Volvo V90 - Boot space, comfort & practicality

While the Volvo V90 doesn’t have the most capacity when compared with its big estate car competition, its plug-in hybrid system causes fewer compromises. That’s particularly telling if you look at the Mercedes E-Class Estate, which goes from a huge 615-litre boot in petrol and diesel forms, down to just 460 litres when specified as a plug-in hybrid like the V90. 

That puts the 551-litre capacity of the V90 at an advantage over the Mercedes, although it can’t quite match the 570 litres of room in the BMW 5 Series Touring. 

The steeply racked tailgate of the V90 impacts overall load volume when it comes to folding the back seats for a trip to the tip. At 1,517 litres, it comes up short against the 1,675-litre plug-in E-Class Estate and 1,700-litre 5 Series Touring.

Dimensions and size

The Volvo V90 is not a small car. At 4,945mm and 1,895mm wide (2,019mm including the mirror), the V90 is actually wider and only 4mm shorter than the far newer sixth-generation Mercedes E-Class Estate. It’s not quite as big as the enormous 5,060mm long BMW 5 Series Touring, which is also wider still at 1,900mm. If you have to parallel park often in town, the V90 might be the better of the three.

Seats, leg room, head room & passenger space

There’s decent room in the rear for three adults, although the middle seat is pretty thin and has less lateral support than the other pair. Two grown-ups will have more than enough space in the outer positions, though, and headroom is decent in the front and rear.

The tapering roofline makes it a little darker in the rear cabin, and it also means that while front passengers can get in and out easily, taller rear occupants may need to dip their heads slightly as they jump aboard. It’s far from an awkward squeeze, though, and you may not even notice it unless you’ve had lots of experience travelling in other large estate cars.

There are two ISOFIX points on the outermost rear seats, and they are relatively easy to access; you simply flip up or remove plastic tabs covering the mounting hooks, so you don’t have to worry about your seat chassis snagging on the base of the seat back. 

Boot space

While the Volvo V90 isn't the largest estate in the class, but the load bay should be big enough for most users. With the rear seats in place, there are 551 litres on offer – and with them lowered, the capacity extends to 1,517 litres. 

By comparison, the BMW 5 Series Touring has a 570-litre boot that extends to 1,700 litres when the seats are folded down. Unfortunately, the plug-in hybrid system used in the Mercedes E-Class Estate compromises its practicality, providing only 460-litres with the seats up. Things do improve with the seats down, with its 1,675-litre boot offering nearly 160 litres over the V90.

At least the load area in the Volvo is still a useful space with some neat touches. There’s a flat floor that helps when sliding in big loads, plus there are conveniently placed handles to drop the rear seats without having to open the back doors. There’s also a fold up flap you can strap shopping bags to and prevent them sliding around. We also approve of the gas struts that support the lid when accessing the underfloor storage area. Keyless entry and a powered tailgate also feature. 

Towing

Both versions of the Volvo V90 are capable of towing a braked trailer or caravan of up to 2,100kg, and the standard four-wheel drive system will be useful on wet grass when you need additional traction. 

The BMW 5 Series 530e is also capable of towing this amount, while the petrol plug-in hybrid E 300 e Mercedes E-Class Estate can only tackle 1,800kg. You’d need to look at the diesel plug-in hybrid E 300 de in order to get a hybrid E-Class that’s just as capable as the V90.