By FREDA LEWIS-STEMPEL, MOTORING REPORTER
Volvo has history with the saloon.
When the car maker's engineer Nils Bohlin designed the three-point seatbelt in 1959, it was first installed in a two-door, four-passenger PV544 saloon.
Over the course of more than six decades, the Swedish brand continued to treat customers with some fantastic 'sedan' models, including the 240, the 700 Series and - most recently - the S90.
But as the market continues to make strides towards electrification and car buying tastes have changed dramatically over recent years, it might come as a surprise to many that Volvo has pledged to keep its affair with the saloon going with the arrival of the new ES90.
This is especially the case given the seemingly unwavering appetite for SUVs, with sales of jacked-up vehicles already at record levels and expected to account for three in four new model sales by 2027.
Volvo's next-generation premium EV is open for orders and deliveries are expected by early next year.
But before it arrives on our roads, This is Money Motoring Reporter Freda Lewis-Stempel drove it around the roads of Nice and Monaco to see if the ES90 is compelling enough to lure people away from high-riding electric SUVs...
The Volvo ES90 picks up where the discontinued S90 left, and is the only EV out of five Volvo models that's not an SUV. Can it tempt premium buyers away from SUVs? Freda Lewis-Stempel drives it to find out
As of 2024, the luxury saloon segment of the market was just 0.2 per cent, figures from the Society of Motor Traders and Manufacturers (SMMT) show.
SUVs on the other hand represent a third of the market.
It's a similar story in Volvo's ranks.
The only other car that the Swedish maker offers that is not an SUV is the V60 estate (and it’s not alone with this preference for SUVs to cater for the rapidly rising demand for such vehicles).
In June last year, Volvo U-turned on its 2023 decision to end the sale of estate and saloon models, as demand for the cars declined. In the first half of 2023 these models represented less than 10 per cent of Volvo sales in Britain, with the remaining percent of sales SUVs.
The uproar amongst customers saw Volvo confirm the V60 and V90 could continue on.
But the combustion S90 was phased out recently with the last version sold this year to make way for the ES90.
The arrival of the ES90 now means that out of five EV models on sale, the only one that’s not an SUV is this new electric saloon car.
Volvo U-turned on its 2023 decision to end the sale of estate and saloon models after uproar from its customers despite shrinking saloon/estate sales and rising SUV sales
Step inside the ES90 for the first time and you're hit with a sudden sense of quality.
The interior feels extremely premium and nails that perfect Volvo blend of luxe and homely, techy and yet warm.
Materials include FSC-certified birch wood, fabrics made from recycled bottles, Napa leather; the armrest are floating, the ventilated, heated ergonomic seats are like sitting in an armchair, there’s chrome and wool, a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system - it's hints of the design flair you find in suave big-city properties.
And the cockpit in minimalist, too.
There’s just one button positioned below the infotainment screen; a lovely crystal scroller with chrome 'skip' buttons on either side for passengers to quickly access music controls.
Aside from these, the 14.5-inch freestanding screen with Google Built-in houses all functions, shortcuts and infotainment.
While this certainly won't be to all tastes - especially those who hate touchscreen systems and want an array of button controls - you can quite quickly adapt to the tech.
Using the Google Built-in operating system, it makes the displays looks like your phone interface. There's not a huge amount to say about this system other than it's much better than many car manufacturers' in-house setups.
The central screen is joined by a nine-inch driver’s display which can easily be customised between three modes – there’s a calm view for minimal information, an Active Surround view and a map view.
A heavenly interior: The ES90 has rich sustainable materials, a cosy but chic design and a 14.5-inch infotainment screen and a 10-inch driver display
The seats are extraordinarily comfortable and the electrochromic panoramic roof keeps the cabin the perfect temperature and light
All storage is tidily put away, with a hidden spot behind the central shelf for small items like money, or hand santiser, more storage in the centre console and an illuminated storage compartment in the padded armrest, and two cupholders and a wallet space beneath the roll top cover.
Everything comes together under an electrochromic roof which runs nearly the entire length of the car and tints to reduce glare and provide sound insulation – you just change the opacity by pressing the button.
Sitting beneath it, you’re bathed in light, kept at the perfect temperature and the way it combines with the cabin lighting makes you feel incredibly relaxed. You feel like you should pop your feet up frankly if you’re the passenger.
Space throughout is great, but the flat floor is quite high, so rear passengers will find their knees tucked up a bit.
While that's not a problem for someone of my limited height, it might be uncomfortable for passengers of 6ft or taller.
The boot space is on par with a Tesla Model 3 at 424 litres (the Model 3 has 425 litres) but smaller than the Audi A6 e-Tron Sportback's 502 litres.
But there’s an extra 16 litres under the boot floor and a 27-litre frunk, and the boot is illuminated making it easy to pack at night too which is a helpful touch.
I drove the Single Motor Ultra trim version, on 22-inch summer tyres which comes with 333hp and does 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds
The driving position in the ES90 should work for everyone.
However, you do have to use the touchscreen to make adjustments to the height and reach of the steering wheel to pitch at the perfect angle.
With the electronic driver's seat rearranged, the luxury Volvo should be an extremely comfortable place to be for bodies of all shapes, heights and sizes.
The view up ahead is good, too, especially for a car that doesn’t have the ride height of an SUV.
On the move, the ES90 is stealthily quiet - even by EV standards.
Almost all road, tyre and wind noise is kept to an absolute minimum, which is thanks to a combo of laminated windows and some state-of-the-art soundproofing.
I drove the Single Motor Ultra trim version, on 22-inch summer tyres which comes with 333hp and sprints from 0-to-62mph in 6.6 seconds.
Acceleration is punchy and the car feels composed, even at high speeds.
The ES90 and I tackled the tight mountain hairpins of the Côte d'Azur with aplomb thanks to its impressively weighted steering, which is accurately centred and particularly responsive in ‘Firm’ mode.
It also glides down [smoothly-tarmacked] motorways with complete serenity. With the ride comfort, plush seating and lavish tech, this isn't the type of car you step out of after 100 miles and instantly book an appointment with your chiropractor.
But it's not all rainbows and sprinkles for the ES90.
The brakes are - to put it lightly - sharp.
A dab of the pedal will have you jolted in your seat, which I found made the town sections of my test drive frustrating.
In fact, the responsiveness across the pedal box isn't as I'd like.
With regenerative brakes designed to pump more energy into the battery when on the move, I couldn't hone my one pedal driving skills as well as I can in rival models - most of the time I was wanting for the system to be more active in slowing the car to a stop without needing to touch the brake pedal.
Another mild criticism is that you can feel speed bumps far more than you’d expect for a vehicle with active air suspension, which is a compromise of its firm ride settings.
But my biggest grip of all is the visibility out of the back.
With a narrow and steeply-raked rear window,, the rear view is challenging. Carry a passenger in the middle rear seat or leave the headrest up and it's horrendous.
It did make me wonder why Volvo didn't more seriously consider opting for a virtual rearview mirror, like the impressive system in the Polestar 4.
The ES90 is punchy, feels composed at high speeds and took to the tight mountain hairpins of the Côte d'Azur with aplomb
That rear window is so narrow and steeply raked that it's very difficult to see out the back. With a passenger in the rear middle row or the headrest up, you can barely see a thing following behind
The ES90 is also on the heavier side of EVs in the way it feels to drive.
It's definitely less floaty than a Tesla Model 3 and instead has the firmness you'd tend to expect from a more traditional combustion car. Personally, I quite like, though am fully aware won't be for everyone.
One good standout point is that the safety systems won't beep at you constantly like an HGV in reverse.
I don’t think there was a single 'bong' from the ADAS [Advanced Driver Assistance System] the whole time I was driving, despite the ES90 having Iris lidar, radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors.
There were a million safety warnings that could have gone off – occupant sensing, pilot assist, collision avoidance – but it was quiet, except for the moments when I needed the assists, like the 360 camera or blind spot warning.
The uninterrupted quiet was bliss compared to other new models I've driven in recent weeks and months.
The Single Motor has a claimed range of 406 miles while both Twin Motor options have a whopping range of 435 miles
It used to be that 300 miles was considered a lot of range for an EV, but now that’s relatively normal – at least for a premium, family car.
What does constitute impressively long range though is 400 miles and above – which all versions of the ES90 surpass.
The Single Motor has a claimed range of 406 miles while both Twin Motor options have a whopping distance of 435 miles between recharges.
For context, that’s more than enough range to get you from London to Edinburgh on a single charge and from London to Paris and back again only needing to charge once (and not even fully).
And when you need to charge the ES90 it only takes 22 minutes using a 350kW ultra-rapid public charger - and around 10 hours on a 11kW domestic wallbox charger.
The ES90 it only takes 22 minutes on a 350kW ultra-rapid charger and around 10 hours on a 11kW wallbox charger
The premium feel and drive does come at a cost - and a lot unfortunately.
But there again ,you’re buying a Volvo, so that shouldn’t come as a surprise as they have become stylishly designed, safety-focused, premium cars.
The ES90 starts at £69,760 for the Single Motor Plus and goes up to £87,960 for the Twin Motor Performance Ultra.
It also costs a lot more than the £39,990 Tesla Model 3, which is arguably one of its biggest rivals.
That said, the Volvo is much classier, and far more luxurious.
The cheaper ES90 is around the same amount as a top trim Polestar 4 (just under £67,000) or the Audi A6 e-Tron Sportback which costs between £62,540 and just over £71,000. But go higher up the ES90 scale, and you’re shelling out far above this competition.
It's fair to say there's absolutely no hope of the ES90 qualifying for the Government's Electric Car Grant aimed at new models with list prices below £37,000.
Within the world of Volvo electric cars, the ES90 is not far off the EX90 which starts at £82,660, so for the buyers who are happy to send that kind of money and are turning from luxury brands such as JLR to Volvo, maybe the ES90 doesn't seem so much.
And there aren’t many luxury saloons EV to choose from either, so you pay more for limited choice.
The ES90 starts at £69,760 for the Single Motor Plus and goes up to £87,960 for the Twin Motor Performance Ultra. Orders are open and deliveries will arrive in the spring
I'm very happy to report that there's another saloon on the market, and an electric one for that.
Even more so that it's a Volvo because we like to see the Swedish brand reimagining its heritage for modern times.
And Volvo joining this EV segment caters for people who like understated, cool, reliable, luxe cars and don't need seven-seats, loads of boot space, and family-first features.
I also think the ES90 looks brilliant - a bit squat in the end but other than that it's a striking yet demure car and the Mulberry Red shows it off at its best.
If you want a saloon car that will take you around 400 miles in heavenly comfort and can spend around £70 to £90k then why not choose the ES90 over a jacked-up boxy model that looks like almost every other electrified SUV on the market?
