The new electric Volvo is very good –and far from boxy

Volvo made its name from large estate and saloon cars back in the day, establishing itself as a maker of comfortable and safe vehicles, but they were never what you’d traditionally call good-looking. Hence, the famous quip by Dudley Moore’s character in the 1990 film Crazy People – “Volvo: Boxy, but good.” My, how things change. More than three decades later, most car buyers probably see Volvo as a manufacturer of SUVs and the lineup available today would suggest they’re right. It actually made news that Volvo was going to persevere with selling its V70 estate, for example. But are the sands shifting? Is there a subtle rebalancing going on that we don’t know about? The newest model from Volvo to launch is not an SUV, but a car, and a very stylish one at that. Say hello to the Volvo ES90, the latest electric car from the Swedish brand.

Exterior design and image

There’s nothing drastically new from a detail perspective on the ES90’s design.  But when Volvo’s latest design cues – the distinctive ‘ironmark’ grille and T-shaped daytime running light signature among them – are taken together, the result is a handsome contrivance that stands apart from its mostly German rivals. Its proportions are a little odd from some angles, as it’s quite tall for a car, and the Lidar sensor above the windscreen can give it the look of a taxi in some lights. But overall, we approve. Incidentally, though it looks like a saloon, and Volvo describes it as such, the ES90 is in fact a five-door hatchback. That pays dividends in terms of access to the boot.

Interior and practicality

That boot isn’t actually all that capacious by class standards, holding just 446 litres, though it is complemented by an extra storage area under the bonnet that’s big enough to hold all the car’s charging cables.

The passenger compartment is more impressive, both in terms of its space and its fit and finish – this is a very classy interior indeed. Up front, there’s an appealing blend of tactile materials used and the design is stylish to look at. The standard upholstery is a synthetic leather substitute called ‘Nordico’, and it looks and feels more or less like the real thing. The digital instruments in front of the driver are neat and separate to the large, upright touchscreen in the middle of the car. This does work well, and is cleverly thought out, but as ever, we’d like more physical switchgear, so the driver doesn’t have to rely on using the touch interface.

Rear-seat passengers need to duck a bit to get into the car, but once in, there’s loads of space in all directions. Saying that, anyone sitting in the middle will feel a little hard done by as the seat base isn’t as comfortable as those in the outer positions.

Price and electric range

Pricing for the Volvo ES90 starts at €79,995 for the Core version fitted with the so-called Single Motor Extended Range powertrain. This pairs a 92kWh battery (of which 88kWh is usable) with a rear-mounted electric motor for an official range of up to 650km on its 20-inch alloy wheels. We couldn’t match that on our drive, or anywhere near, but few drivers need such range in any case.

Buyers can upgrade to the Plus car for €87,795 or the Ultra specification with all the bells and whistles, priced at €100,295. The big price jump is due to the addition of active air suspension, an electrochromic panoramic glass roof, a high-end Bowers & Wilkins stereo system, and more.

For now, there’s only one powertrain offered, though we know Volvo has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive variant in the pipeline, with a larger battery for a range of up to 700km.

Driving experience

Our time at the wheel of the ES90 was in the Ultra version, and there’s no doubt that it feels like a serious luxury car. The air suspension isolates the car’s occupants from the road yet allows the keener driver to enjoy the corners, too. Not that this is what we’d call a sports saloon. It doesn’t compete with its German competitors in that regard, despite the rear-wheel-drive layout and impressive performance numbers. The steering is a little slow, for instance, and response to inputs is leisurely.

The entry-level powertrain means up to 333hp and 480Nm to the rear axle, but it feels pleasantly quick rather than noticeably rapid, and that’s all that anyone needs. Most memorably, the ES90 is composed on the road, secure-feeling at speed, and utterly quiet in most scenarios. Its refinement makes it feel like a car in the class above the one it ostensibly competes in, which gives it a USP many buyers will find appealing.

One to buy?

Enthusiastic drivers may not be impressed by the smooth and relaxed driving style of the ES90, but they’re few and far between in the executive car class, no matter how Audi, BMW, and Mercedes market their cars, the A6 e-tron, BMW i5, and Mercedes EQE, respectively. The ES90 is a luxury car first and foremost and electric power enhances that no end. It certainly makes for an interesting alternative to the default options.