Volvo ES90 review

“Superhero fatigue” is often talked about in film and TV: it suggests that the popular genre has become oversaturated, leaving audiences tired and demanding some variety. If you feel a similar way about Volvo’s electric car line-up, then you’ll be glad the new Volvo ES90 exists, if only to break the mould. 

You see, it’s not an SUV – unlike every other EV the brand sells in the UK. Sure, it may share underpinnings with the Volvo EX90, but the ES90 is an executive car and a rival to the Audi A6 e-tron, BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE. 

To compete, the ES90 needs to be serenely quiet and comfortable on the move. Its interior will have to feel as luxurious as it looks, too. 

How fast is it and which motor is best?

So far, we’ve tested the Volvo ES90 in its Single Motor Extended Range form. Now that’s a somewhat confusing name, considering there is no Single Motor Standard Range, but hey-ho. It’s rear-wheel drive and, with 328bhp, capable of 0-62mph in 6.6sec. It feels quick, albeit not exceptionally so – you can expect similar acceleration from the entry-level Audi A6 e-tron, BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE. 

The ES90 Twin Motor gets four-wheel drive and 456bhp, while the Twin Motor Performance ups that to 671bhp. The Performance can do 0-62mph in four seconds which, again, is about on par with its competitors. We’ll tell you more about these Twin Motor versions as and when we drive them. 

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

The ES90 handles competently, with good grip and a respectable balance on twisty roads, but it’s not especially agile. If that’s what you’re after, the i5 is a better bet. It has sharper steering and body control. 

The ES90 is more about comfort and, as you might have guessed, its suspension is noticeably softer than the i5. Especially on the motorway, there’s a calmness to the ride that its firmer, busier rival simply can’t match Admittedly, we’ve only driven the ES90 on air suspension – a standard feature of Ultra trim and an optional extra on entry-level Plus. 

Any complaints we have are small. Around town, it can thump a little over patchy surfaces – our test car's big 22in wheels are somewhat to blame for that – and on really hilly stretches of road, the the laid-back air suspension can let the car bob about a bit. Fortunately, it’s not as floaty as a Mercedes EQE, and this sensation can be reduced by selecting the suspension’s firm setting. 

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

Put simply, yes, and on both counts. There’s very little road and wind noise, even at motorway speeds, and there’s zero electric motor whine. Our only complaint goes back to the thumping we talked about, because it’s naturally accompanied by a… well, thumping sound. 

All of the car’s controls are easy to operate. The brake pedal works smoothly and you can switch to a one-pedal drive mode, where the car will begin to slow to a stop as soon as you release the accelerator. That’s handy for stop-start traffic. 

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

Every ES90 can officially travel more than 400 miles on a charge. With the Single Motor version, that number is 406 miles. The Twin Motor cars get a bigger battery: their official ranges are both 435 miles. 

Now, those figures might sound great (and they are). However, they’re actually not worlds above some rivals. The EQE 350+ can officially manage 431 miles and the A6 e-tron Sport Performance an incredible 464 miles. 

Maximum charging speed is where the ES90 jumps back in the lead. The Single Motor version can charge at a peak rate of 310kW – the Twin Motor cars 350kW – which is faster than the A6 e-tron (up to 270kW), i5 (up to 205kW) and EQE (up to 170kW). If you can find a fast-enough charger, then you’ll go from 10-80% charge in around 22 minutes. 

“I’d like a few more settings for the regenerative braking. For instance, the i5 has high, medium and low.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

Volvo likes its interiors to look clean, classy and minimalistic, and the Volvo ES90 is no exception. It’s a grown-up space that might remind you of a high-end spa. 

It feels as good as it looks, too. There are soft-touch materials even low down in the interior, such as on the door bins. Everything feels well screwed together, more so than the surprisingly flimsy interior of the Mercedes EQE. 

The only bits you could maybe call flimsy are the steering wheel buttons, because they’re housed within two thin slabs of plastic, and the crystal-looking volume scroller, which has some minor play in it. 

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

The driving position is indeed comfortable and highly adjustable – the driver’s seat has four-way lumbar support and adjustable side bolsters. You sit noticeably higher up than you do in most executive cars, and that’s because the battery is housed under the floor. It almost feels like an SUV at times, which could divide opinion and come as a surprise if you’ve ever owned a Volvo S90, for instance. 

On the plus side, sitting higher means a grander view of the road ahead. The view directly to your side and over your shoulder isn’t bad either. 

What is bad is your view out at roundabouts, because the chunky housing for the side-view cameras can get in the way. The view out the back is even worse. The rear window is awfully slim and, with all three rear seats in place, near-enough blocked out. At least there are plenty of parking aids to help compensate. 

Is the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

Almost everything is controlled through a central, portrait touchscreen. It’s of a good size, at 14.5in, and commonly used controls – like the climate functions – are always on display. It also gets Google Maps, Google Assistant and other apps handily built in. Finding different features via the menus can still take some getting used to, though, and not everything is a seamless process. 

For instance, adjusting the front seats is done via seat-mounted, physical controls (like on pretty much every car). However, to switch between which part of the seat you’re adjusting, you have to use the touchscreen. This can be extra frustrating if someone else is trying to use the screen at the same time. 

“I tried adjusting my seat controls while my passenger put on some music. We kept clashing because you can’t do both at once.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

How much space does it have for people?

Up front, the Volvo ES90 feels airy, even if you’re on the taller side. And if you’re quite stocky, it’s wide enough to mean you won’t be rubbing shoulders with your front passenger. 

On the other hand, the rear-seat area is a bit of a mixed bag. You see, there’s a huge amount of leg room, so much so that you’d need to be a giant to struggle. Head room is less generous but still good, and it’s handy that you can adjust the backrests – electrically, too. 

The main issue is that, because of how high the floor is, your knees are forced upwards. To get comfortable you naturally want to stick your feet out, but all you’ll find is that there's no room to tuck them under the front seats. 

How much room does it have for luggage?

Up front in the ES90, there are a few good storage spaces for your bits and/or bobs, including a bit behind the central screen and a big area under it for perhaps your phone and wallet. There’s also a sizable well under the central armrest. 

There’s also a central armrest for rear-seat passengers (if you fold the middle seat down). Mind you, there’s little in the way of storage inside it. As standard, the rear seats fold in a practical 40/20/40 split, just like in Audi A6 e-tron, BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE. 

The boot has a volume of 424 litres. It’ll cater for a buggy or set of golf clubs, but it remains surprisingly snug for an executive car of the ES90’s size. The A6 e-tron (502 litres), i5 (490 litres) and EQE (430 litres) all give you more space. 

The ES90’s boot is also quite shallow and there’s no height-adjustable boot floor, just some underfloor storage for the charging cable. You can store the cable in the front boot (or “frunk”) instead, but it’s more of a squeeze. The frunk has a volume of only 22 litres and it’s an awkwardly-shaped space. 

By comparison, the A6 e-tron has a 27-litre front boot that can accommodate the cable more easily. 

“At first, it almost felt like I was sitting on a tree stump in the back. I had to find ways of stretching out to get comfortable.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

Looking at their starting list prices, the Volvo ES90 costs more than an Audi A6 e-tron or BMW i5, and a similar amount compared with the Mercedes EQE. 

Our favourite large electric car, the Tesla Model 3, is much more affordable – plus it can still hold its own against the ES90 when it comes to performance, range and practicality. 

The ES90 gets a lot of luxuries as standard, though, with entry-level Plus getting four-zone climate control, heated front and rear (outer) seats, a heated steering wheel and a 14-speaker Bose sound system. We’d stick with this trim – what more could you want? 

Well, if you said an electrochromatic sunroof (it turns from clear to opaque and vice versa with the press of a button), a mega 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system and standard-fit air suspension, then you’ll have to look at range-topping Ultra trim. 

The upgrade is worth considering but not a must-have in our view. It’s also worth noting that you’ll need to opt for Ultra if you want one of the Twin Motor variants.  

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

Time will tell if the Volvo ES90 is reliable – it was certainly too new to feature in our 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey. In that survey, Volvo as a brand placed 21st out of 31 car makers featured. That’s above Audi and Mercedes (not BMW), but is still so-so overall. 

Every ES90 comes with a three-year or 60,000-mile warranty, which is near-enough what you get with Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Some manufacturers will give you coverage for far longer: Lexus gives you up to 10 years or 100,000 miles. 

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

Volvo goes big on safety and, as such, fits the ES90 with lots of active and passive safety equipment. It’s still worth mentioning that the ES90 has yet to be tested by crash safety experts EuroNCAP, though. 

There are plenty of security measures to stop thieves, like an alarm that can send a notification to your phone if it’s set off. 

“I wish the 25-speaker sound system could be added to Plus trim as an optional extra, just like with the air suspension.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Buy it if

- You prefer a cushy ride to agile handling 

- You have reliable 350kW chargers around you

- You want a plush interior

Don’t buy it if

- You want a big boot

- You want a low driving position

- You have tall passengers, not because of a lack of space but because of the awkward rear seating position

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