CHANGE in the auto industry is merciless. Several years ago, more than a few analysts and journalists predicted that Volvo would go the way of Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Mercury and Scion, all shuttered brands. Volvo, once an independent Swedish company, was a part of Ford for a spell, and during that period its designs and engineering grew old. Too little change can be lethal.

Then in 2010, Volvo was sold to the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, a Chinese company. Somehow, Chinese investment has produced the most Swedish Volvos ever. Skoal!

Looking more Scandinavian than a trip to Ikea, the all-new S90 sedan starts with a solid foundation. It, like the company’s wildly successful XC90 S.U.V., rides on Volvo’s innovative structural platform, called Scalable Product Architecture, or SPA. The only fixed component is the section from the front axle to the firewall (which separates the cabin from the engine bay). All other points — the wheelbase, front and rear overhangs and width — can be lengthened or shortened. Think Lego.

Now for Volvo, building many of its vehicles, from the coming midsize S60 sedan to the three-row XC90, starts with a trip to the SPA for the engineers. That saves money. How Swedish.