and Rs 52.90 lakh (ex-showroom pan-India), respectively.

Now let’s find out exactly what would you miss in the Momentum variant compared to Inscription in both the cars.

Volvo S90:

Mechanically, the S90 D4 Momentum is identical to the top-spec Inscription variant. So it is powered by the same D4 diesel engine that powers the S90 D4 Inscription. The engine makes 190PS/400Nm and is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

What's different?

• The base-spec S90 gets a piano black finish on the front grille (instead of Inscription grille), circular exhaust tips and 17-inch alloy wheels instead of 18-inch ones on the Inscription variant

• On the features front, it misses out on heated front seats, backrest massager, powered boot lid, blind spot detection system with cross-traffic alert, rear collision mitigation assist, 360 degree camera, heads-up display, Bower and Wilkins sound system and air suspension

• Standard features on offer include electric sunroof, four-zone climate control, power-adjustable seats, digital instrument cluster, tyre pressure monitoring system, auto parking system, Harman Kardon sound system and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

• In terms of basic safety, both the variants of the S90 are equipped with six airbags, ABS, EBD, brake assist, hill-start assist, Isofix seat anchors, adaptive cruise control with pilot assist, auto parking system, front collision mitigation system, lane keep aid and front and rear parking sensors

Makes sense?

Compared to the Inscription variant, buyers would miss air suspension, 360-degree camera and backrest massager the most on the S90 Momentum. The reduction in sticker price of Rs 7 lakh makes the S90 the most affordable diesel-powered mid-size luxury sedan, and we have to say that despite a trimmed feature list, it’s still equipped with many gizmos.

Volvo XC60:

Like the S90, which gets same engine on both the variants, the XC60 also gets the same engine. However, in the XC60’s lower variant, the 2.0-litre diesel engine that makes 190PS/400Nm. The same engine in the Inscription variant is tuned to produce 235PS/480Nm. The engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission in both variants.

What else is different?

• In the D4 Momentum variant, the XC60 features a plain piano black front grille (as opposed to the Inscription's chrome-heavy grille). It also gets 18-inch alloy wheels and not the 19-inch ones available on the D5 Inscription variant

• On the features front, it misses out on ventilated seats, heating and massage function, powered tailgate, power folding rear seats, air suspension, rear collision mitigation support, a blind spot detection system with cross-traffic alert, 360-degree parking camera, auto parking system, heads-up display and the Bowers and Wilkins audio system

• Standard features on offer include panoramic sunroof, four-zone climate control, power-adjustable seats, digital instrument cluster, tyre pressure monitoring system, Harman Kardon sound system and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

• In terms of basic safety, both the variants of the XC60 are equipped with six airbags, ABS, EBD, brake assist, hill-start assist, hill-descent control, Isofix seat anchors, adaptive cruise control with pilot assist, front collision mitigation system, lane keep aid and front and rear parking sensors

Makes sense?

The list of omitted features on both the S90 Momentum and the XC60 Momentum (over the respective Inscription variant) is quite similar (apart from auto parking), but the sedan is powered by the same engine in the same state of tune in both variants.

Compared to the XC60 Inscription, a less powerful engine and omission of features like ventilated seats, air suspension, auto parking system, 360-degree parking camera and massage function will be the big misses on the XC60 Momentum. For an incremental price of Rs 7 lakh, the more-powerful XC60 Inscription makes for a smarter buy, in our opinion.

Source: cardekho.com