When it comes to Volvo, our opinion is backed by solid research and facts. We’ve written about Volvo at length and explored many of its high-tech features and specifications. Today we’ll find the answer to a simple question: Is Volvo a luxury car brand, and should you spend your hard-earned money on a Volvo?
Volvo is typically considered a luxury brand since its portfolio comprises only seven cars, of which many trims levels offer high-end luxury features. Volvo provides premium features in their vehicles ranging from tailored stitching and a heated steering wheel to integrated sun curtains, and premium LED ambient lighting. For a Volvo, you can see yourself spending around $34,000-$72,000, which is a premium price point.
This answer is just a summary of what you will get in this article. Want to know more about the features that make Volvos luxurious? Read on!
What Makes Volvo a Luxury Brand?
Continuing our earlier conversation, Volvo only contains seven cars in its portfolio. This gives Volvo a lot of room to focus on improving these cars instead of spending resources on new models. Volvo has a robust R&D section that focuses on the comfort, safety, and driving experience.
Their focus on safety is reflected by the fact that they’ve always dominated NHTSA’s five-star safety ratings. From its power-adjustable thigh bolster to its innovative special crumple zone in the brackets for maximum security, nearly all of the features offered in a standard Volvo are luxury-class.
Since the prime focus of Volvo is on safety and luxury, it is not known for its performance levels. It does not aggressively market itself as a luxury brand, and consequently, several people do not consider it as such.
However, after doing due diligence, we’ve concluded that Volvo indeed is a luxury brand. Even amongst its luxurious lineup, there is a difference between car prices – primarily aimed to accommodate buyers of all classes. The lineup is given below.
Volvo contains two saloons (S90, S60), two estates (V90, V60), and three SUVs (XC90, XC60, XC40). These models are further divided into three categories (electric, hybrid, mild-hybrids)
Volvo gives three trim levels of options in every model (Basic/Core, Plus, Ultimate), all of which will be discussed under the banner of the luxury section.
Luxury Features
If you are a luxury brand, you can’t compromise on quality – your selling point will always be luxurious features. The same is the case for Volvo, which has given quality and comfort at a standard trim level that is not easy to achieve. In a luxury car, an overall premium feel and comfort are a must, and Volvo engineers ensured that their cars performed excellently in both of these domains.
To ensure this, the seats are ventilated and heated, with a 9-way adjustable configuration including lumbar support. These seats are also memory seats that can be adjusted to pre-set positions using a single button. Its state-of-the-art air quality system AIQS separates gases and harmful particles to reduce pollution and odors in the passenger area.
All Volvos include tailor stitched leather seats, a heating steering wheel (available in three heating levels), LED customizable ambient lighting, and sidestep illumination that will instantly illuminate all pockets of your car. The interior is mainly made from premium materials such as soft leather, driftwood, and crystal glass from Orrefors (a famous Swedish glassmaker).
We also get to see an integrated sun curtain that will make your journey more luxurious and comfortable on a sunny day. Also, to increase the luxury factor, a Premium Sound system by Bowers and Wilkins is included, which comprises 18 speakers, making it one of the best sound systems in business.
Performance
Luxury cars cost you big dollars, and people expect comfort, limited features, and performance at this price. Volvo cars tick the comfort and luxury boxes quite easily. As far as the performance is concerned, the table paints a good overall picture of what performance you can expect from a Volvo. These are not the fastest luxurious cars, but they are not the slowest either. They have moderate performance levels.
| Model | Type | Horsepower | 0-60 time (sec) |
| XC90 | B5 | 240 | 7.7 |
| B6 | 300 | 6.7 | |
| T8 | 455 | 5.4 | |
| S90 | B4 | 197 | 7.9 |
| B5 | 250 | 6.9 | |
| B6 | 300 | 6.2 | |
| S60 | B3 | 163 | 8.6 |
| B4 | 197 | 7.6 | |
| B5 | 250 | 6.7 | |
| V90 | B4 | 197 | 7.9 |
| B5 | 250 | 6.9 | |
| B6 | 300 | 6.2 | |
| V60 | B3 | 163 | 8.6 |
| B4 | 197 | 7.6 | |
| B5 | 250 | 6.7 | |
| XC60 | B4 | 197 | 8.1 |
| B5 | 250 | 6.9 |
From the above data, we can see most of the cars fall in the 197-300 horsepower category, which gives us a 0-60 time figure of 6.7-8.6 sec, which is impressive as most of the cars that Volvo offers are SUV or estate that mainly focuses on luxury and comfort rather than performance levels.
You can say that Volvo has reasonable performance figures compared to other brands (BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc.) that belong to the same category.
Price
As anything above $40000 is considered a luxury, nearly all of the models of Volvo are luxury cars if we consider price as the sole metric.
| Model | Price ($) |
| XC90 | 49000-72000 |
| XC60 | 42000-70000 |
| XC40 | 33700-41450 |
| V60 | 40950-67300 |
| V90 | 51800-57800 |
| S60 | 37750-64800 |
| S90 | 51550-60050 |
The most expensive car you can buy from Volvo is the XC90 hybrid with 455hp and a top speed of 112 mph, with luxury features on par with any other brand. To be a Volvo owner, you’ll have to pay a minimum price of $33700, which gives you an XC40 with a 129hp 3-cylinder turbocharged engine and a max speed of 112mph.
Safety
Every vehicle built today has some type of safety features. Still, Volvo engineers have turned this up a notch by offering state-of-the-art technology, which has led to eleven models receiving a 5-star rating: the highest possible safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program for 2021.
Some of the safety features are given below:
- City Safety with Steering Support (includes Pedestrian, Cyclist, and Large Animal Detection and Front Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake)
- Speed Limiter to make sure that you do not exceed the maximum speed limit
- Vehicle Deceleration Control (includes Anti-lock Brake System, Electronic Brake Distribution, and Emergency Brake Assist)
- Driver Awareness (Blind Spot Information System with Steer Assist, Cross-Traffic Alert with Auto Brake, and Rear Collision Warning & Mitigation)
- Stability and Traction Control (includes Spin Control, Engine Drag Control, and Corner Traction Control)
- Driver Alert Control with Lane Keeping Aid that makes sure that you stay in your lane
- SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) with SIPS Airbags (Front Seats)
- 360-degree camera with parking assets to ensure that your car and others remain safe.
All of these features show that engineers have left no stone unturned while ensuring the safety of Volvo cars.
Volvo Top-of-The-Line Models
When we talk about the best luxury car Volvo can offer, we talk about the SUV XC90 model.
XC90
The engineers and designers at Volvo have joined hands to bring us their crown jewel: the XC90. This model offers comfort and luxury on par with any other luxury brand of the same category. This is Volvo’s first car resulting from Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) technology.
Adorned with ventilated Nappa leather seats coupled with Black Ash wood inlays, this car exudes elegance. It also contains adaptive air suspension that can change according to the terrain it is on, giving you a comfortable ride in any terrain possible.
Being a hybrid, its performance figures are also enviable. It contains a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder with an electric motor that produces 455hp with 0-60 time of 5.4sec, which is impressive for a huge SUV.
For sedan fans, Volvo S90 is the best choice.
S90
For those of you who fancy sedans, Volvo has got you covered. The S90 is a futuristic sedan, and its styling is at par with any other luxury brand. Leather metal and wood are used throughout the interior instead of plastic to give a more exuberant feel.
The Harmon Kardon premium sound system offers a beautiful amalgamation of bass and grandeur. Massage seats with heating and ventilation perks are also present in this car to make your journey all the more soothing.
S90 is also not sluggish when it comes to performance. It contains a Four-cylinder supercharged or turbocharged engine that produces 300hp that can do 0-60 in 6.2sec, which is impressive for a sturdy sedan.
It also comes with rear air suspension and Volvo’s “four-C” electronically controlled damping system that ensures the ride is as smooth as possible.
Where Does Volvo Stand Compared To Other Luxury Brands?
Being a European car company, Volvo has many competitors known for their luxury cars, such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc. These brands offer more luxurious features and better performance figures at a higher price than Volvo. Volvo is more focused on the safety and comfort side rather than the performance levels, but it is still ranked above some of the best luxury can brands in the world.
According to Luxe Digital, Volvo comes in 7th place in the world’s best luxury brand beating the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini. As far as brand presence is concerned, you are all covered.
Should You Get a Volvo?
Moving on to the real question. Should you get a Volvo, and is it worth it in the long run? The answer is somewhat subjective, and it primarily depends on what you’re looking for. In light of what we have discussed until now, if you want a luxury car that has the best value for money, has mediocre performance levels, and if you are more concerned about the comfort, safety, and longevity of your vehicle, Volvo is the optimal choice.
As far as safety standards are concerned, Volvo is pretty hard to beat. They are the best in terms of safety and have decent features compared to other world-leading luxury brands.
As Volvo has evolved over the years and its primary selling point is safety, this should be your go-to brand if you’re looking for a safe and secure luxurious car. It also offers other luxurious features and comfort with a very reasonable level of performance. If your priorities lie elsewhere, such as performance, you should look at other luxury brands like BMW, Audi, etc.
References
- https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/models/xc40/2023/specifications
- NHTSA gives 11 Volvo cars 5-Star safety ratings for 2021 – Volvo Car USA Newsroom
- 15 Best Luxury Car Brands Of 2021: Ranking of the Top Premium Vehicles (luxe. digital)
- Volvo Cars and SUVs: Reviews, Pricing, and Specs (caranddriver.com)
His interests in cars, motorcycles, and machines led him to the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore where he is currently a mechanical engineering sophomore.
His future aims include the development of an energy-efficient prototype vehicle for the Shell Eco-Marathon competition and getting a Master’s Degree in Automotive Engineering from Germany.