Current S60 has been on-sale since 2016. Image: Volvo
Berated earlier this year for its move away from estates to SUVs, Volvo is reportedly not giving up on its sedan lineage, according to an investigative report from Sweden.
Ahead of its move towards complete electrification before 2030, the Chinese-owned automaker will debut its first fully plugged-in sedan in 2024 as an alternative not only to the combustion and hybrid engine S90, but also the incoming EX90 SUV.
Known internally as V551, the ES90 will initially be sold only in China and produced at the Chengdu plant which currently builds the S60, S90, EX30 and EX90 for the local and exports markets.
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In obtaining the information from Volvo’s intranet, complete with an image of employees at Chengdu standing in front of the first production model obscured by a large cover marked “Confidential” and “Top Secret”, Teknikens Värld reports the ES90 will measure 4 999 mm long, 1 945 mm wide and 1 547 mm tall while riding on a wheelbase spanning 3 102 mm.
A claimed 22 mm longer than a standard S90, but 100 mm shorter than the China-only S90L, the publication states the newcomer will have a longer wheelbase than the former and become the third model after the EX30 and EX90 to ride on the new EV-optimised Scalable Production Architecture 2 (SPA2) platform.
Set to take aim at the Mercedes-Benz EQE and the BMW i5, according to the publication, the ES90 will likely derive its styling from the EX90, as well as the EM90 MPV spun-off of parent company Zeekr’s 009.
Compared to the S90 that debuted seven-years ago, the ES90’s interior will also draw heavily from the EX90 in both look and design, as well as integration of Google’s latest Android operating system.
Sharing the same platform as the EX90 will also translate into the same power and torque figures, namely 380kW/910Nm from the twin electric motors powered by the 111-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
“I am extremely excited to see the real car of the V551 roll off the line. Reaching this milestone is a fantastic achievement, and it was all made possible thanks to cross-functional collaboration and commitment from all teams involved through development, preparation and construction,” a quote from Volvo Car China’s Technical Director, Hans Lindh, read.
On-track to enter production in May next year as per the Teknikens Värld report, the ES90 is likely to be teased in greater detail before then, though don’t be surprised if information in the form of leaks emerge before Volvo discloses it officially.
While sales of its EV’s in South Africa remained high in 2023, similar to the EM90, the ES90 is unlikely to be earmarked for the local market in spite of the S90 still being present as either a mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid priced from R950 000 to R1 361 000.
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