Volvo ES90 review: luxury EV impresses but touchscreen controls frustrate drivers

Refined electric saloon delivers exceptional comfort and performance, but overcomplicated digital controls undermine everyday usability and driver experience

The Volvo ES90 has a decent range, while also boasting ultra-fast charging abilities.

VOLVO ES90
Rating	★★★★☆
Price	from €79,995 – €100,295 as tested
Power	All electric with output of 328bhp
Range	660 km claimed – but 450 km is a more realistic figure
The Spec	Sensational in Ultra trim, more luxury than executive
Verdict	A brilliant car, let down by insufferable technology

WE HAVE been prattling on — for some time now, it has to be said — about the overarching dominance of touchscreen-based car control systems, which are seemingly en route to controlling everything we do while driving.

The days of having individual buttons or switches to control the many individual functions our cars offer these days are enveloped in a cloud of rearward dust, as we swing towards a new generation of computerised electronics — which are now the soup du jour with many manufacturers.

Tesla — we can unashamedly blame them — set the ball in motion some time back with cars which were largely buttonless. You controlled everything, from the rearview door mirror settings to how much heat you wanted your seat to generate to make your bum toasty, via a touchscreen.

Everything, from ambient light settings to sat nav instructions, were suddenly being controlled via the large screen in the centre of your dashboard. For people used to the old analogue systems, this switch to a digital-oriented format was confusing, unintuitive and, frankly, dangerously distracting.

But right now, it is not so much “a thing”, but “the thing”. The trend started with Tesla but has been adopted almost unanimously by those Chinese car makers who have suddenly become such a large part of our automotive lives. And, as evidenced by this week’s tester, the swish new Volvo ES90, it’s spreading to Europe too — even if the Swedish outfit is completely Chinese-owned.

Now, while all of the above might seem like a massive moan aimed at cutting the legs from under the new Volvo, I have to say here that rarely have I encountered a car which runs so silently and smoothly — it’s hard to believe you’re actually moving.

This truly is a sophisticated piece of kit. The standards of engineering which have gone into making the suspension and drivetrain characteristics so outstanding — as well as an interior decor which makes a Rolls-Royce look a bit shabby and cramped — are up there with the very best.

As an EV, it also has that most vital of components: A decent range, while also boasting ultra-fast charging abilities. A combination of all those factors would, you would normally assume, nail the car down as a five-star contender.

It should, but it doesn’t.

Everything in the Volvo ES90 – from opening the glovebox, the sunroof blind, the door mirrors and the climate control – are controlled via the massive portrait touchscreen.

Not only does this car buck the trend that most manufacturers have adopted — that of making SUVs and not saloons — it is also blessed with adventurous styling and is more refined than the membership of any South Dublin golf club.

In many ways, the ES90 is a spectacular triumph for the Sino-Swedish outfit, but in a few critical areas it is badly let down in an area where the Swedes in particular have excelled in many and various spheres down the years: design.

The look of the car is modernist without being space age and, even to the tutored eye, looks not dissimilar to several things Polestar have done.

Volvo, in conjunction with owners Geely Automotive, the Shanghai-based manufacturer, set up Polestar initially as an EV-only marque.

Various problems in the relationship (financial, mainly) eventually led to Geely taking over the enterprise in its entirety. However, Polestar products were, and are, notable for their interior minimalism and exterior Scandi-centric modernism. Those same characteristics are exactly those on offer here.

That in itself is not at all problematic, but it is worth pointing out. Just as it is to highlight the fact that so many manufacturers are going down the road of rabbit-hole cul-de-sac of buttonless design chic. It might sound great, but the reality of day-to-day use is damnably frustrating.

Maybe I’m only highlighting my own human inadequacies here, or a conservative streak I never knew I had, but this high-tech stuff simply doesn’t work for me, and I’m pretty certain I’m not alone.

Anyway, let’s move on for a minute.

There’s little doubt that the ES90 moves Volvo away from what might be termed its essential middle-class appeal and into the realm of premium motoring. To classify the car as something of a mini limo would not be too far wide of the mark.

I’ve mentioned the sophistication of the drive and ride and, truly, they have to be experienced to be fully appreciated. I’ve certainly not come across anything quite like it outside of revered territory occupied by names such as Bentley, Rolls, or Maybach.

Despite not being an SUV, it still has the large ground clearance you’d expect from one and an elevated driving position as well. That is largely because it is made in China, where drivers favour such things, and China is also expected to be the car’s biggest marketplace.

Volvo ES90 electric saloon delivers comfort and range but overreliance on touchscreen disappoints

The curved roofline — with a vast panoramic roof which can be electronically controlled for shade purposes — and the front pixel LED lights and C-shaped rear brake lights present a unique and eye-catching overall look.

It is also a fastback, with a rear hatch rather than a boot lid, but the boot is actually quite small given the overall dimensions — wheelbase is 3.1m.

The constrictions of the design mean the rear window has ended up being little bigger than a letterbox and, with the middle rear seat headrest in place, renders it practically useless for rearward vision.

The seats are among the most comfortable I’ve ever come across and are heated and ventilated in the top Ultra spec version we tested.

However, to adjust the steering wheel’s fore/aft and up/down position, you have to access it through the central touchscreen, pretty much like everything else. It’s not good.

There’s a claimed 660km range on offer from the single-motor rear wheel drive set-up. Output is 328bhp, and the 0-100km/h sprint takes 6.6 seconds, and top speed is limited to 180km/h.

My home wall-charger might be a little on the elderly side by now — it’s only six years old — but the most I could coax it to charge to was 450km. That was pretty much what I was able to get out of it, too. That’s a workable range for most people, but it’s not outstanding either.

Comfort and refinement are the order of the day here, and this truly is an exceptional cruiser. Smooth and silent, it is sneaky quick; unless you’re using the cruise control, you’ll find yourself breaking set speed limits with regularity.

The Ultra model comes with air suspension and adaptive damping, which certainly helps take the sting out of driving B roads. Steering is light and well-weighted, but a bit numb in truth. Most owners won’t really care about that, so taken will they be by the overall comfort levels.

There’s also a lidar contraption on the roof, which gives the car the look of a taxi, which not all might find attractive.

However, the exceptional beauty and the detailing of the interior are all lost somewhat by the fact that everything — from opening the glovebox, the sunroof blind, the door mirrors, and the climate control — are controlled via the massive portrait touchscreen. It’s complete overkill and a massive pain.

Volvo’s first stab at the electric luxury car market is largely very successful, but the maddening characteristics on display here have a dramatic effect on its overall day-to-day user-friendliness.

That’s a pity, because otherwise the ES90 is something of a triumph.