EXCLUSIVE: Christopher Sharp drove the model new Volvo ES90 across the Cotswolds because the automobile goes face to face with fellow automotive rivals
Christopher went to the Cotswolds to overview a Volvo ES90 (Picture: Christopher Sharp)
To impress or to not electrify, that’s the query. And never only one going through the general public both, as a result of though oil costs have skyrocketed following the continuation of the struggle in Iran and many individuals are unsure about taking a dive into electrical life, so too are producers.
In latest months we’ve seen the likes of Ford, Lotus, and Porsche grow to be extra hesistant on going totally electrified. With that in thoughts, launching an electrical automobile is concurrently an apparent, and courageous selection, particularly when it prices almost £80,000 and there’s barely a button in sight on the within. Extra on that later, as a result of earlier than we begin about buttons pushed and pressed, it’s necessary to introduce to the UK the Volvo ES90. The brand new automobile already comes with plaudits, having gained the Gentleman’s Journal Automotive Awards 2026. However what’s it actually like?
The ES90 is the most recent electrical automobile from Volvo (Picture: Christopher Sharp)
Specs
Attending its launch occasion close to Moreton-in-Marsh within the Cotswolds, there was a transparent try and tie the automobile to Volvo’s prestigious previous with a Nineteen Nineties S90 saloon sitting resplendent in maroon outdoors the Hyll Lodge the place we have been based mostly for an evening and a morning.
However what of the ES90? In naked stats, the automobile I co-tested was the one motor rear wheel drive model with 333hp in outdated cash, 480Nm of torque, a 0.62 of 6.6 seconds, and 10 to 80 % battery charging time of twenty-two minutes from a robust 310kW charger.
It additionally has a 424 litre boot with the rear seats up and 733 litres with them down. The automobile we examined price £78,105 and got here in a creamish wanting color referred to as Sand Dune.
The very first thing to level out as you step in is, other than a smattering on the steering wheel, there are barely any buttons in any respect on the within. Given the automotive business’s latest penchant for reintroducing them, Volvo instructed us nearly every little thing was achieved by way of the portrait contact display screen within the centre of the automobile.
It’s not the worst or laggiest system I’ve used, however it’s not probably the most intuitive. You’d get used to it will definitely, however a few of it’s a little overkill akin to needing to enter a sub menu to open the glovebox.
Greater than when you surprise the place there isn’t a button based mostly shortcut you may press to, say, get from CarPlay to the radio or guide controls for the aircon. A small row of buttons will surely be on the request checklist for any future facelift.
It isn’t all doom and gloom although as it’s a pleasure to take a seat contained in the ES90. The seats take up and maintain you while the steering wheel goes in opposition to fashionable traits and is refreshingly skinny. Alongside the seats there are two pads to relaxation two telephones, and a calming central compartment alongside a few USB-C chargers. The supplies really feel premium and top quality in all of the necessary locations. It appears like a plus-£70,000 motorcar.
The rear seats of the Volvo (Picture: Christopher Sharp)
Inside – Rear
Within the rear issues are alright, as long as you’re not over a sure peak. There’s loads of room for folks over six foot, however their legs will likely be barely raised if the individual in entrance of them is of comparable peak.
If there’s simply two of you, there may be an accessible central set of cupholders that fold down in between you behind the central seat. Additionally containing slots to your telephones, this looks as if a good suggestion till you place it away and discover that the central seat headdress obliterates rear visibility.
Driving
On the street it’s straightforward to neglect the irritations of the touchscreen. Refreshingly, as talked about, the Volvo doesn’t faux to be an apex hunter, so it doesn’t drive like that. Even once you stick the suspension and steering into their sportiest settings, it by no means feels unduly stiff.
One doesn’t merely hustle an ES90, you waft alongside in it with light inputs ensuing generally outputs. Like most electrical vehicles above a sure energy, there’s a good little push as you speed up away, however not far more.
Then once more, it does weigh over two tonnes in order that has one thing to do with it, and it’s this weight you grow to be conscious of over bumps and thru some corners. Expertise has not but superior to the purpose the place a two-tonne electrical automobile doesn’t really feel prefer it’s combating the legal guidelines of physics.
Christopher loved his time with the Volvo (Picture: Christopher Sharp)
As with the BMW i4, you may really feel engineering brainpower combating in opposition to what the load is attempting to do. As within the BMW iX3’s case, the ES90 succeeds, in maintaining a two tonne electrical on the street, simply with a unique type.
Does this imply the Volvo is uncomfortable? Removed from it, the ES90 handled Britain’s more and more potholed roles extremely nicely. The experience expertise jogged my memory of my brief time with a Rolls Royce a couple of weeks in the past and, realizing the way it wished to be pushed, it was a really pleasing driving expertise on the entire; even when the shortage of rear visibility meant the rear view mirror felt somewhat redundant at instances.
What’s extra, the clever regenerative braking, the place the automobile sends electrical energy again into the battery by way of the brakes, was alright. Volvo instructed us the ES90 was a automobile that learns its driver and what their driving type is and adjusts a few of its programming accordingly; even when the brakes themselves left somewhat to be desired. That they had loads of really feel however much less chunk on preliminary despair than I’d have favored.
Conclusion
The Volvo is coming into a troublesome market at an ironic time, as a result of while folks will likely be extra doubtless to purchase an electrical automobile, the affect on the price of residing from the struggle in Iran means they’ll be much less prone to afford one.
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This doesn’t imply the ES90 is the best automobile on the incorrect time, it’s merely a automobile which has been launched at an fascinating second. General, the Volvo is a superb automobile to drive, with just some minor irritations stopping it from hitting full marks.
Christopher’s Verdict: 8/10
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