Photography: Thanos Asfis

Editor: Katerina Theocharis

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Crete, being my place of origin, constitutes one of my favorite travel destinations.

Recently, while having some wonderful company, I travelled to Chania, Sfakia, Ligres (an idyllic beach in southern Crete) and ended up in Rethymnon. The road trip was accompanied by a gorgeous Volvo S90 D5 by Volvo Car Hellas, that made my cruise through Crete relaxed, safe, luxurious and even more pleasant.

beige linen jacket hat light blue pants volvo s90 rethymnon old town

As elegant as it gets, Volvo S90 is a car that you definitely fall in love with. Easy to drive, spacious, luxurious and cozy, this car offers you an amazing sensation. Not only it looks effortlessly good but it is quick and provides plenty of grip. Although it is as long as the XC90, Volvo S90’s 360 Camera and Sensors help you control the car totally, therefore the size does not toughen up the driving experience. Totally recommended, you should arrange a test drive in order to discover it for yourself.

volvo s90 interior beige leather

About Volvo S90

The S90 is Volvo’s new premium 4-door, 5-seat flagship sedan, released in 2016. It is built on the new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), Volvo’s advanced modular product platform that will underpin all new Volvo cars in the 90 and 60 Series.

Like its siblings XC90 and V90, the S90 carries the proud and confident face of Volvo’s new design language, along with classic Volvo styling cues. Key features include the iconic “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlight design, the new grille and Volvo Iron Mark, and the expressive use of the Volvo word mark on the rear.

In the cabin, Volvo has taken cues from the success of its XC90 model and raised the bar with new details on the dashboard and instrument panel, including new air blades that stand vertically on each side of the Sensus user interface.

light blue volvo s90

Connectivity
All new Volvos are now connected, thanks to Volvo’s connectivity offering called Sensus. It delivers an intuitive touch screen interface that combines car functions, navigation, connected services and in-car entertainment applications such as Spotify, Pandora, Baidu or TuneIn. The portrait-oriented touch screen enables easy and fast access to a host of functions and features.

Powertrain technology
The S90 is powered by Volvo’s Drive-E powertrains, including petrol, diesel and Volvo’s T8 Twin Engine, a petrol plug-in hybrid mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

volvo s90 interior beige leather

Volvo’s T8 Twin Engine delivers all the benefits of a high performance, low emission petrol engine with an electric motor that delivers power on demand with CO2emissions at just 44 g/km, more than 45 km of pure electric range and a combined power output of around 410 hp.

Safety and semi-autonomous drive
Volvo’s leadership in the field of automotive safety is confirmed in the S90. Volvo’s City Safety Technology, standard on all Volvo models, combines automatic breaking functionality and collision avoidance systems to cover a range of potential accident scenarios and help keep you safe.

City Safety’s functionality is further extended in the S90 with Large Animal Detection, designed to help avoid or mitigate collisions with large animals such as moose. An auto-steer functionality which helps to keep you on the road, called Run Off Road Mitigation, has also been added.

Volvo’s overall safety offering, called IntelliSafe, encompasses both active and passive safety systems and forms the groundwork for Volvo’s leadership in the field of autonomous drive. The S90 already offers semi-autonomous drive with Pilot Assist, which works up to 130 km/h on clearly marked roads. Pilot Assist is another step towards Volvo’s Vision 2020, which states that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020.

volvo s90 interior longines watch

The Roadtrip

We made our first stop at the Old Port of Chania. A dreamy, romantic and beautiful town that incites you to travel back in time the first moment you visit it. The vibe of the old town is almost intact, preserving the originality of the place. Beautiful buildings, gorgeous colors and a pure vintage scent…

volvo s90 leight blue chania

Then, we headed to Sfakia and moved towards Agios Ioannis, a small village close to Lefka Ori. There, Antonis and Anna have built a beautiful guest house close to the forest named Alonia, offering, apart from their warm hospitality, delicious plates made of pure local ingredients. The place is recommended for people who need to take a break from their frantic everyday program and enjoy nature by walking through enchanting paths into the forest.

volvo s90 leight blue sfakia

alonia agios ioannis crete

Next stop was Ligres. A beautiful virgin beach in southern Crete, that I visit quite often over the last few years. This beach has a beautiful symmetry and energy that makes the time stop. Grey sand and rocks embellish the idyllic scenery, where the sea touches the sky and the eyes meet the infinity. I can say that in Ligres I have delighted in the most breathtaking sunsets. There, Giorgos, Olga and Michalis have built a beautiful family tavern. From the first time I met them I felt like I have known them since forever, as they are so friendly and welcoming. Olga cooks deliciously and Michalis brings fresh fish out of his small boat.

ligres beach crete

Finally, we arrived at Rethymnon, one of the best preserved medieval cities in Greece. Beautiful, romantic and welcoming, Rethymnon, a place blessed with beauty, is one of the cities you should definitely visit.
One poem of G. Stavrianos says: ”Rethymnon is not a place where you go to, but a place where you return”. This is Rethymnon. This is Crete.

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The Look

Jacket by Kourlas, Voulis 5, Athens |  Shirt by Christakis  |  Hat by Giorgio Hatter  |   Eyewear by OCCHIO  |  Watch by Longines

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