A Sedan, But Not As You Know It
Volvo, the Swedish brand known for making cars that could probably survive Ragnarok, has unveiled its first electric sedan, the ES90. And before you ask, no, it’s not another SUV, which is a relief. The ‘E’ signifies its newfound reliance on electrons, while the ‘S’ promises that, despite the tall tail and liftgate, it remains a proper sedan.
In true Volvo fashion, it’s all very sensible yet somehow still stylish. Beneath its minimalist Scandinavian skin lies the brand’s latest SPA2 platform—a modular electric architecture that’s meant to underpin a whole range of future Volvos. The ES90, though, is the first sedan to use it, making it a bit of a pioneer, or at least as pioneering as a Volvo can be.
Power, Range, and Other Sensible Figures
The ES90 comes with three powertrain options, because variety is the spice of life—or at least, the spice of the executive car market.
- The base model gets a single rear-mounted motor making 334 bhp and 480 Nm, paired with an 88 kWh battery. Expect a range in the mid-500 km region.
- The mid-tier AWD variant throws in a second motor for 449 bhp and 671 Nm, powered by a 102 kWh battery. That should stretch the range closer to 600 km.
- And then there’s the Twin Motor Performance version, which pumps out a staggering 679 bhp and 861 Nm. That’s Ferrari-fast, but in a car designed to ferry you to a board meeting in complete silence.
All three versions are limited to 180 km/h, because Volvo thinks you don’t need to go any faster. And to be fair, if you’re doing 200 km/h in a Volvo, you probably took a wrong turn onto a German autobahn.
Interiors: A Temple of Minimalism
Inside, Volvo has gone all-in on the whole ‘modern Scandinavian lounge’ aesthetic. Physical buttons have been largely sacrificed in favour of a giant touchscreen, which is great if you enjoy hunting through menus while trying to adjust the air conditioning.
However, the ES90 does feature what Volvo claims is its quietest cabin ever—helped by double-glazed windows, a low drag coefficient of 0.25, and, of course, the lack of an engine. If you prefer your peace to be interrupted by 25 speakers and 1610 watts of premium audio, there’s an optional Bowers & Wilkins system that will make your classical music sound divine and your Bollywood hits even more dramatic.
The seats, as always in a Volvo, are excellent. Long highway drives should be a breeze, assuming the car isn’t driving itself half the time, which, thanks to Volvo’s arsenal of radars, cameras, and sensors, it very well might be.
The Catch? It’s Not Exactly Cheap
Volvo is yet to confirm Indian pricing, but given the European costs, expect the ES90 to start around Rs 80 lakh for the base model, with the Performance version easily crossing Rs 1 crore. That puts it up against the likes of the BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE, which, let’s be honest, have a bit more brand appeal.
But for those who appreciate understated luxury, top-tier safety, and the ability to power their home in a blackout (yes, it has bidirectional charging), the ES90 might just be the most sensible way to spend a crore.
