2026 Volvo ES90 | UK Review
A large, plush Volvo sounds like just the thing for the broken bitumen of Britain - so is it?
It can be easy to forget about the heritage of big Volvo saloons. When we think of famous models from days gone by, they tend to have turbocharged five-cylinders up front and space for bad guys in the back. The XC90 kicked off an SUV extravaganza for Volvo that (understandably) shows little sign of abating. It’s not often that the regular Volvo saloon - or something that mostly resembles one, at least - pops up on the PH radar.
The ES90 puts it front and centre, for now at least. The UK launch featured an S90 of the '90s as well, fantastically simple and slab-sided, the perfect reminder in an ever-evolving car world that Volvo and the saloon go back yonks. There are just many more Volvos to think about now. The S80 is probably the best known of recent years; the previous (and very handsome) S90 was built until 2024. An electric Volvo S90 makes total sense given what’s gone before; it competes with familiar German brands - think EQE, i5, Taycan - while doing things just a little differently.
Befitting Volvo's best efforts of late, the ES90 is a handsome-looking machine, a world away from that old breeze block that shares three-quarters of its name. It’s distinctive in a way that the 5 Series isn’t (while avoiding the weirdness that afflicts the EQE), and interesting in a way that the slightly plain Porsche never quite manages to be. Much like the Polestar 2, the ES90 is hard to pigeonhole, with both hatchback and SUV cues to its styling (there’s even an off-road drive mode). But that doesn’t make it unappealing by any means; some funky light signatures (including those 850-style items reaching for the roof out back) and a confident stance top it all off nicely.
The ES90 interior mostly gets the Scandi chic thing spot on. There’s plenty of sunshine coming in through plenty of glass, which is complemented smartly by light leathers and woods. It feels plush and quite stylish without trying too hard. The seats, of course, are superb, and the steering wheel an unexpected delight, small and thin with the right amount of buttons. The sliver of a driver’s display behind it features all you’d need and nothing you don’t (the speed is on a HUD), in sharp resolution. Even the M6 on a Friday night wouldn’t seem too daunting sat here.
It isn’t perfect, however. While there are nice tactile touches in the ES90, a giant central screen still doesn’t scream luxury. It works probably as well as any other, super responsive and mostly making sense, yet if ever a Volvo called for some additional touchpoints, this was it. Some lovely knurled dials for HVAC, as there is for the volume - or even the ability for the screen to be hidden - would work wonders for the ambience. Just occasionally, the ES90 can feel like driving a screen rather than the car.
While on the subject of gripes, there’s no getting away from the fact that there should be more space in the back of an ES90. The setup is just as lounge-like back there, and the wheelbase is considerable, but something (likely the battery), pushes your feet up - which don’t have any room under the seat in front. Headroom and shoulder room are good (as are the seats, of course), but nobody wants to sit with knees both too close to the seat in front and raised. That seems like an oversight. The boot, at 424 litres, is probably good enough.
All that being said, it’ll be hard to worry too much about those in the back when driving an ES90. Because even by EV standards, this thing is a model of serene, calm, composed progress. On a test route blighted by every possible kind of imperfection, the Volvo was totally unruffled; wheel and body control proved deeply impressive even when faced with craters. That slightly raised ride height, a bit of tyre profile on 21-inch wheels and some very smart suspension tuning - even ‘Firm’ is extremely accommodating - means occupants are supremely well isolated from our terrible roads. Right now, that feels like an attribute really worth celebrating. This is like driving a 333hp wellness retreat.
With a drag co-efficient of 0.25 (take that, Vauxhall Calibra), the ES90 cleaves through the air with nary a sound. The biggest interference on poorer surfaces is the tyre roar from the chunky Michelins, and even that isn’t excessive; it's simply that everything else, from running gear to suspension, is so beautifully subdued. This Volvo is king of the motorway like nothing else, suppressing any unwanted audible intrusion to leave you to focus on those amazing seats and a brilliant Bowers & Wilkins stereo. There are, of course, all manner of assists to help your motorway driving if required, accessible via the right-hand stalk. Any long journey in an ES90, for the driver at least, promises to be an absolute treat, aided here by good efficiency (3.7mi/kWh on a mixed route), DC charging capability of more than 300kW and a chunky enough battery (88kWh usable on the single motor). Even if a cruise dropped the efficiency to 3mi/kWh, that's 250 motorway miles before stopping.
The ES90 also does that neat EV trick of handling much more tidily than you’d ever expect a conventional 2.5-tonne Volvo to. While it never seems to relish the prospect - certainly not in the way that an i5 might - it’s capable of cornering at whatever speed most people would consider appropriate. Traction, even on a rear-drive car, is never an issue. While you’ll have to look elsewhere for driver interaction - the brake pedal is good, but the regen too strong, and the steering has the resistance of a dodgem whatever the mode - that seems like a good place for a big Volvo to be. Let the Germans try (with mixed success) to create a compelling alternative; cool, comfortable and capable enough suits the Swedish way of doing things. You’ll never seek out a corner in an ES90, but you might be surprised with how it deals with one.
It all makes for a very likeable Volvo. Certainly, there was no desire, on this experience, to drive a more powerful model, even if there’s precious little efficiency penalty to doing so and a larger range to play with. It’s hard to imagine that the weight of a bigger battery on larger wheels would be quite so soothing, and that must be the Volvo’s USP alongside more overtly sporting alternatives. A very appealing one, it must be said, as nothing of this experience would suggest that a 680hp, ‘Performance’ badged ES90 would really be a better sports saloon than a Taycan or i5.
A comfy and cool cruiser is exactly the kind of car Volvo should offer, a brief emphatically nailed by the ES90. It really would have been a day well spent to exhaust the 230 miles left at the end of the test drive, charge it up and drive back again. Whether that will be enough for commercial success is trickier to say; the large, expensive electric car feels like a very tough sell right now given legitimate concerns about charging costs and depreciation fears - and this is clearly beyond the usual company car fodder. You only need look at those old S90s to remember what a niche offering the Volvo saloon always was. Still, that’ll probably suit buyers down to the ground, something a little rarer yet just as good as the usual suspects. Hopefully that’s alright by Volvo as well. If a large, expensive electric car fits the bill right now, the ES feels like the brand at its best. Despite all that’s changed for this future-focused, 90-badged Volvo, that attribute is reassuringly familiar from days gone by.
SPECIFICATION | VOLVO ES90 SINGLE MOTOR EXTENDED RANGE ULTRA
Engine: 800V Lithium-ion battery, 88kWh useable capacity
Transmission: Permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 333
Torque (lb ft): 354
0-62mph: 6.6 seconds
Top speed: 112mph (limited)
Weight: 2,335kg (DIN)
MPG: Up to 398 miles WLTP, up to 3.9mi/kWh
Charging: up to 310kW DC
Price: £77,260 (price as standard; price as tested £78,105 comprising Mulberry Red paint for £845)
I like the colour though. A shame that most ES90s will be sold painted in PCP resale monotone.
king ridiculous to me.Years ago you knew what it all meant:
MD's drove Mercs
Sales BMWs
Accountants Volvo's/ Lexus
Gangsters / Chairman Jags
Mercs now are all Ubers, BMWs fat lumps, Jags-no comment, who knows what Audi does these days, but Volvo have stayed bang in lane.
Boring is cool.
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