BMW i5 rival could have up to 637bhp and will be revealed in the coming months
GREG KABLE
The Volvo S90 saloon is expected to be replaced by a new electric flagship launching in 2025 and likely to be called the ES90.
Known internally by the codename V551, the car is set to be produced at a factory owned and operated by Volvo parent company Geely in China, as revealed in a leaked photograph and specifications.
A photograph published on Volvo’s employee intranet showed members of the Swedish firm’s production team in Zhejiang huddled around signs that read “Volvo Cars V551 First VP Car Celebration” and “Top Secret”. VP stands for ‘verification prototype’.
The rival to the electric Audi A6, BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE is completely obscured from view in the photo ahead of an anticipated 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 400V or 800V.
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 layouts.
The car is also said to use a 111kWh battery (107kWh usable capacity), delivering 373 miles of range in combination with the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive drivetrain.
According to the leaked information, Volvo says the ES90 measures 4999mm in length, 1547mm in height and 1945mm in width. That makes it 61mm shorter, 32mm taller and 45mm wider than the i5. It also has a wheelbase that is 105mm longer than its German rival’s, 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 007 saloon. The latter has up to 637bhp and a range of 478 miles on the Chinese CLTC test cycle in range-topping dual-motor, four-wheel-drive specification.
Early speculation suggested that the ES90 could share its platform with the recently unveiled Polestar 5. However, it is understood that the new bonded aluminium structure is considered to be too expensive for the price point and expected production volumes of the new Volvo saloon, which is planned to be offered globally.
But details of Volvo’s new electric S90 come after the company phased out all estate and saloon models in the UK market, citing much higher demand for S
