To electrify or not to electrify, that is the question. And not just one facing the public either, because although oil prices have skyrocketed following the continuation of the war in Iran and many people are uncertain about taking a dive into electric life, so too are manufacturers.

In recent months we’ve seen the likes of Ford, Lotus, and Porsche become more hesistant on going fully electrified. With that in mind, launching an electric car is simultaneously an obvious, and brave choice, especially when it costs nearly £80,000 and there’s barely a button in sight on the inside. More on that later, because before we start about buttons pushed and pressed, it’s important to introduce to the UK the Volvo ES90. The new vehicle already comes with plaudits, having won the Gentleman’s Journal Car Awards 2026. But what is it really like?

Specifications

Attending its launch event near Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds, there was a clear attempt to tie the car to Volvo’s prestigious past with a 1990s S90 saloon sitting resplendent in maroon outside the Hyll Hotel where we were based for a night and a morning.

But what of the ES90? In bare stats, the car I co-tested was the single motor rear wheel drive version with 333hp in old money, 480Nm of torque, a 0.62 of 6.6 seconds, and 10 to 80 percent battery charging time of 22 minutes from a powerful 310kW charger.

It also has a 424 litre boot with the rear seats up and 733 litres with them down. The car we tested cost £78,105 and came in a creamish looking colour called Sand Dune.

Interior – Front

The first thing to point out as you step in is, apart from a smattering on the steering wheel, there are barely any buttons at all on the inside. Given the automotive industry’s recent penchant for reintroducing them, Volvo told us almost everything was done through the portrait touch screen in the centre of the car.

It’s not the worst or laggiest system I’ve used, but it’s not the most intuitive. You would get used to it eventually, but some of it is a little overkill such as needing to go into a sub menu to open the glovebox.

More than once you wonder where there isn’t a button based shortcut you can press to, say, get from CarPlay to the radio or manual controls for the aircon. A small row of buttons would certainly be on the request list for any future facelift.

It’s not all doom and gloom though as it is a joy to sit inside the ES90. The seats absorb and hold you whilst the steering wheel goes against modern trends and is refreshingly thin. Alongside the seats there are two pads to rest two phones, and a chilled central compartment alongside a couple of USB-C chargers. The materials feel premium and high quality in all the important places. It feels like a plus-£70,000 motor vehicle.

Interior – Rear

In the rear things are alright, so long as you’re not over a certain height. There’s plenty of room for people over six foot, but their legs will be slightly raised if the person in front of them is of similar height.

If there’s just two of you, there is an accessible central set of cupholders that fold down in between you behind the central seat. Also containing slots for your phones, this seems like a good idea until you put it away and find that the central seat headdress obliterates rear visibility.

Driving

On the road it’s easy to forget the irritations of the touchscreen. Refreshingly, as mentioned, the Volvo does not pretend to be an apex hunter, so it doesn’t drive like that. Even when you stick the suspension and steering into their sportiest settings, it never feels unduly stiff.

One does not simply hustle an ES90, you waft along in it with gentle inputs resulting in general outputs. Like most electric cars above a certain power, there is a nice little push as you accelerate away, but not much more.

Then again, it does weigh over two tonnes so that has something to do with it, and it’s this weight you become aware of over bumps and through some corners. Technology has not yet advanced to the point where a two-tonne electric vehicle doesn’t feel like it’s fighting the laws of physics.

As with the BMW i4, you can feel engineering brainpower fighting against what the weight is trying to do. As in the BMW iX3’s case, the ES90 succeeds, in keeping a two tonne electric on the road, just with a different style.

Does this mean the Volvo is uncomfortable? Far from it, the ES90 dealt with Britain’s increasingly potholed roles incredibly well. The ride experience reminded me of my short time with a Rolls Royce a few weeks ago and, knowing how it wanted to be driven, it was a very enjoyable driving experience on the whole; even if the lack of rear visibility meant the rear view mirror felt a little redundant at times.

What’s more, the intelligent regenerative braking, where the car sends electricity back into the battery through the brakes, was alright. Volvo told us the ES90 was a car that learns its driver and what their driving style is and adjusts some of its programming accordingly; even if the brakes themselves left a little to be desired. They had plenty of feel but less bite on initial depression than I would have liked.

Conclusion

The Volvo is entering a tough market at an ironic time, because whilst people will be more likely to buy an electric car, the impact on the cost of living from the war in Iran means they’ll be less likely to afford one.

This doesn’t mean the ES90 is the right car at the wrong time, it’s simply a car which has been released at an interesting moment. Overall, the Volvo is a great car to drive, with only some minor irritations preventing it from hitting full marks.

Christopher’s Verdict: 8/10