Volvo ES90: A New Electric Take on the Executive Saloon

The Volvo ES90 is the latest addition to Volvo's electric line-up, bringing the brand's familiar approach to comfort, space and Scandinavian minimalism to the executive saloon market. Effectively the electric successor to the S90, the ES90 is a seriously sizeable car. It's around the same size as a BMW 5 Series, giving you an idea of where it sits in the market and just how much space Volvo has had to work with. The car we spent time with was finished in Sand Dune Metallic, a colour which Volvo says contains glass flakes designed to sparkle in the sunlight. Unfortunately, the British weather wasn't particularly interested in helping us demonstrate that during filming! Move inside and the ES90's exterior dimensions translate into a seriously roomy cabin. There's plenty of storage up front, including hidden cupholders and wireless phone charging, while the dashboard is dominated by a huge portrait infotainment screen. Alongside it is a much smaller, minimalist driver display – a simple approach that we particularly liked. Volvo offers the ES90 in Plus and Ultra trim levels, with our car being the higher-specification Ultra. That brings some extra premium equipment to the cabin, including an electrochromic panoramic roof, ventilated seats and an upgraded sound system. There's plenty of choice underneath the surface, too. Buyers can choose between Single Motor Extended Range, Twin Motor and Twin Motor Performance powertrains, with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive available depending on the version. Perhaps the biggest headline, however, is the range. Depending on the powertrain you choose, the ES90 offers a claimed 407 to 432.5 miles from a single charge. Breaking through the 400-mile barrier across the range gives the ES90 some seriously impressive figures for drivers considering making the move to an electric executive car. As you'd expect from its positioning, this isn't a budget EV. Prices start at just under £68,000, climbing to almost £87,000 for the range-topping version. The ES90 therefore represents a very different kind of Volvo from the traditional S90, but some familiar ingredients remain. It's big, spacious, understated inside and packed with technology – only now there's an all-electric powertrain capable of travelling more than 400 miles between charges. So, does the new ES90 still have that classic Volvo appeal? One Minute Motors is our Leasing Options series giving everyday drivers an accessible look at the latest cars. We cover the things you'll actually want to know, from design and practicality to interior technology, powertrains and range, without getting lost in overly technical detail.