Volvo’s S90 is a vivid reminder of just how far the Swedish company has come since the days of, to put it bluntly, building wardrobes on wheels.

At the front it wears the company’s signature Hammer of Thor daytime running lights while the strong shoulder line that appeared for the first time more than a decade remains a defining feature. The front and rear windscreens and the roof form a single, uninterrupted, arc that flows seamless into the boot.

The rear, I feel, is an example of the Swedes trying just a little too hard with light clusters that are, dare I say, a little over-designed. They do, in fact, look much better integrated on the V90 than they do the saloon.

The cabin also has much in common with other models from the across the Volvo range with a centre console that’s dominated by the large, vertically-orientated, Sensus touchscreen display. It’s a system that has allowed Volvo to rid the dashboard of the majority of all those unsightly physical controls and intergrate them into the touchscreen interface.

It’s very much like interacting with a phone or, in this case, a tablet, with pinching, prodding and swiping gestures all present and correct.

It works very well. The screen responds well to touch without being overly-sensitive, but I do question the wisdom of putting all your eggs in one touchscreen basket when the retention of at least some physical controls means that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to ensure that you’re actually adjusting the watchyamathingy, like you’d intended, and not turning off the oojamaflip.

Leather seats are standard and, on the whole, the fit and finish is exemplary. However, look hard enough and it’s possible to find some areas where the plastics don’t quite live up to the expectations created by the rest of the cabin’s fittings.

The S90 is significantly bigger than the S80 before it and does, in fact, share its wheelbase with the XC90. It is, however, significantly lighter thanks to greater use of aluminium and high-strength steel in its construction and the push towards the use of smaller capacity engines.

That’s the reason why you’ll find nothing but four-cylinder petrol and diesel units with varying power outputs right across the range. You can choose between two diesel-powered engines. The D4, which produces 187hp and the D5, which was under the bonnet of my test car, sends 235hp to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Performance is strong, and changes in pace are accomplished with very little fuss, but it rarely feels particularly rapid, nor agile. It’s certainly more nimble than Volvos of yesteryear, but it still lacks that final level of polish that, particularly in PowerPulse guise tested here, would turn it into a proper sports saloon.

As a long-distance cruiser, the S90 is among the best in its class. It’s quiet, refined and the immaculate cabin creates a relaxing atmosphere that lends itself well to longer, high-speed journeys.

It’s when you venture onto more challenging routes that the S90’s limitations present themselves. The all-wheel-drive system offers plenty of grip, but it’s hard to exploit when there’s so little information being fed back to the driver through the steering wheel.

Smooth power delivery is aided by the clever PowerPulse air compressor fitted to the twin-turbo diesel that helps to reduce lag. Rapid acceleration is hampered, however, by the slightly sluggish eight-speed auto.

Consequently the chassis struggles to isolate occupants from larger bumps but the S90 still lacks poise and control through corners. It isn’t helped by steering that’s a little on the light side and doesn’t do a great job of keeping driver connected to the road. The potential is there but the average driver – and I very much include myself in that particular group – will run out of courage long before they can exploit any of it.

Passenger space, as you’d expect in a car of this size, is generous. Rear seat occupants will have no reason to be disappointed with the amount of head and legroom afforded them. The boot is a useful 500 litres. There’s also a decent amount of oddment storage capacity in the cabin with a large glovebox, a tray between the two front seats and large bottle holders in each door.

The S90 is a brilliant car, but it's not one for the more enthusiastic driver. It's comfortable, refined and immaculately constructed and, for those attributes alone, it's well worth a look.

Volvo S90 D5 PowerPulse AWD R-Design Automatic

• Price: £33,865
• As tested: £54,335
• Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo diesel
• Transmission: 8-speed automatic
• Max power: 235hp @ 4,000rpm
• Max torque: 480Nm @ 1,750 – 2,250rpm
• Max speed: 145mph
• Acceleration (0-62mph): 6.7sec
• Urban: 49.6mpg
• Extra urban: 65.7mpg
• Combined: 58.9mpg
• Emissions (CO2): 127g/km

For more information visit www.volvo.co.uk