Volvo has refreshed the S90 saloon—an ageing rock star in modern car terms, still trying to stay relevant as younger, edgier entrants steal the limelight. Yet, the S90 remains a class act; its timeless design has barely aged since its debut nearly a decade ago.

That said, Volvo has decided to end retail sales of the S90 in the UK, EU, and US. This decision is partly due to Trump-era tariffs (since the S90 is manufactured in China), and partly due to declining demand in European markets.

Nevertheless, the S90 will continue to be sold in China, where this veteran performer gets another encore. The latest refresh keeps this rock star in its prime—no hair transplant needed. The Volvo ES90 is the S90 sucessor. Volvo originally planned a full transition to electric vehicles, but has since backpedalled—like a bear on a unicycle—after abandoning its EV-only strategy, ironically due to low demand for its EVs.

Long story short, the S90 refresh borrows design cues from the XC90 and XC60. The exterior now features Volvo’s new signature grille, reprofiled Thor’s Hammer LED headlights, and an updated rear tailgate. Inside, the infotainment system gets a boost with a larger 11.2-inch touchscreen.

The powertrain remains unchanged. Buyers can choose between a 2.0-litre mild-hybrid engine or a 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid, which sends power to all four wheels and offers an electric-only range of up to 50 miles (80 km).