Forget sales numbers and market share. A couple of minutes of casual observation at the porch of a five-star hotel will tell you all you need to know about the mid-size luxury sedan segment in India; that it’s dominated by three models – the Audi A6, BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-class. You might spot a Jaguar XF or two, too, but a Volvo? Unlikely.
This well-established order could be in for a major shake-up, though. And that’s thanks to the arrival of two new cars – the Volvo S90 and the second-gen Jaguar XF. The distinctive S90 is the latest from a resurgent Volvo, and on the basis of our review, we can tell you the Swedish carmaker has given this model its all. Sold only with a single diesel engine option (for now), the S90 is all-new in every sense, and feels two generations ahead of the prehistoric S80 it replaces. Next up is the second-gen Jaguar XF. It’s larger, lighter and more luxurious than the original and is a more wholesome package as a result. The Jag also has great handling to boot and an interesting engine – JLR’s latest and very own ‘Ingenium’ 2.0-litre diesel engine.
Of course, you are familiar with the German trio that currently provides the benchmarks in the segment. The Audi A6 was the recipient of an update last year, one that gave it a revised diesel engine, a new gearbox and those very technical Matrix LED headlamps. Then there’s the 520d that’s recently been updated with BMW’s latest 2.0-litre diesel engine and is making its presence felt here in its new M Sport form. And finally, there’s the ever-popular W212 Mercedes E-class in what will go down as its last face-off with these rivals; the next-gen W213 E-class, due for launch in the first half of 2017, will come with a stretched wheelbase and move half a segment higher. What that means is, for a limited period, this E is available with huge discounts of as much as Rs 8 lakh, so it could just pull a big surprise on value. And let’s not forget also that the E has taken top honours in this segment in the past too.
We’ve got the famous five together. Now to the hard job of deciding on one winner.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
