Under the wings of the Chinese Geely, Volvo has modernized its models in various areas over the past decade. Yet one big wish of the Chinese appears to have not come true.
In China they are very fond of large sedans. There they have to rely on cars such as the Mercedes-Benz S-class and BMW 7-series to satisfy that hunger. Of course it can also be a segment lower, but bigger is better. That’s what they thought at Geely when they got hold of Volvo. Ten years ago, the Chinese looked at the possibilities with the freshly obtained Swedish brand and there they saw the S80 at the top of the model list. A great thing of course, but it could be a step more luxurious and bigger.
Exactly ten years ago today we reported that the CEO had big plans. There had to and would be a model above the S80. The S80L was already a great step in the right direction for the Chinese market, but that was not enough: “At the moment we compete with Audi, Mercedes and BMW, but we do not have a model to compete with the 7 Series. and the S-Class. We have to fill that gap, “Li Shufu told the Financial Times. Volvo could not go that far under Ford, to avoid competition with fellow group Jaguar, but that would be a thing of the past under Geely.
The special interior of the S90 Excellence.
As we all know these days, no model ever got above the S80. Yes, the successor was called S90, but that was of course little more than a clever name change. It was also very popular in China. Of course it is also available as an extra long ‘L’ and Volvo came in 2016 with a S90 Excellence specially aimed at the successful businessman and woman, an S90 L with just that little bit more. It has a panoramic roof, tables, an extensive entertainment system and a large screen in its interior. The owner who sits in the back can connect a computer to this and continue to work quietly while driving. In the back, the passenger can also cool their drinks and pour them into matching crystal glasses. For a short time, the S90 L Excellence was even available in the Netherlands. Apparently good enough to abandon plans for a higher-end model. A pity, or a logical choice?