Volvo reinvents its flagship sedan in the electric era with the ES90. The ES90 combines elements of a sedan and a fastback with the higher ground clearance associated with crossovers to create a truly versatile car that’s one-of-a-kind.
The front of the ES90 has the brand’s Thor’s Hammer headlight design, while at the back, it has the new C-shaped LED rear lamps that’s continued to the rear window creating a unique lighting signature first seen in the EX30. This lighting extension also acts as welcome and goodbye lighting too. Wheel sizes range from 20s to 22s.
The ES90’s Lidar assistance systems and sensors are exposed and prominent, positioned high above the windshield. Partly done for efficiency, but also because Volvo designers wanted their flagship to wear its safety tech proudly.
Unlike its past S90 models, the ES90’s rear-end is a large and wide tailgate opening like a hatchback or SUV. Not only does it make it easier to load heavy or bulky objects, but the cargo hold itself is huge at 424 liters. Fold down the three rear seats—all of which can be folded down separately—and that expands to 733 liters. A 22-liter frunk can house items like charging cables.
Underneath, the ES90 rides on the SPA2 platform and uses the Volvo Cars Superset tech stack powered by Nvidia Drive AGX chips. Consisting of a simplified set of hardware and software modules that will be used across all Volvo models, this will allow the carmaker to roll out updates quickly, keeping it up-to-date throughout its lifespan.
Furthermore, it has Volvo’s latest electrical and battery technology. It debuts the brand’s new 800-volt architecture for faster charging, better efficiency, and improved performance. It adds 300 kilometers of range in just 10 minutes, and can drive up to 700 kilometers on a single charge.
Powering the ES90 would be a choice between one single and two dual motor versions. The single motor variant has 329 horsepower powering the rear wheels (92-kWh battery). The mid-range dual motor delivers 443 horsepower, while the top-of-the-line Performance has 671 horsepower. Both dual motor variants pack a larger 106-kWh battery.
With a wheelbase of 3.1 meters, the ES9 is extremely roomy. It comes with a panoramic sunroof with built-in 99.9 percent UV protection. There’s even an electrochromic version wherein the transparency of the glass can be adjusted. At night, there are preset ambient lighting to create a relaxing mood.
Features include a 9-inch driver’s digital display, a head’s up display, a four-zone climate control with a PM 2.5 filter, and three speaker systems that’s capped by the top-of-the-line Bower & Wilkins 25-speaker system with Dolby Atmos and a special mode that mimics London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios. The 14.5-inch center screen is powered by Android Automotive OS and a Snapdragon processor.
This being a Volvo, the ES90 is designed to help protect everyone in and around the car. Not only does it come with a strong safety cage and state-of-the-art passive safety features, but the active safety systems are powered by an advanced array of sensors, including one lidar, five radars, seven cameras, and 12 ultrasonic sensors. This sensor set enables vision beyond human range to help avoid collisions and hazards on the road. The ES90 also has the brand’s pioneering driver-understanding system as standard, which can detect when the driver’s attention is no longer focused on the road and step in to support.
Volvo’s Safe Space Technology also offers support when parking. For example, the door opening alert in the ES90 helps to look out for and protect cyclists or pedestrians passing by when the doors are opened. The full-cabin occupant sensing can sense submillimeter-scale movement, such as the soft breathing of a baby, to make sure no one gets left behind.
The Volvo ES90 will gradually be rolled out across global markets with Europe first this year. Other markets, including Asia will be added by 2026.
The front half is modern Volvo but the rear has that chunky Polestar signature design that looks out-of-place on a top-end Volvo.
ReplyDeleteTechnologically updated but doesn’t mention air suspension. That could be negative point. Most cars at the size and much lower price point offer air suspension. Wonder how much though.
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