Images reportedly showing the Volvo S90 have leaked to the internet, months ahead of the car's expected unveiling early next year.
The images, which were first published on a Japanese model website, appear to show the production variant of Volvo's range-topping saloon.
When contacted by Autocar, Volvo refused to confirm the authenticity of the model, but did confirm that it was normal practice to commission scale models to celebrate the launch of a new car.
If these images prove to be accurate, it would be the second time in two months that a new model has received an early debut thanks to a similar model. Early last month, Bentley's much-anticipated Bentayga SUV received an early debut thanks to a scale model produced for VIP customers.
The S90 is Volvo's replacement for the ageing S80, and will draw heavily on the technology and style of the second-generation Volvo XC90 as it bids to draw buyers away from the Audi A6, BMW 5-series and Jaguar XF, according to the firm’s vice-president of product strategy, Lex Kerssemakers.
As these leaked images show, the S90 will take some design cues from the Volvo Concept Coupe, albeit modified as a five-door saloon. An estate version, named Volvo V90, will follow shortly afterwards.
“We have to learn the lessons from the XC90,” said Kerssemakers, speaking at the Detroit motor show earlier this year. “The incredible reaction we’ve had to that car, with 6000 people placing orders before they’ve even sat in it, shows that we are on the right track. We see design as a key ingredient, of course, but also the interior treatment, the in-car technology and the option of an electrified powertrain.”
The Volvo S90 and V90 are expected to be offered with the same choice of powertrains as the XC90, with the UK market focusing on the 394bhp T8 ‘Twin Engine’ plug-in hybrid and the D4 and D5 diesel engines.
Volvo UK managing director Nick Connor added that the new S90 would also continue to push Volvo down its own, independent path. "Volvo now has the self-confidence to go its own way - we have no interest in copying the German brands," he said. "There is no point in trying to outhandle the 3 Series or whatever, we have our own values around exterior and interior design, safety, comfort and powertrain advancements that stand out for their own qualities.
"The S90 clearly demonstrates the transition we are going through. I actually think people will be even more surprised when they see it than they were when they saw the new XC90. It really is quite impactful; a car that your eye just keeps getting drawn to. The design and dimensions make it a far more premium looking car than the S80, the interior is an evolution of the XC90's, but a step up again, and it has a real distinction about it."
Kerssemakers also admitted that the large saloon market was contracting, but said the market was still too big and too important for a car company’s image among buyers to ignore. “The opportunities are getting smaller, but the market is still big enough to give us a strong business case,” he said.
“Demand in China and the US remains strong, and we believe we have a package of assets from the powertrain to the interior to the design that means we have no excuses not to fight with the very best for sales in the sector.”
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