Volvo has introduced an assortment of electric vehicles, but they’ve all been crossovers. That’s about to change as the company has built an electric S90 successor.
According to Teknikens Värld, the first pre-production prototype rolled off the assembly line in China earlier this month and is a “Verification Car” that will be subjected to extensive testing. To celebrate the milestone, employees posed for a picture in front of a banner saying “Volvo Cars V551 First VP Car Celebration” as well as a sign noting the model is “Confidential” and “Top Secret.”
As the banner suggests, the car is codenamed the V551. The publication suggests the production model could adopt the ES90 moniker, although they noted Lexus could object for obvious reasons.
More: Volvo Is Reportedly Working On New S60 And S90 EVs
Regardless of what it’s called, the model is said to ride on the SPA2 platform that underpins the Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90. It’s also slated to be the “first new global model where development has been carried out under the direction of the engineering team in Shanghai.”
Series production could begin as early as May 2024 and the car is slated to have a 111 kWh battery pack, just like the EX90. In the crossover, it powers a dual-motor all-wheel drive system producing 402 hp (300 kW / 408 PS) and 568 lb-ft (769 Nm) of torque. The company also offers a Performance variant with 496 hp (370 kW / 503 PS) and 671 lb-ft (909 Nm) of torque.
In terms of size, the model reportedly measures 196.5 inches (4,990 mm) long, 76.6 inches (1,945 mm) wide, and 60.9 inches (1,547 mm) tall with a wheelbase that spans 122.1 inches (3,102 mm). To put those numbers into perspective, the ES90 would be 3.9 inches (100 mm) shorter than the S90, but have an extra 1.6 inches (41 mm) between the wheels. The model would also be a tad smaller than the Mercedes EQE, which is 196.9 inches (5,000 mm) long and has a wheelbase of 122.8 inches (3,120 mm).
H/T to Motor1
