Natalie Middleton reports back on three months of testing Volvo’s ES90 all-electric executive rival.

Volvo ES90 Single Motor Extended Range RWD Plus

List price as tested: £69,140 | BiK: 4% | Official range: 411 miles | On fleet range: 350 | Efficiency as tested: 3.7mpkWh

Final Report:

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Three months with the ES90 has given us a short but sweet opportunity to test out Volvo’s all-electric flagship liftback/saloon in real-world UK conditions. Over that time, it’s proved itself a practical, yet premium cruiser that successfully challenges the premium German establishment.

Its highly aerodynamic fastback silhouette has paid massive dividends in efficiency and versatility, while also forging a rethink of what a modern executive car should be through blended elements of a premium saloon, a liftback and a high-riding SUV.

Whether you are driving or being chauffeured, passenger accommodation delivers genuine executive-level luxury, with a staggeringly roomy cabin that’s also a masterpiece in premium textures and Swedish minimalism, subverting traditional ideas of high-end automotive comfort.

While its seats-up boot space is a little smaller than rivals, dropping the 40:20:40 split-folding rear bench makes the Volvo highly competitive and practical. Also handy is the fact that you can adjust how much the boot hatch opens, for example if you’re in a garage with a low ceiling, or raise the boot opening height to create more room for accessing the boot.

Out and about, the ES90’s sleek, streamlined looks have turned heads while also returning a highly commendable average efficiency. Over our entire test, we achieved a figure of 3.7mpkwh but at the end we were seeing up to 4.5mpkwh. Its 800V architecture also means it can handle ultra-rapid DC charging speeds of up to 350kW, significantly slashing public charging stops. The ES90 also boasts a superbly serene driving experience that’s comfortable and exceptionally well-isolated, excelling in its capacity as a luxury cruiser.

As Volvo’s software-defined flagship – alongside its EX90 SUV twin – the ES90 introduces a level of computing power never before seen in a production Volvo. That’s been evident over our trial period through a fast, completely lag-free response across the huge central touchscreen. The native Google Built-In system delivers a wealth of functionality, running directly on Android Automotive OS, which means apps are live inside the dashboard rather than mirroring from your phone, such as instant Spotify access. Personally, I’ve become reliant on the Google Assistant that, at the touch of a button, can tell you about the weather forecast for the next week or the history of the exact landmarks you’re driving past.

This is compromised a little by the way Volvo has buried everyday hardware controls – such as mirror adjustments – deep within digital menus. But the inclusion of the 9-inch driver display behind the steering wheel and a head-up display means that interaction with the central screen while on the move is kept to a minimum.

If you can forgive the touchscreen gripes, the executive Volvo is a distinctive, highly intelligent and refreshing alternative to rivals.

Report 4:

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One constant throughout our time with the Volvo is its truly striking design. Its imposing stance and clean surfaces ensure it stands out and garners praise wherever it goes. Interestingly, it even seems to command a particular level of respect from drivers behind the wheels of rival premium badges. But I’ve also had comments from passersby – including a supermarket security guard who confessed he was waiting to see who owned such a “gorgeous” car. Perhaps most notably, my youngest son has actively pointed the car out to his mates if I’ve happened to drive past them, rather than pretending he didn’t know me.

Due to a shattered window from an almighty stone chip on the M25, we’re actually in a different test model, albeit exactly the same powertrain and grade. Much as I loved the elegant shimmering Mulberry Red optional (£845) paintwork and darker Charcoal/Cardamom interior on our previous model, my kids and a few friends prefer the natural Sand Dune (£845 again) solid colour and the lighter Dawn interior, which are definitely the more overtly Scandinavian options, trading more traditional luxury executive vibes for a cleaner aesthetic.

Despite its stately, commanding exterior, the ES90 is surprisingly easy to manoeuvre. That’s thanks in part to high-tech driving aids that include front and rear cameras that literally count down the space left in inches – part of the 360-degree surround-view camera system with 3D view – which my technophile eldest son pronounced as “sick”. High praise, indeed. Fluid, light steering also helps. But there’s no escaping the fact that its 5m-long footprint makes fitting onto standard supermarket and car park spaces a bit tricky. And because the body features a sleek, sloping fastback roofline with very limited rear visibility, you’re forced to rely almost entirely on those digital screens.

Out on the road, the driving experience of the ES90 perfectly matches its unapologetically comfort-first philosophy, prioritising silent, effortless cruising over sporty handling. As with its minimalist aesthetic, the Swede is relaxed, mature and entirely uninterested in chasing the sharp, aggressive handling of its German rivals. This is not a car that you’d want to throw around, rather one to revel in while you glide over motorway crests. Nonetheless, if you stamp on the throttle, the rear-mounted electric motor delivers its 333hp with a smooth, progressive surge that makes overtaking effortless without ever upsetting your passengers. You can also firm up the steering, which adds a bit of reassurance at higher speeds although you do have to dive into the vehicle settings menu to do so, which is a bit too tricky on the move. But ultimately, the ES90 excels in Scandinavian composure and comfort.

Report 3:

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Upgrading from the EX30 crossover to the larger ES90 shows that some of the smaller model’s quirks have been resolved for its bigger brother, although some remain.

One of our main frustrations with the ultra-minimalist EX30 was its complete reliance on a lone central touchscreen for everything, including critical driver data and basic speed controls. Furthermore, because the dashboard features a prominent Harman Kardon soundbar, installing a head-up display wasn’t an option either. Many core everyday functions such as wing mirrors were also a little too inaccessible.

Some of these issues still remain. The ES90 also relies heavily on its touchscreen for everyday tasks such as adjusting the wing mirrors and even opening the glove box, which makes things laborious. Fortunately, there’s a sleek, compact 9-inch screen mounted directly on the steering column behind the wheel – which keeps vital satellite-navigation mapping, current speed and other core driving metrics – along with a head-up display, as otherwise the central screen would be too cluttered. Also handy is the crystal volume control, which gives a genuine sense of high-end luxury and is handy for quick usage.

One niggle for me within the minimalist elegance of the cabin is the driver’s door panel. It features only two window switches and a single toggle button to switch between operating the front and rear glass. This proves a little too much work on a baking hot summer’s day when you just want to drop all the windows while waiting for the air conditioning and ventilated seats to kick in – admittedly these are first-world problems.

The ES90’s driver alerts are far less intrusive than those in the EX30. While the EX30 frequently mistook normal actions such as talking or yawning for fatigue (although a later software update helped), the ES90 offers a much more relaxed and accurate system that bridges the gap between advanced safety technology and everyday driver comfort.

The ES90’s key technology is more reliable, whereas the EX30 frequently failed to let me into the vehicle. That’s only happened a few times with its bigger brother and it soon senses the key.

But I did get caught out when it ran out of power. The ES90 comes with two physical keys – a lightweight key tag and an NFC key card neatly arranged on one keyring – to guarantee vehicle access and enable multi-driver convenience. Drivers can also set up a digital key via the Volvo app. I got a bit of a shock two weeks into our test when my key tag suddenly died. Thankfully, I was able to tap the key card to get inside the Volvo, but investigating the key tag fob once home to replace the battery revealed a surprise that it doesn’t actually open. Instead, the tag has to be charged using the wireless charger inside the Volvo while driving or popping it on a standard home Qi wireless charging pad. It’s a quick, easy habit to get into and the fact that you always have the key card as a handy backup is reassuring. Plus it’s easy to check how much charge you have via the central screen, which has a veritable arsenal of features, functions and information.

Perhaps most notably the ES90 has not been plagued by the battery issues that have beset the EX30 due to overheating risks and lead to a global recall.

Overall, the ES90 is a tech-centric saloon that largely balances high-end luxury with minimalist design, making for a deeply compelling executive EV.

Report 2: 

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The sleek exterior looks of Volvo’s electric saloon have already turned heads during our test but its serene, minimalist cabin is really stealing the show.

At 5m long – beaten only by the BMW i5 in the electric executive car class – the ES90 offers limo-like levels of rear space, leaving even my son’s tallest friends shocked by how much legroom they have. The floor is completely flat too, adding to the cabin’s practicality and overall sense of openness.

That vast rear legroom does slightly shrink the boot space on offer, with the Volvo falling slightly behind its rivals in terms of outright space, however it still has a respectable 424 litres up for grabs.

The boot cavity is long, stretching far back into the car, but shallow. This has, however, proved practical for getting in items such as a wheelchair. I even nearly managed to squeeze a bike in although the mammoth wheelarches – which house 20-inch alloys on our test car – eat into the width (note: a bike holder is available as an option). Removing the retractable load cover helps free up extra room, although it’s handy to have it in situ to avoid prying eyes.

For those wanting maximum versatility, the ES90 is actually a hatchback in disguise, allowing you to fold down the rear seats for extra cargo to deliver up to 1,427 litres of cargo space. To make loading easier, Volvo includes a handy diagram on the tailgate showing examples of what will fit. And you get a 22-litre ‘frunk’ that’s great for storing charging cables.

I’m a big fan of our test model’s optional £845 Mulberry Red paintwork. It looks almost black in low light and deep burgundy in others, yet it shines like a polished gemstone in bright sunlight. Its elegance matches the car’s executive feel. This pairs well with the £800 ventilated Nordico interior, which is the only other option on our model – and actually comes as standard along with massage function on Ultra versions (which start at £77,260). It introduces a premium, perforated eco-leather alternative in contrasting charcoal and cardamom shades, delivering a warm, minimalist vibe and ventilated seats in both rows. While I am already a massive fan of the latter, the real question is whether they justify the hefty premium. With another heatwave hitting right now, I’m strongly swaying towards a yes.

The ES90 comes as standard with an expansive, fixed panoramic roof that floods the cabin with natural light. For an additional £995, buyers can upgrade to electrochromic glass technology, which functions as an ‘electronic sunshade’, adjusting the transparency based on daylight intensity. While it is a pricey standalone extra – and not one that I’d opt for – it’s included on the top-tier Ultra trim. Alternatively, Volvo offers a physical mesh sunshade as an official £152 accessory.

With a bit of careful driving, we’re currently getting around 350 miles of range out of our ES90, equating to some 3.9mpkWh in mixed conditions. We’re hoping that some eco practices will bump that up. Having only charged at home so far, we’ve not yet made use of the Volvo’s 310kW DC ultra-rapid charging capability (which goes up to 350kW for some versions); nevertheless, it’s handy to have that performance at our fingertips.

All in all, our first few weeks with the Volvo show it’s a handsome package thoroughly worthy of its class.

Report 2:

Fresh off our tests of the EX30 and EX30 Cross Country, our new ES90 long-termer is here to showcase Volvo’s plans to reinvent its flagship executive presence.

Arriving on our fleet just weeks after starting first UK deliveries, this long-awaited new model from the Gothenburg brand is notable for being its first-ever fully electric executive saloon, heralding a spiritual successor to the S90.

It’s positioned as a highly competitive rival to German executive EVs such as the BMW i5, Mercedes-Benz EQE and Audi A6 e-tron, competing as a tech-forward car built with high-end Scandinavian design, cutting-edge software and long-range electric performance.

The ES90 shares its underlying architecture – the SPA2 platform – with the EX90 SUV, but adopts more traditional three-box saloon styling, combined with a slightly elevated, SUV-like driving position and a practical, hatchback-style boot opening.

This fastback design offers exceptional aerodynamic efficiency while significantly boosting cabin space and cargo utility. More in our next report.

It’s also Volvo’s most technologically advanced and computationally powerful vehicle to date. Driven by the brand’s next-generation Superset technology stack, its core computing capacity allows the car to constantly evolve through software updates.

Priced from £67,560, it’s available with a choice of two trims and three powertrains – Single Motor Extended Range, Twin Motor and Twin Motor Performance variants – delivering up to 435 miles of range.

Ours is the entry-level, rear-wheel-drive Single Motor Extended Range, which is fitted with a 92kWh (nominal) battery and delivers 333hp along with up to 411 miles of WLTP combined range and 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds.

As a foundational pillar of Volvo’s tech-forward approach, the ES90 also features 800V architecture – unlike some of its rivals – which is combined with a completely new battery management software and hardware for a longer range and faster charging than any electric Volvo before. It’s also set up with bi-directional capabilities – vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home, for houses with an advanced wallbox and home energy management system.

Two grades – Plus and Ultra – are available in the UK. Ours is the Plus, which comes with features such as a 14.5-inch infotainment screen with Google built-in, with Google Maps, Google Assistant and more apps on Google Play, a 9.0-inch driver display, 360-degree camera with 3D view, Bose Premium Audio System, wireless phone charging and head-up display. There’s a veritable arsenal of safety equipment and a fixed panoramic roof too.

Ours comes with just two extras – the Mulberry Red exterior colour (£950), which is a stunning and elegant change from the usual grayscale colours for this segment, plus ventilated Nordico upholstery (£800).

All this background information is essential to understanding the driving experience and everyday life with the big Volvo.

We’ll report back in the coming months but first impressions are overwhelmingly positive. Standout features include a cavernous interior thanks to its generous 5m length, the impressive 411 miles of range and whisper-quiet cruising on the road that could shake up rivals.