Volvo ES90 Liftback Sedan Revealed As The Most Powerful Volvo Ever

Following teasers that talked about the new Volvo ES90's computing power and fast-charging capabilities, the Swedish automaker has fully unveiled its flagship electric sedan, which takes the place of the S90 in the lineup. It looks pretty much as we expected — a familiar Volvo sedan shape with styling cues from the EX30 and EX90 crossovers — but underneath its skin it's radical in a way we haven't seen from a Volvo before. The company has played with high-performance models, like the V60 Polestar wagon and the EX90's Performance trim, but the ES90 takes it another step further by having way more power than any Volvo before it.

In rear-wheel-drive single-motor trim, the ES90 has 249 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, which will take it to 60 mph in a respectable 6.7 seconds. The single-motor ES90 has a 92-kWh battery pack of which 88 kWh is usable, giving it a range of 404 miles on the European WLTP cycle. Upgrade to the Twin Motor model that adds a second motor to the front axle and you get 442 hp and 494 lb-ft, along with a larger battery pack with 102 kWh of usable capacity. The Twin Motor has a 0-to-60 time of 5.3 seconds and a 435-mile range. But if that's not enough, select the Performance trim and you get a whopping 670 hp and 635 lb-ft, bringing the 0-to-60 time down to just 3.9 seconds while still offering a 435-mile range. That's 160 hp more than the EX90 Performance (but 36 fewer lb-ft), and the ES90 is nearly a second quicker to 60 mph than its SUV sibling. Dual-chamber air suspension is offered on all variants.

Every version of the ES90 has an 800-volt architecture that allows for strong fast-charging power. The single-motor car will charge at up to 300 kW, good enough to add 171 miles in 10 minutes of charging, while the dual-motor models will charge at up to 350 kW, adding 186 miles in 10 minutes (both are Euro figures). Volvo says the ES90 can charge from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 20 minutes, and it supports both Plug and Charge and bi-directional charging. 

Volvo knows its customers, and those customers appreciate good ingress and egress, visibility, comfort, and at least a modicum of capability off the beaten path. The brand has experimented with lifted sedans before, like the S60 Cross Country and the Polestar 2, and the ES90 also has a taller ride height (up to 7.2 inches of ground clearance) and overall stance, though without any silly exterior cladding. In the intro of its press release, Volvo specifically talks about how the ES90 melds a few segments together:

"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 – all we know is that the new, fully electric Volvo ES90 carves out a new space for itself by eliminating the compromises between those three segments, which puts it in a class of its own. The ES90 combines the refined elegance of a sedan, the adaptability of a fastback, and the spacious interior and higher ground clearance associated with SUVs. It's a versatile car that does not compromise on comfort or space. A car that allows for bigger adventures and families, striking the perfect balance between your professional and private life, and allowing you to embrace the special moments in life."

Really, though, it doesn't look that much taller or more SUV-like than the S90 or a normal electric sedan. Its shape, proportions and greenhouse are very similar to the S90, just with more ground clearance and a less-raked rear window. At 196.9 inches long it's actually 3.5 inches shorter than the S90, but its wheelbase is almost two inches longer and it's four inches taller overall. Like the EX90, it has a new evolution of the Thor's Hammer headlights with a grille-less nose, and a nicely sculpted body with crisp shoulder lines and accentuated fender flares. The rear end is the most interesting, with C-shaped taillights in the tailgate and additional LEDs flanking the rear window. Volvo says the ES90 has a drag coefficient of 0.25, the company's lowest ever.

Step inside and you're greeted by Volvo's most beautiful cabin yet, with a wonderful mix of materials like bright metal and illuminated wood trim. A 14.5-inch vertical touchscreen sits atop a unique tiered center console that looks to offer more storage than the EX90, plus it has a physical glass control bar for volume and tuning. The rear seats can be individually power-reclined and are offered with a "lounge armrest," though there's no word on whether Volvo's excellent massaging front seat system will also be available for rear passengers. You can get the ES90 with an electrochromic panoramic sunroof that provides UV protection of up to 99.9 percent, and a four-zone climate control system has an air purifier that stops up to 95 percent of PM 2.5 particulates from entering the cabin and removes 99.9 percent of grass, tree and pollen allergens.

Volvo says the ES90 has its quietest cabin yet, which is good for when you want to blast Lady Gaga's new album Mayhem (coming out this Friday) as you glide along. The ES90 offers a 1,610-watt Bowers & Wilkins sound system with 25 speakers, including some in the ceiling and headrests, plus a special mode that replicates London's Abbey Road Studios. Other tech items include lots of built-in Google services, a 5G data connection, an upgraded 360-degree camera system, and a new digital key. And because this is a Volvo, you get a suite of safety systems that use one lidar, five radars, seven cameras and twelve ultrasonic sensors, all powered by the car's new dual Nvidia Drive AGX Orin primary core computer.

Volvo

Most excitingly — to me at least — the ES90 has a liftback rear end instead of a traditional sedan tailgate. With the rear seats up you have 15 cubic feet of space, 1.5 cubic feet more than the S90, and folding the rear seats down flat expands that to 26 cubic feet. There's also a frunk under the hood, though at 0.8 cubic feet it's best suited for holding charging cables or other small items.

Volvo says the ES90 is now available to order in *takes a deep breath* Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The company added that "other markets will be added this year and into 2026," with no word on exactly when it will go on sale in the U.S. — I'm guessing next year. I'm surprised that Volvo isn't immediately talking about availability in China, given that's where the ES90 will be produced.

When the ES90 does reach our shores, its pricing should align with the EX90. That electric SUV is currently only offered in Twin Motor guise in the U.S., which has a starting price of $81,290. I'd expect the dual-motor ES90 to have a similar starting price, with the base single-motor version coming in at around $75,000 and a fully loaded Twin Motor Performance setting you back nearly $100,000.

Volvo

Volvo

Volvo