Volvo S90 T8 Twin Engine introduced

VOLVO Car Malaysia today introduced another variant of its flagship premium saloon, the S90 T8 Twin Engine.
The T8 Twin Engine is Volvo’s “innovative approach to powertrain design” – combining a turbocharged and supercharged petrol engine that powers the front and an electric motor driving the rear axle, producing a combined output of 407hp (about 315hp from internal combustion engine and 87hp from electric motor) and 640Nm (400Nm internal combustion engine, 240Nm electric motor) of torque.
The company says that this has been made possible with the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform that was designed to incorporate electrified powertrains from the start which sees the hybrid battery placed in the tunnel of the car replacing the propeller shaft.
“Our unique approach to engine design stems from the need to deliver uncompromising performance, efficiency and space by having the hybrid components cleverly integrated into the design, differentiating us from the other hybrids in the market,” said Volvo Car Malaysia managing director, Lennart Stegland.
Stegland explains that the placement of the battery in the tunnel lowers the centre of gravity for the car and improves handling. The other benefit of placing the battery in that position is that it frees up precious cargo space and also protects the battery from external impacts.
When it came to the performance, the S90 T8 Twin Engine achieves a zero-to-100km/h sprint in only 4.8 seconds, and a pure electric range (according to EU regulations) of 50km from a 10.4 kWh hybrid battery.
“The S90 T8 Twin Engine will be offered in two different trim levels: Inscription and Inscription Plus with the latter debuting the much sought-after, Premium Sound by Bowers & Wilkins; a 19-speaker sound system that supplies an astonishing 1,400 watts through a 12-channel Class-D amplifier.
“Just like everything we do at Volvo, Bowers & Wilkins has been a part of our product development since the beginning; this collaboration translates to the best audio reproduction within the automotive industry,” adds Stegland.
“Bowers & Wilkins’ core technologies are used throughout the S90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription Plus – from the Aluminium Nautilus tweeters and Kevlar midrange drivers to the long-throw “Technora” woofers. All this could be enjoyed using the three especially created sound presets: Studio, Stage and Concert Hall.
“The S90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription Plus will also receive air suspensions with an electronically controlled dampener system (Four-C) which automatically keeps the rear at the correct level, irrespective of load and adapts to the road and driving conditions.
“Both trim levels will share a number of standard equipment which includes Park Assist with Park Assist Pilot, 360-degree Surround View Camera, Blind Sport Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA), Lane Keeping Aid (LKA), 2-stage Integrated Booster Seats, Comfort Seats with Fine Nappa Leather and the handmade Orrefors Crystal gear lever.
“The S90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription and Inscription Plus is priced at RM368,888 and RM388,888 (on-the-road without insurance, including all applicable taxes) respectively. As an introductory offer, orders placed before Oct 31 for both variants will enjoy a special price of RM348,888 and 368,888 respectively.
“The locally-produced S90 T8 Twin Engine is the second Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) to roll out of Volvo’s Shah Alam production facility after it had received significant investments to assemble models built on the SPA platform which underpins Volvo’s large models.
“Malaysia will also produce and export the S90 T8 Twin Engine to select markets in the region, following in the steps of the XC90 T8 Twin Engine. This firmly secures a place for the Shah Alam plant within Volvo’ future electrification strategy which will see all future models produced with some level of hybridisation.
IntelliSafe
“Volvo’s leadership in the field of automotive safety is confirmed in the S90 T8 Twin Engine. Volvo’s City Safety Technology, standard on all Volvo models, combines automatic breaking functionality and collision avoidance systems to cover a range of potential accident scenarios and help keep you safe.

“City Safety’s functionality is further extended with Large Animal Detection, designed to help avoid or mitigate collisions with large animals such as moose. An auto-steer functionality which helps to keep you on the road, called Run Off Road Mitigation, has also been added.

Semi-autonomous drive
“The S90 T8 Twin Engine launches with IntelliSafe Assist as standard. This includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Distance Alert and the advanced semi-autonomous drive feature, Pilot Assist.
“The Pilot Assist functionality gives gentle steering input to keep the car properly aligned within lane markings up to motorway speeds of around 130km/h and no longer needs to follow another car. Pilot Assist is another step towards full autonomous drive – a key innovation area for Volvo, and one which is highlighted at the show with the Concept 26 display, which envisions how a car interior could look and feel in a fully autonomous Volvo.