Volvo’s svelte ES90 fastback performs the lengthy recreation

The worldwide EV market in early 2025 just isn’t in need of premium-priced, executive-sized automobiles – particularly saloons – so Volvo made a sensible resolution to design its first non-SUV EV as a fastback, a form and section at present considerably under-represented.

The sensible and (primarily) modern five-metre-long automotive follows present Volvo electrical design cues. Meaning horizontally aligned, capital T-shaped ‘Thor’s hammer’ entrance lights, a ‘closed mouth’ entrance face and easy however elegant exterior surfacing with a comparatively low, circa 1.5-metre, roofline sloping downwards in the direction of the rear hatch. The lengthy 3.1-metre wheelbase permits house for a big cabin – which is particularly roomy when sitting within the individually reclinable rear seats – whereas the inside aesthetic stays near its greater EX90 SUV, which may very well be loosely described as ‘Scandinavian mellow’.

Launched in a color palette of beiges and greys, with wool, leather-based and lightweight wooden choices, the within of the ES90 is a good place to spend time. An extended, one-piece electrochromic panoramic roof and superior 25-speaker, 1610-watt Bowers & Wilkins sound system – confirmed at excessive quantity with amongst others, the unique Star Wars soundtrack and Banbarra’s Shack Up – each add to the inside atmosphere, whereas the superior and independently-certified air air purifier ought to enhance how wholesome you’re feeling inside.

There’s a number of quick computing behind the central portrait-shaped 14.5” consumer interface display with an infotainment system powered by Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms and Qualcomm. Google Maps and Waze are embedded and Apple Automobile Play and Android Auto simply built-in. Common ‘over the air’ software program updates intention to make sure this at present trendy software program stays so over the lifetime of the automotive too.

On the international reveal, within the Artipelag trendy artwork museum on a distant a part of the Stockholm archipelago – inside the identical constructing as a late Coupé-badged model of the angular Marc Deschamps-designed, Bertone-built 1985 Volvo 780 – the brand new ES90 greater than held its personal. Introduced on an upended pyramid plinth whereas Swedish electronica band Little Dragon entertained the assembled international media, it felt like a quietly cultural second, not simply one other automotive launch.

First drives gained’t occur for some time, however meantime Volvo has already introduced a 435-mile (700km) vary for its twin-motor all-wheel drive model fitted with a 106kWh battery, which ought to alleviate most customers’ vary nervousness. The ES90’s means to re-charge extra swiftly than any earlier Volvo was additionally trumpeted. With some 180 miles bankable by way of an ultra-fast 350kW charger in ten minutes the 800-volt ES90 must be again on the street shortly. As befits the traditionally safety-led model, Volvo presents an excessive amount of crash-avoidance and mitigation gear on the ES90 – together with its most superior sensor suite but – developed with the assistance of the marque’s personal real-world accident knowledge.

It’s an essential side mirrored in its visible design too. ‘One of many key signifiers on this automotive and which you will notice in our future automobiles as properly, is the concept of being ‘machined from stable’,’ Volvo’s head of world design, Jeremy Supply, defined to Wallpaper*. ‘The concept the automotive not solely is protected however has this visible metaphor for security. Concepts round rational simplicity, pure intersecting volumes and eradicating ‘visible noise’ are actually essential for us too. There are such a lot of automobiles on the street that exhibit aggressive undertones, however Volvo has by no means been about that. The ES90 speaks to a quiet intelligence that Volvo actually exemplifies.’

Volvo isn’t a model to lean too laborious on efficiency figures, however nonetheless, the top-spec 680hp Twin-Motor Efficiency all-wheel drive (AWD) ES90 can nonetheless file a 0-62mph time of 4.0 seconds, which may very well be helpful for getting out of hassle. The common Twin-Motor AWD (0-62mph in 5.6 seconds) and Single-Motor rear-wheel drive (0-62mph in 6.9 seconds) are hardly slouches both and the latter mannequin’s smaller 92kWh battery nonetheless boasts simply over 400 miles of vary.