- Volvo has unveiled its ES90 midsize electric liftback sedan.
- Top versions get 671 hp and can reach 62 mph in 4 seconds.
- The bigger 102 kWh available battery can cover 435 miles.
Volvo is best known for its SUVs these days, but this week it revealed the ES90, showing that its electric tech can works just as well, and look even more stylish, in a traditional midsize sedan.
Designed to take on the BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE among other options, the 5m-long (196.9 inches) ES90 arguably looks far better than both, with a strong chin, clean surfaces and a sporty fastback shape. Though it presents as a sedan, it has a practical liftback – but comes up short on trunk space next to the BMW.
Related: Volvo Still Not Sure If It Should Build An Electric Estate
Where it shouldn’t come up short is in interior room, particularly for those in the back. The 3.1 mm (122.1 inches) wheelbase is more than 100 mm (4 inches) longer than the BMW’s, and the Volvo also wins the range war.
While the leggiest i5 can only return 356 miles (573 km) on a full charge of its 81 kWh battery, the rangiest ES90’s 102 kWh power pack can take it 435 miles (700 km) in one go. Dual-motor versions get the larger battery and single-motor models make do with a smaller 88 kWh unit that can still deliver 404 miles (650 km) before needing a top-up.
Charging? No Problem
Unlike the EX90 SUV, the ES90 has 800-volt electrics, can handle 350 kW inputs (the i5 only takes 250 kW) and add 186 miles (300 km) of range in 10 minutes. A small frunk provides space for cable storage, again something the i5 doesn’t offer.
The lineup start with the 328 hp (333 PS / 245 kW) Single Motor Extended Range, which costs £69,650 in the UK and can reach 62 mph (100 kmh) in 6.9 seconds. A 443 hp (449 PS / 330 kW) Twin Motor drops the 62 time to 5.5 seconds for £83,250, but for only £4,600 more the the flagship Twin Motor Performance provides 671 hp (680 PS / 500 kW) and does the run in 4.0 seconds flat. All three are limited to 112 mph (180 kmh).
A High-Tech Cabin
Inside, the ES90 features a 9.0-inch digital instrument tablet, a large 14.5-inch portrait touchscreen with built-in Google tech and light-colored Scandi decor and materials to maximize the sense of space. The sedans come equipped with Lidar for autonomous semi-driving prominently mounted above the windshield, but it won’t be functional until later in the model’s life.
