IMOTO: VOLVO ES90
A few years ago, Volvo Car South Africa was selling the S90 sedan and I was lucky enough to drive it feeling like an older brother.
It was a major competitor to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series. While these competitors are still found in garages, the S90 is no longer seen.
This is because Volvo around the world is changing the way they do it, choosing to import electric or hybrid vehicles.
That strategy has given birth to the ES90 which went on sale in South Africa this week.
The big question is that since the love of sedans, people prefer SUVs, will it be able to attract customers?
There is a lot of hope from Volvo that it will do well in sales. They believe that customers will ignore the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE, as they hope to have sold at least 40 of them in a year.
In terms of price, it costs the lowest of both competitors as the i5 starts at R1.8 million and the EQE starts at R1.7m. I will include below the price of the ES90 and what it comes with.
The ES90 comes in three variants namely Core, Plus and Ultra.
All three have a 92 kWh battery that if fully charged you can go 755km.
If you charge it at a fast DC charger as it can install a 350kW fire, they say it goes from 10 to 80% in 25 seconds. You can also charge it with a 22kW AC or at home.
Its power is 245kW and torque 480Nm and it sends it to the rear wheels. Volvo promises to bring more models.
The power enables it to go from 0 to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds and the top speed ends at 180km/h.
It was introduced, the road started from Ballito and went along towards Senembe, went up Bhamshela, passed Wartburg, before passing through Pietermaritzburg, entering the N3 to end at Nottingham Road.
On all those roads it felt comfortable since we were traveling with an Ultra with air suspension. And you could feel it working because in some cases it would just raise the wheel and leave it at 203mm, not sensitive to the roughness of the road. When you park you hear it go down.
On the road it’s grippy and quiet inside.
The steering wheel when you go off the track is one of the safety features offered by Volvo.
Other features include adaptive cruise control, head-up display, full-body cameras, and more.
The ES90 is 5,000mm long, 2,120mm wide and 1,546mm tall.
This makes it have a wheelbase of 3 102mm which plays a big part in being open inside.
Boot space is 446 liters and there’s even more in the bonnet for charging cables.
Thanks to the interior, passengers sit in comfortable seats.
In the back, the knees do not hit the front seats. However, what I have seen as a problem is that the knees rise up as if you are squatting since the bras are placed underneath.
If you don’t go that far, I don’t see any problem. What I liked is that the seats recline so that you don’t have to worry.
At the top they installed an eletrochromic panoramic sunroof that when you press the button it shows the sky or the cloud. If you want, they say you can put a cloth inside to cover the sunroof.
I’m just saying that you’re pushing the button, actually there isn’t because it’s the same as their latest cars. Everything you do on the touchscreen infotainment system is large and bright.
The side mirrors are adjusted there, the lowering and zooming of the steering wheel is done there, the opening of the cubbyhole and the boot are all done there.
You can also see directions, connect a mobile phone with Apple CarPlay, play music through the beautiful Bowers & Wilkins speakers and more.
Apart from that, this sedan also looks like a fastback if you’re not paying attention, especially the way it’s built in the back.
It has LED lights, some of which they even put in the big window at the back. They light up to “greet” you when you approach or “goodbye” when you leave. It’s the same thing as the previous ones.
It also has a variety of colors to choose from as well as rims between 20 and 21 inches.
Price:
ES90 Core – R1 590 000
ES90 Plus – R1 665 000
ES90 Plus – R1 795 000
All come with a warranty and maintenance plan for five years or 100 000km, a wallbox charger at home and a charging card in public areas for three years with an annual fee of R6 000.