The saloon is said to use a 111 kWh battery delivering a 373-mile range
First protoype of flagship electric saloon built in China; will rival BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE
The Volvo S90 saloon is expected to be replaced with a new electric flagship launching in 2025, likely to be called the ES90.
Known internally at the Swedish car maker under the codename V551, production is set to take place at a factory owned and operated by Volvo’s parent company Geely in China, as revealed in a photograph and specifications leaked by the company’s board.
A photograph published to Volvo‘s employee intranet shows members of Volvo’s production team in Zhejiang huddled around signs that read “Volvo Cars V551 First VP Car Celebration” and “Confidential Top Secret”. The reference to VP stands for ‘Verification Prototype’.
The electric Audi A6, BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE rival is completely obscured from view, ahead of an expected unveiling in the coming months.
The luxury four-door is expected to be based on Volvo’s SPA2 platform – the same structure that underpins the new EX90 SUV and its Polestar 4 sibling. It accommodates electric drivetrains operating at either 400 or 800 volts.
Specifications leaked by Volvo suggest the ES90 will be sold with the choice of both single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor four-wheel drive.
It is also said to use a 111 kWh battery (107 kWh usable) delivering 600km (373 miles) of range in combination with the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive drivetrain.
According to Volvo, the ES90 measures 4999mm in length, 1547mm in height and 1945mm in width, making it 61mm shorter, 32mm higher and 45mm wider than the BMW i5. It also receives a wheelbase that is 105mm longer than its German rival at 3100mm.
Development of the ES90 is understood to have been partly carried out in combination with Geely’s new Galaxy E8 saloon and Zeekr 7 saloon – the latter of which boasts up to 637bhp and a range of 478 miles on the Chinese CLTC test cycle in range-topping dual-motor four-wheel drive specification.
While early speculation suggested the ES90 could share its platform with the recently unveiled Polestar 5, it is understood the new bonded aluminum structure is considered too expensive for the price point and expected production volumes of the new Volvo saloon, which is planned to be offered in all of its existing global markets.
Details of Volvo’s new electric S90 come after it phased out all estate and saloon models in the UK market, citing much higher demand for SUVs. As a result, it remains unclear if the brand will bring its Audi A6 rival here.
The ES90 will be Volvo’s fourth bespoke electric car, joining the EX30 crossover, EX90 SUV and EM90 MPV. An electric successor to the XC60 is due in 2025, but no plans have yet been revealed for an electric replacement for the S60 and V60.
