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2025 Honda Accord vs 2025 Toyota CamrySneak Peek: All-New Volvo ES90
Volvo has unveiled their new flagship all-electric sedan, the ES90 which seamlessly blends safety, speed, and impeccable styling.
Swedish (EV) Flagship
For some, it’s a surprise that Volvo would choose a full-size sedan as their new all-electric flagship. Sedans are passe, they scoff. Sedans are old-fashioned, they cry. It’s the era of the SUV, they proclaim. And yet, when you look at the electric car market, sedans, even full-size ones are common whether you’re looking at established brands like Tesla to newer brands like Lucid. It’s not hard to wonder, in these uncertain times for EVs, does the market really need another electric sedan? Volvo’s answer is yes, and their all-new ES90 makes a compelling case for itself by leveraging the brand’s long-time strong suits: tech, safety, and style.
While the new ES90 is being positioned as a sedan, the car’s design gleefully defies neat categorization as it blends elements of a sedan and a crossover. At first glance, one is reminded of the US’s version of the Toyota Crown or even Volvo’s own S60 Country Cross. Not coincidentally, the ES90 shares both its platform and good looks with the Volvo EX90 electric SUV. The high beltline and bulky proportions help obscure the vehicle’s hefty battery pack as well as pleasantly muddle segment distinctions. Even Volvo is squishy on how to categorize the ES90: “Some might say it is a sedan. Others will see a fastback, or even hints of an SUV. We’ll let you be the final judge…”
Swedish Styling & Interior
A boldly austere interior design is most associated today with Tesla’s brand of minimalism, but the Swedes are the originators of the less-is-more aesthetic and the ES90 demonstrates that Volvo knows best how to execute a cabin that’s feels simple but not cheap. The ES90’s interior, with its quality materials and thoughtful design, makes a Tesla interior look slapdash by comparison. The 14.5-inch infotainment screen and 9-inch digital gauge cluster are reminiscent of Tesla’s (some physical buttons remain, in keeping with European safety standards). The infotainment system leans heavily on integrated Google software that includes Google Maps, Google Assistant, and the Google Play store for additional apps.
The ES90 offers a host of high-end luxury features including a four-zone climate control system’s air purifier will, per Volvo, block up to 95 percent of PM 2.5 particulate and 99 percent of tree, grass, and pollen allergens. Volvo is known for going all out on audio systems and the Bowers & Wilkins system in the ES90 is no different as it boasts 1,610 watts and 25 speakers. There’s even a feature that allows the system to accurately emulate the acoustics of the Abbey Road recording studio. Because the ES90 utilizes a liftback rather than a traditional truck, the electric sedan offers a regular sized- trunk of 15 cu.-ft. and up to 26 cu.-ft. with the rear seats folded down. A panoramic sunroof makes for a breezy interior while still providing up to 99.9 percent UV protection.
Swedish Safety & Speed
Because the ES90 is an electric car, it offers plenty of power. Because it’s a Volvo, it also offers next-level safety features. First, the powertrain. The ES90 will be offered in three configurations: a Single Motor RWD version with 329 horsepower, a Twin-Motor AWD version with 494 horsepower, and a Twin-Motor Performance version with 635 horsepower. The latter will allow the ES90 to sprint from zero to sixty mph in 3.9 seconds.
The ES90 is built on an 800-volt architecture rather than the more typical 400-volt. That means the ES90 can charge faster, with the single motor 300-kW version putting on 171 miles of range in 10 minutes. The 350-kW dual-motor version will be able to charge up 186 miles of range in the same time. Range should come in around 350 miles on a single charge once EPA estimates are completed.
If you’re left wondering what the taxi-light-like protrusion is above the windshield of the ES90, that’s a cluster of sensors that partly comprise its advanced driver assistance tech. Volvo touts one lidar sensor, five radar sensors, seven cameras, and 12 ultrasonic sensors all feeding into the ES90’s core computer, an Nvidia Drive AGX Orin specially designed for autonomous driving applications.
Volvo has yet to announce a price for the ES90, but you can expect it to slot between $70,000 and $100,000 depending on trim and powertrain options. The ES90 is targeted for release “later this year,” according to Volvo.
