Volvo 140 Series
The first Volvo to really take a form that we would recognise as being a predecessor of the S90 is the 140 series. The 140 series was first introduced as part of the 140 series line of Volvos that was built between 1966 and 1974, alongside an estate and coupe variant (the 145 and the 142). The 140 series in general was designed to be both elegant and timeless, and Swedish magazine Teknikens Varld named it their car of the year for 1966. The 144 is interesting in a number of different ways, but one way that it is particularly interesting is in the fact that it isn’t particularly smaller than its modern-day counterpart, only shorter than the S90 by 200MM.
Volvo 240 Series
Following the 140 series was the 240 series, which was built from 1974 till 1993. The 240 series was based on the previous model the 144, and so the 240 series had an evolutionary design, where it applied a new design language to the 144 design. The 240 series was available in a number of different engine configurations, with both carburetted and fuel injection models available. The 240 was also available with a 2.7 V6 developed with Renault and Peugeot, that came with 140bhp. The 240 was also inspired by the Volvo VESC concept vehicle from 1972, which helped it to become one of the safest vehicles of the 80’s, with nobody dying in a collision involving a 240 for a number of years. The 240 was a fan favourite and as such, sold well over 2.8 million models in its it 19-year production run. The 240 was so successful, that for the last 9 years of it’s production it was sold alongside it’s successor, the 700 series.
Volvo 700 Series
The Volvo 700 Series was introduced in 1982 and it was at this point that Volvo was at the height of it’s trademark boxiness, with this angular bodystyle defining the brand way into the 90’s. The model was intended to be a direct replacement for the 240, but given the 240’s success, the instead decided to sell both models alongside each other, with the 700 series being more of a luxury offering, and the 240 being a more affordable option. The 700 series was available as a saloon, estate and a coupe, designed by design house Bertone and was available with a range of engines, from a 2.0 to a 2.8 V6.
Volvo 900 Series
The 900 series was introduced in 1990 to replace the 700 series, again with an evolutionary boxy design, that took on smoother lines and more modern design cues, whilst still remaining boxy. What is interesting about the 900 series, like the 700 series is the fact that it was sold alongside it’s predecessor for the first 3 years in production, as well as it’s pre-predecessor the 240 series. In 1996, the 900 series was renamed as the S90 in the UK, which marks the earliest iteration of an S90.
Volvo S80
In 1998, Volvo replaced the 900 series with the S80, a monumental departure from the design language that had defined the last 30+ years for Volvo. Based on the Volvo ECC that was introduce in 1992, the S80 followed a less boxy and more muscular design approach. Not only did it come with an all-new design, but the S80 followed a new naming system, where the model was the S80, and then engine derivatives were marked by T for turbocharged, and D for diesel, which has carried on to the modern day. The S80 was a combination of luxury, and safety with the inclusion of safety systems like SIPS (Side Impact Protection) and WHIPS (Whiplash Protection.
The second generation S80 was introduced in 2006 at the Geneva Motor Show and had a more evolutionary design, where there were still remnants of boxiness in the first generation’s design, the second generation removed any remnant of this, with the design becoming more distinguished and elegant, with the muscular shoulder line from the first generation. The second generation S80 remained in production until 2016 when it was replaced with the S90.
Volvo S90
The S90 was introduced in 2016, as one of the first models introducing Volvo’s latest design language. The S90 won a number of awards including the car design of the year, for 2016, and more recently won the executive used car of the year in 2021.
The Future
Currently Volvo is one of the few manufacturers that offer every single one of their models as a plug-in hybrid, and going forward Volvo intends to focus on electrification, intending to become a leader in the premium electric car market, by being a fully electric manufacturer by 2030. Volvo Introduced the Concept Recharge in 2021 and this is considered to be a ‘manifesto for Volvo Car’s pure electric future’. As such, we can expect the next S90 to take design cues from this concept in a more saloon-like body style.
Discover the Volvo S90
