{"id":1235,"date":"2026-03-11T11:18:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/?p=1235"},"modified":"2026-03-17T11:45:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T11:45:29","slug":"volvo-es90-saunters-into-mzansi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/?p=1235","title":{"rendered":"VOLVO ES90 SAUNTERS INTO MZANSI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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Volvo<\/strong> has sold roughly 2.2 million cars<\/strong> worldwide across the last three years<\/strong>. The figures break down to 708 716 units<\/strong> in 2023 (a solid performance), a record 763 389<\/strong> in 2024, and 710 042 in 2025. With the brand leaning heavily into hybrids<\/strong> and full EVs<\/strong>, the EV market slowdown<\/strong> in 2024 hit them hard – along with other factors – but Volvo isn’t backing off its electrification<\/strong> push. That’s why the new ES90<\/strong> has now arrived in Mzansi<\/strong>, hot on the heels of its global debut. I had the chance to sample it on a scenic drive through KwaZulu-Natal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In an era where buyers overwhelmingly<\/strong> favour SUVs, launching the ES90 feels like quite the bold move from Volvo. But I reckon it’s a calculated risk<\/strong> worth taking – plenty of folks are still hunting<\/strong> for proper sedans as a refreshing break<\/strong> from the crossover overload. Volvo officially calls it a sedan, though if we’re being precise, it’s more of a sleek<\/strong> fastback<\/strong>. It’s a stunner<\/strong> from most angles, particularly the front three-quarter<\/strong> and side views. The rear is elegant enough, but I can’t help thinking a subtle integrated spoiler<\/strong> would add a touch more personality<\/strong> and edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The ES90 is a proper big car: stretching to about 5 metres long<\/strong>, 1.55 metres tall, and 2.1 metres wide (with mirrors), while offering 446 litres of boot space<\/strong> that swells to 1 427 litres<\/strong> with the rear seats folded flat. Size-wise it’s competitive<\/strong>, yet SUVs in this premium space still rule the roost, so the ES90 has its work cut out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Those signature Thor’s hammer<\/strong> headlights carry over (with HD matrix tech on higher trims), flanked by distinctive drop-down daytime running lights around the lower air intake and the familiar closed grille <\/strong>we’ve seen on the EX30<\/strong> and EX90<\/strong>. The side profile flows gracefully into that coupe-esque sloping roofline\u2014reinforcing the fastback<\/strong> vibe\u2014while the rear gets sharp LED C-shaped<\/strong> taillights plus vertical brake lights<\/strong> at the edges of the window. Buyers can pick from seven exterior colours<\/strong>, with two to four interior themes depending on trim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Behind the wheel from Ballito<\/strong> up through the Midlands<\/strong> beyond Pietermaritzburg<\/strong>, the ES90 delivered classic Volvo traits: a supple, compliant ride that soaks<\/strong> up bumpy roads and imperfections<\/strong> with ease. The adjustable air suspension<\/strong> plays a big role here, allowing height changes of roughly 18 mm to 30 mm<\/strong> – perhaps a nod to buyers wanting a bit of that SUV-like clearance without ditching<\/strong> the low-slung sedan stance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It’s pure electric, no combustion engine<\/strong> in sight. Built on Volvo’s new SPA2<\/strong> architecture with an 800V<\/strong> system for quicker charging, the 92kWh<\/strong> battery delivers a claimed<\/strong> range<\/strong> of up to 755km<\/strong>. For now, Mzansi gets only the rear-wheel-drive<\/strong> (RWD) versions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cabin feels genuinely premium, with high-quality materials, excellent build, and generous space<\/strong> all round\u2014rear passengers especially benefit from adjustable seating. The star of the show on the top spec is the Bowers & Wilkins<\/strong> setup pumping 1 610 Watts<\/strong> through 25 speakers<\/strong>, delivering rich, immersive sound. Volvo South Africa offers three trims – Core<\/strong>, Plus, and Ultra<\/strong> – with escalating kit. The flagship Ultra includes that B&W<\/strong> audio, an electrochromic panoramic<\/strong> roof (dim at the touch of a button), laminated glass, and power soft-close doors. A more conventional sliding canvas sunroof is available if preferred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Performance-wise, expect 0\u2013100km\/h in 6.6 seconds<\/strong> thanks to 245kW<\/strong> and 480Nm<\/strong> from the single motor. Top speed is capped at 180km\/h<\/strong>, in line with Volvo’s current range-wide policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Safety remains a Volvo hallmark\u2014from inventing the three-point seatbelt to today’s arsenal: Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Info with Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Keeping Aid<\/strong>, Collision Avoidance\/Mitigation, Rear Camera, Head-Up Display<\/strong>, Rain Sensing Wipers, Road Sign Info, connected safety tech, OTA updates, and a 360-degree camera<\/strong> (availability varies by trim).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With new sedans becoming rare in Mzansi, SUVs dominating<\/strong>, premium sales softening, and EVs still facing slow uptake, the ES90 is up against steep<\/strong> odds. But if buyers shopping executive<\/strong> electric options like the BMW i5<\/strong> or Mercedes EQE<\/strong> want something different, this Scandinavian<\/strong> contender makes a compelling case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Volvo ES90 Prices<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Core \u2013 R1 590 000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus \u2013 R1 655 000<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultra \u2013 R1 795 000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Volvo has sold roughly 2.2 million cars worldwide across the last three years. The figures break down to 708 716…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_regular_price":[],"currency_symbol":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[59,80,296],"tags":[481,302,297,480],"class_list":["post-1235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-launches","category-news","category-volvo","tag-es90","tag-ex90","tag-volvo","tag-volvo-es90"],"post_slider_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IN4RIDE-Volvo-ES90-2-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"post_slider_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IN4RIDE-Volvo-ES90-2-1200x800.jpg",1200,800,true],"post_slider_layout_portrait_large":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IN4RIDE-Volvo-ES90-2-1200x1800.jpg",1200,1800,true],"post_slider_layout_square_large":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IN4RIDE-Volvo-ES90-2-1200x1200.jpg",1200,1200,true],"post_slider_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IN4RIDE-Volvo-ES90-2-600x400.jpg",600,400,true],"post_slider_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IN4RIDE-Volvo-ES90-2-600x900.jpg",600,900,true],"post_slider_layout_square":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IN4RIDE-Volvo-ES90-2-600x600.jpg",600,600,true],"full":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IN4RIDE-Volvo-ES90-2.jpg",1920,1920,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1244,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1235\/revisions\/1244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}