Volvo V90 estate - MPG, running costs & CO2

Compare the Volvo V90 to its main rivals, such as the BMW 5 Series Touring, Mercedes E-Class Estate and Audi A6 Avant, and it acquits itself reasonably well. In terms of fuel efficiency, it’s almost on par with its similarly engined rivals, as are its CO2 numbers. The figures that the plug-in hybrid version is capable of achieving under laboratory conditions are very impressive. How possible they’ll be in the real world, however, entirely varies on how often you keep the battery topped up.

Given the strong demand from Volvo's loyal customer base, as well as the extra sales this car is likely to generate, we expect residual values to be competitive alongside the Audi A6 Avant and the BMW 5 Series Touring.

Volvo V90 MPG & CO2

The diesel version of the V90 manages entirely reasonable fuel economy and CO2 emissions figures. The B4 (D) will return around 49mpg on average, while CO2 emissions (starting at 149g/km) aren’t much more than its closest rivals. Company-car drivers no longer get such a reasonable Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rating on diesel cars, as the government looks to promote a switch to low-emissions cars.

When the B5 diesel was available, it didn’t cost too much more to run, despite its extra power and four-wheel drive.

Every petrol engine now comes with mild-hybrid technology, which has improved the fuel economy of the entry-level B4 (P) to 40.3mpg, and its 158g/km CO2 emissions figure is fairly reasonable for a car of this type. The B5 is almost as efficient (39.7mpg) and sits in the same BiK band, near the top of the table. Volvo’s powerful B6 petrol with four-wheel drive has been discontinued, and it wasn't quite as economical; 35.3mpg and 182g/km will push running costs up for both private and business buyers.

22

An interesting prospect is the Recharge T6 hybrid version, which delivers a claimed 104.6-352.6mpg and emits just 21g/km of CO2 despite offering 250bhp – though it is important to remember that these figures will fluctuate depending on use and journey length. If you only drive short distances and charge the battery regularly, it’s conceivable you’ll never use any petrol. The V90 Recharge T6 is quite a bit more expensive to buy than its diesel counterparts but its BiK rate is around a third of the rest of the range.

VED (road tax) is levied at the discounted rate, while owners will also have to pay the extra surcharge on cars costing more than £40,000 in years two to six of ownership. 

Servicing

Like most cars, the V90 will need servicing every year, and if you get it looked after by a main dealer (there are 120 across the UK, so you shouldn’t have to travel too far to find one) it’s covered by what’s known as the Volvo Service Promise. This guarantees the use of original Volvo parts, as well as a complete vehicle health check and software upgrade alongside the mechanical servicing that’s required. There are also a number of service plans that can be used to spread the cost of servicing.

Warranty

The Volvo V90’s warranty is okay – the car is covered for three years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), putting it on par with the Audi A6 – but it’s a little behind its rivals from Mercedes and BMW, neither of which put a mileage limit on their three-year warranties.

Insurance group

Depending on which model you go for, the V90 will be in groups 29 to 41, which should make it reasonably affordable to insure relative to its rivals. The Audi A6 Avant sits in higher insurance groups, as does a diesel BMW 5 Series Touring, while the Mercedes E-Class estate is also likely to cost more than the V90 to insure across the board.