Electrical restart
It seemed for a while that Volvo would stop making sedans altogether, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is only an end to Volvo sedans with combustion engines. There is still a future for electricity. It starts with the ES90, an electric sequel to the S90.
Highlights
- S90 successor already in production
- Reveal later this year
- Fully electric
- About 600 km driving range
It was quite a swallow for Volvo sedan enthusiasts last fall. Volvo confirmed that the S60 and S90 are coming to an end, while there are no successors in sight at the time. Since the sedan is by definition a somewhat endangered body shape, it is anything but certain that Volvo will come up with a sedan again. Just before New Year’s Eve, however, like a bolt from the blue, a life sign arrives from a model provisionally designated as ‘V551’, which is leaving the production line in China. The first copy has already been built. According to the Swedish medium Teknikens Värld, which announced the start of production, the V551 is a sturdy sedan that shares its basis with, among others, the Volvo EX90. An electric top sedan, which goes by the name ES90.
Supplement
An ES90 is a logical addition, especially for the local market, because in China they are very fond of sedans. In Europe, the sedan is now making a real comeback thanks to electric propulsion and the ES90 would certainly be welcome. In Sweden they are probably eager to provide a response to the BMW i5, Mercedes-Benz EQE and soon also the Audi A6 e-tron. With the SPA2 platform, Volvo (or rather: parent company Geely) certainly has the hardware to make the ES90 an interesting alternative. Look at the Volvo EX90; It is currently available with 279 hp and up to 517 hp powertrains and with a 107 kWh battery pack it has a range of about 580 km. You can bet that a sleeker car like the ES90 can squeeze out even more kilometers. The growing appetite for sedans in EV land does not come out of the blue: they are usually simply more efficient than SUVs.
S90 genes
The Volvo ES90 follows the path already taken by the EX90 in another respect. He most likely takes a great example from his predecessor. Just as the EX90 still shows some similarities with the XC90, but with a layer of Recharge Concept on top, we imagine the ES90 as a clear S90 descendant. The Thor headlights are spread out a bit larger over the nose and you can look in vain for a ‘grille’ at the top of the nose – just like with the EX90. At the rear, the ES90 will probably also be broadly recognizable as the S90 successor, although given the current design trend, the rear lights are probably connected. Overall, the ES90 looks a bit more stretched than the S90, with slightly shorter overhangs. It will reportedly be about 3 cm longer overall (4.99 m) and the wheelbase would be 4 cm longer at 3.10 meters. We’ll probably have all the details available later this year, as production has already started.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl