Volvo ES90 review

Driving position 

Straight off the bat, we have to say that the Volvo ES90 has some of the most comfortable seats we’ve ever tested – and we’ve sat in hundreds. 

They’re not only soft but also ergonomic, so it’s much easier on your back after a long motorway drive. We spent nearly three hours on the M1 and came away pain-free. 

To adjust the seats and steering wheel, it’s simple. There are electric toggles by the seat and a manual lever under the wheel. We’d have liked the seat to go a little lower, but many electric cars have a limit due to the under-floor batteries. 

Visibility is our only gripe with the driving position. Not only are the A-pillars rather chunky, meaning seeing out at junctions or roundabouts can be tricky, but you may as well forget about the rear window. 

It’s a large pane of glass on the outside, but a real pain on the inside. It’s a bit like a letterbox and is blocked by the two outer rear seats’ headrests and the middle one (when that’s up). 

Luckily, the 360-degree parking camera means you rarely need to look out the back, but it isn’t ideal. 

Tech and features 

Volvo ES90 trims 

– Plus 

– Ultra 

The ES90’s interior is, for us, its standout feature. Volvo has spared no detail when it comes to making it feel as highbrow as it can without a Rolls-Royce budget. 

Leather aside, Volvo also offers optional wool upholstery and open-pore wood, so they’re not taking half measures. 

The touchscreen lives in the middle of the dash, measures 14.5 inches across and runs Google software.  

This gives you access to Google Maps and a range of downloadable apps from the Play Store.  

But if that isn’t for you, there’s also wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, if you did want to connect your phone. 

The best part? The optional Bowers & Wilkins sound system. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again; it’s one of the best in the business. 

Our top-spec Ultra model came equipped with this 25-speaker stereo with added headrest speakers. It also comes with an Abbey Road Studios mode with adjustable sound settings to really make you feel like you’re at the opera or in the recording studio. 

You can also have a switchable electrochromic panoramic roof that darkens to reduce glare, and to block out 99% of UV light on those sunnier days. 

Electric motors and power 

Volvo ES90 performance stats 

Power: 333hp, 456hp or 680hp 

0-62mph: 4.0 to 6.6 seconds 

Top speed: 112mph (limited) 

Driven wheels: Rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) 

The Volvo ES90 can be had in a few different flavours: Single Motor Extended Range, Twin Motor or Twin Motor Performance. 

The entry Single Motor model is the only rear-wheel drive (RWD) car in the range and produces 333hp and can complete the 0-62mph sprint in 6.6 seconds. Not bad, but it gets better. 

Twin Motor cars are all-wheel drive (AWD) and offer a healthy power bump to 456hp and a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds. 

Sitting at the top is the Twin Motor Performance model with 680hp and a sprint time of 4.0 seconds. Now that’s quick. 

The car we tested was the ‘stripped-back’ Single Motor Extended Range car, and we have to say it’s the one we’d recommend to most people. 

Its 333hp is plenty for everyone’s needs; it still has a massively impressive electric range (more on that later), and it’s a bit lighter. 

Not once did we find it lacking in power or oomph. In fact, it’s almost too quick in some scenarios.  

Handling and ride comfort 

When you’re behind the wheel, it’s truly one of the quietest cars we’ve ever tested, even with large 22-inch wheels wrapped in relatively thin and sportier-looking rubber. 

Around town, it soaks up the bumps very well. This is thanks to its adaptive suspension, which toggles between normal, soft and firm. We left it in normal mode most of the time as soft was almost too soft and firm was, well, a bit harsh – but they each have their place for different roads. 

At motorway speeds, the ES90 is truly quiet. Sure, you do hear some road noise, but very little for a car weighing over 2.5 tonnes. Anyway, the Bowers & Wilkins sound system drowns that out. 

It’s less dynamic than an Audi or BMW on a country road, but that’s also not really the point of it.  

If you want something comfortable and quiet, then you can’t really fault it. 

Boot space 

Volvo ES90 boot space: 

• Boot space: 424 litres 

• Incl. rear seats folded: 1,427 litres 

• Front boot (froot): 22 litres 

Volvo calls the ES90 a saloon, but really, it’s a glorified hatchback, which means it's pretty practical. 

You get 424 litres of boot space, growing to 1,427 litres with the rear seats folded. Believe us when we say it’s practical – we did a tip run in it. No cream leather was harmed in the process... we checked. 

Compared to its rivals, though, it could do better – with the BMW i5 getting 490 litres and the Audi A6 e-tron with 502 litres. 

Being an electric car means there’s no engine in the front, creating more storage space. The ES90 has a 22-litre front boot (‘froot’), which is handy for any smaller items or charging cables. 

Rear seats 

The ES90’s back seats are where things get interesting.  

On the face of it, there’s loads of space. Well, there should be for a car that’s five metres long. 

But in reality, there’s lots of legroom but not a lot of general space. Because the batteries are under the floor, your feet are raised up. So, any passengers over a certain height will have their knees in their face. 

Saying that, headroom isn’t so bad for shorter folk, but if it’s rear-seat space you’re after in a luxury saloon, we’d recommend a Genesis G80 or Mercedes E-Class for the job. 

Storage solutions 

Up front, the ES90 uses its gear-lever-free tunnel console to house a large floating storage bin underneath, paired with twin cupholders, a wireless charging pad and deep felt-lined door pockets.  

Rear passengers get dedicated bottle holders, seatback pockets and a fold-down central armrest with device storage. 

Volvo ES90 dimensions 

• Height: 1,546mm 

• Width (incl. mirrors): 2,120mm 

• Length: 5,000mm 

• Kerb weight: Up to 2,610kg 

Safety 

Euro NCAP has yet to test the Volvo ES90, but if it’s anything like its larger EX90 SUV sibling, it’ll pass with flying colours (as almost all Volvos do). 

This is thanks to plenty of safety tech, such as blind-spot warning, speed limit recognition and other standard warning systems found on new cars. 

Though, keep an eye on the speed limit recognition, as our car falsely told us the speed limit was 80mph on the motorway. But you should know better anyway... 

Volvo ES90: electric range, battery and charging 

Range: Up to 432.5 miles 

Battery size: 92kWh or 106kWh 

Max charging speed: Up to 350kW 

Charge port location: Rear left 

Charge time (AC): 0-100% at 11.5kW in 10 hours 

Charge time (DC): 10-80% at 310kW in 22 mins 

Efficiency: 3.9mi/kWh (claimed) 

Sure, interior quality and driving feel are important when looking at buying your next car, but when it comes to EVs, range and batteries are what could sway your decision. 

It’s good news, then, that the ES90 sways massively in the positive direction. 

Depending on which variant you choose, there are different battery sizes and electric ranges.  

Single Motor Extended Range models come with a 92kWh battery and offer up to 412.6 miles (407 miles in Ultra trim), while 106kWh Twin Motor and Twin Motor Performance cars get up to 432.5 miles.  

It can charge at up to 350kW, too. This means a 10-80% top-up at a rapid charger takes just 22 minutes. Trust us, we tried it.  

Volvo claims the ES90 will return up to 3.9kWh, and in our testing over a few hundred miles we saw an average 3.3mi/kWh. It’s not bad but is just shy of its claimed efficiency. 

But in fairness to the car, many of these miles were on motorways, so it’s expected to see slightly lower figures. 

Reliability 

Being a Volvo, you aren’t going to need to worry about reliability – they’ve been really solid cars for years, and the electric ones are no different.  

Additionally, you get a three-year/60,000-mile warranty as standard, which is about the standard you get with a new car in the UK.