Volvo brings out the classics for a 2017 V90 promo shot

volvo-v90-2017
It’s pretty clear Volvo wants the new V90 to stand on the shoulders of giants: in this promotional shot, the new car is parked next to the Duett, the Amazon, the 1800ES, the 240, the 740 and the 850 T-5 R. The rear end isn’t quite as vertical as on most of the old boxes, or the recent V70:s, but the car is still quite obviously a Volvo wagon – more so than the V40:s, V50:s and V60:s.

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As our Hooniversal commentariat consists largely of fans of the old bricks, which one of the above cars is your favorite? I would probably go for the wild yellow streak that is the 850, but I wouldn’t kick any other out of my parking spot.
[Image: Volvo]

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  1. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    That’s a hard choice. Top 3:
    1) 1800ES
    2) 940
    3) Amazon wagon
    Wait, what was in focus here?

    1. Rover 1 Avatar
      Rover 1

      No no, REAL Volvos.

      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Got to agree on this count.

      2. mdharrell Avatar

        Eh. When it’s time to change a tire you’re just making more work for yourself.

  2. Jofes2 Avatar
    Jofes2

    I have a thing for the Amazon’s styling. It surprises me every time I see one, like “oh yeah, that is a Volvo, too!”
    And remember, it is, according to this ad at least, strong like an elephant,
    agile like a panther, fair like a Venus, quick like a swallow and comfortable like an armchair.
    https://youtu.be/cDXbNB49IwU?t=6s

    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      Were these commercials shot at around the time of the changeover from driving on the left to driving on the right? Because it seems to switch back-and-forth here in the Swedish-language commercial.

  3. GTXcellent Avatar
    GTXcellent

    Ya know, I’m one of the few here who is not a fan of the long roof (no worries though, a HUGE fan of LongRoofian) but that new V90 is reaching a spot in me I’ve never known before. Even in my most hated color of silver that is a good looking car.

  4. cronn Avatar
    cronn

    The 850, any day of the week. Although I would not mind swapping it for a laser blue or saffron 2000 V70R. But I can understand why they picked the 850 for the press shot. It was a big step up for Volvo. The first gen V70 really just added painted door handles and a new interior.

  5. tonyola Avatar
    tonyola

    I’d probably go for the 900-series wagon as long as it doesn’t have the PRV V6. The 1800ES would seem to be an obvious choice but I know how these things drive – not as sporty as they look.

    1. dead_elvis Avatar
      dead_elvis

      Did the US get that option? I thought all our 900 series cars were redblocks, NA or turbo’d. I don’t believe we even got those in diesel flavor, just through the 700s.

  6. hwyengr Avatar
    hwyengr

    If they Polestar the V90, I might have some thinking to do.

  7. fede Avatar
    fede

    I agree with you on the 850 R. I always liked volvos, but I love that thing since I saw it on top gear’s river Nile special (volvos are rare here)

  8. CraigSu Avatar
    CraigSu

    Given that I’ve owned a 240 wagon for 23 years the obvious choice for me is the Amazon.

    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      Sort of felt the same way – 240? Done that. Now the 145 on ther hand…I’d gladly take another, this time around preferably in pristine shape.

      1. CraigSu Avatar
        CraigSu

        The Amazon’s lines have always appealed to me. I don’t see me selling the 240 but I’d love an Amazon. Something about that clamshell tailgate.
        http://www.slubo.nl/te%20koop/Volvo%20Amazon%20Combi%201967/diashowsript/sample_photos/images/R0010840.jpeg

        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          It definitely has more personality, but I can also sign up to the brutal pragmatism of the 240. If you look at the details and outstanding proportionality of the 240, that can become a revealing insight. I could occasionally sit in the driveway and just look at my square Volvos for half an hour.

          1. Vairship Avatar
            Vairship

            What surprised me is there doesn’t seem to be any love for the Duett in this post. There’s one here in San Diego in what seems to be beautiful shape, and I could see myself in it. Probably very slow (slower than an Amazon, I would imagine), but practical for what I would use it for (going to car shows, yet hauling four large dogs around) while still being an easy-to-park size. Is there a reason why nobody seems to prefer the Duett?

          2. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            Personally, I like the Duett. However, there’s some serious competition against it – to my eyes, at least – in the form of the Jeep Utility Wagon. Same era, roughly the same package, and more or less the same bodystyle with better availability of vehicles to choose from.
            Obviously I’m only speaking for myself on this one, but name recognition alone may play into it for others – a good chunk of the world doesn’t seem to remember that Volvo made cars before the 200-series.

          3. Vairship Avatar
            Vairship

            I like the Jeep Utility Wagon, but I suspect that a) the Duett is nicer on the freeway, and b) the Jeep is too jump into for the older mutts.
            If we end up buying a property on the mountain though…

          4. Sjalabais Avatar
            Sjalabais

            The Duett isn’t powerful, but it’s still build on solid rallye pedigree. Nice ones sell for a lot of money in the US, if you believe BaT.
            I guess just the competition from Volvo’s other wagons is too much though. How is it better in any discipline than any of the others?
            Almost bought a B20-powered Duett more than a year ago. Fantastic, quick restomod. In the end, the good seller just send me the steering wheel of a 1800ES to put on the wall for my son.

    2. dead_elvis Avatar
      dead_elvis

      Polestar Amazon wagon version here, please. Duett for shop duty.

  9. NapoleonSolo Avatar
    NapoleonSolo

    I have a 940 Turbo wagon, and I consider it the perfect blend of refinement and simplicity. It goes. It stops. It’s safe. It’s comfortable. It has a huge cargo area. And it looks great.

  10. karonetwentyc Avatar
    karonetwentyc

    Personally, it would have to be the P1800ES. However, in addition to the 66 noted above, I see that they also left out the 480 for some reason; perhaps they were sticking with models that were only sold in North America at one time or another.

    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      It’s not the proudest moment in Volvo history, and it’s really rather small.
      ^attempt at explaining why it was left out.

      1. karonetwentyc Avatar
        karonetwentyc

        When these were on the market, my mother had cross-shopped the 480 with the Honda Civic hatchback. She bought the Honda after driving the Volvo and having a difficult time seeing where a car built roughly 400 miles away cost nearly 30% more than one built 8000 miles away while offering what seemed like less interior room.
        Don’t think I ever knew anyone who had one, but my recollection is also that they were anything but a paragon of reliability.

        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          Yes, it was quite expensive – and there were some issues especially with electrics that made these just about average reliable; disappointing for the brand’s ambition. The turbo models are sought after now, and I know a guy that owns one and has control of the market: He has claimed for years that good ones are impossible to find.
          It is interesting though that your mother crosshopped the 480 with the Civic, they had a lot of pretty similar design ideas. Did she stay with Honda?

          1. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            She stayed with Honda up until 2007, when she defected to Subaru. In her words: “I’ve had Hondas for 31 years and, frankly, they just don’t make anything I want to buy anymore.”
            Funnily enough, she preferred the looks of the 480 to the Civic, but was ultimately happier with the Honda than she would have been with the Volvo after driving both.

  11. Mark Jordan Avatar
    Mark Jordan

    I question Volvo’s inclusion of the 740 rather than a 960 / V90. The 740 / 760 used the same 4-cylinder as the 240 (turbocharged in the 760) while the 960 / V90 used Volvo’s excellent 2.9-liter straight 6, and was the final iteration of their rear-wheel drive platform. I may be a little biased, since I run a ’97 960, but with 219,000 miles on the odo, I feel fairly justified. I’d like to hot rod a Duett, though…

  12. wunno sev Avatar
    wunno sev

    why no P2 V70? i wonder.
    for me the 850 first – i have a V70 of that style, and i loves it so – but the 1800ES is a close second and i’ll grab the Amazon…you know what? i’m struggling between the Amazon and a V90 T8.

    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      The biggest issue with the Stagea is…they don’t sell it in Jurop or Æmerika. My experience with Nissan quality is not good, but I obviously like what they were going for there.
      On the rear slope of the new V90: Looks very much like a BMW 5 wagon! As a traditionalist, I’m not too fond of that solution. But there’s no denying it looks great, and if Volvo had followed my desire for rugged, practical squares, they’d probably be dead by now. New car buyers appear to prefer stylish crap instead of maximised pragmatism and engineering before aesthetics – at least those with fat wallets…

    2. caltemus Avatar
      caltemus

      It’s a sad day when Ford makes the wagon with the a practical silhouette than Volvo. Ironically it’s derived from the Volvo p2 platform, so the best Volvo is still partially a Volvo by lineage

  13. I_Borgward Avatar
    I_Borgward

    1) 1800ES, only one of the coolest shooting brakes of all time.
    1.5) 240, the sentimental favorite (I own two of them, plus a basement full of parts).
    They can keep the yellow one.
    Not too sure about that silver thing set aside by itself.

  14. Krautwursten Avatar
    Krautwursten

    Sadly the tailgate window isn’t nearly vertical enough.