Spec comparo: Volvo S90 vs Mercedes-Benz E 250d vs BMW 520d vs Audi A6 35 TDI

Volvo has just launched its flagship sedan, the S90, in India at Rs 53.5 lakh, ex-Mumbai. Despite being sold as a CBU, the brand has priced the S90 spot on to compete with its locally assembled rivals, the Mercedes-Benz E 250d, Audi A6 35 TDI and the BMW 520d. But considering how popular the German cars are in our market, the Volvo has a challenging road ahead of it. So here's a detailed spec comparison between the Volvo S90, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the Audi A6 and the BMW 5 Series.

The 204PS/500Nm 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel in the Mercedes-Benz E 250d is the largest and most powerful engine here and it comes with a 7-speed automatic gearbox. All the other cars here run 2.0-litre turbo diesel engines making 190PS of power and 400Nm of torque. The Volvo S90 and BMW 520d get 8-speed automatic transmissions while the Audi A6 features a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox.

The BMW 520d claims to be the quickest car here with a 0-100kmph time of 7.7s (claimed). The Volvo S90 is second in this regard, claiming a time of 8.2s while the Audi A6 35 TDI does it in 8.3s (tested). The E-Class, despite the power advantage over the other is the slowest to 100kmph with a time of 8.5s (tested). However, it does have the highest claimed top speed of 242kmph, while the other are between 230-232kmph (refer table).

The E-Class is also the least efficient of the lot, with an overall efficiency of 12.1kmpl. The Audi A6 returned 15.9kmpl while the 5 Series has a claimed figure of 18.12kmpl. The S90 stands on top here with a claimed efficiency of 22.73kmpl.

The S90 is also the longest car here with a length of 4,693mm, while the A6 and the 5 Series follow close behind at 4,933mm and 4,907mm respectively. The E-Class meanwhile, measures 4,879mm in length. In terms of wheelbase, the 5 Series takes the cake with a length of 2,968m, while the Volvo S90 is second with 2,941mm. The A6's wheelbase measures 2,912mm while the E-Class has the shortest wheelbase of 2,874mm.

The Volvo S90 is the most affordable option here at Rs 53.5 lakh. It is also the most feature loaded car here. Standard features on this car, are air suspension, a head-up display, lane-keep assist and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment unit linked to a 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system.

The Germans however, don't stand too far apart from each other in terms of price and features. The E-Class is the most affordable of the three at Rs 54.32 lakh (ex-Mumbai) and it offers features like LED headlights and a basic 7-inch Comand infotainment unit without a touchscreen as standard. The BMW 5 Series and the Audi A6 are next at Rs 54.48 lakh and Rs 54.98 lakh, respectively and equipment levels are similar to the E-Class. What's worth noting however, is that all three German cars are due for an update very soon. The updated E-Class and 5 Series should reach India in 2017, while the new A6, which is yet to be unveiled, is expected here in early 2018.

Also from OVERDRIVE:

2016 Volvo S90 launched in India at Rs 53.5 lakh

2016 Volvo S90 2.0-litre diesel India first drive review

Image gallery: 2016 Volvo S90