Volvo ES90 named 'Car of November' by Korea auto journalists

Volvo's next-generation all-electric flagship sedan, the ES90, has been named "Car of November" by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association, beating out new models from Lexus, Genesis and Hyundai Motor. The ES90 earned high marks for its range of up to 520 kilometers on a single charge, fast-charging capability and overall product value relative to its price.

The Korea Automobile Journalists Association (KAJA) announced Friday that it had selected the Volvo ES90 as its Car of November.

KAJA's Car of the Year selection committee evaluates newly launched and facelifted models each month on criteria including design, driving performance, safety and price competitiveness.

Five models competed in this round: the Lexus All-New ES, the Volvo ES90, the Genesis GV80 Hybrid, the Zeekr 7X and the Hyundai Motor All-New Tucson.

The ES90 topped the field with a score of 56.3 out of 70.

In the detailed breakdown, the ES90 received 8.7 out of 10 in both price competitiveness and product value, and overall product quality and purchase appeal — the highest scores in the evaluation. Safety and advanced driving technology earned 8.3 points, while design and sensory quality, and driving performance and energy efficiency each scored 8.0.

The ES90 is Volvo's large pure-electric sedan, succeeding the S90 as the electrified version of the automaker's flagship line. It combines the silhouette of a traditional sedan with the interior space and practicality more typical of an SUV.

The body stretches 5 meters in length, with a wheelbase — the distance between the front and rear axles — of approximately 3.1 meters. The car sits higher than a conventional sedan, and its rear glass and trunk open together to maximize cargo versatility.

The domestically certified all-wheel-drive twin-motor variant is equipped with a 106 kWh battery. It offers a combined range of 520 km at normal temperatures on a single charge — 548 km in urban driving and 486 km on the highway.

The ES90 is also the first Volvo electric vehicle to adopt an 800-volt high-voltage system. Using a charger rated at up to 350 kW, the battery can be charged from 10 percent to 80 percent in about 22 minutes.

The ES90 also incorporates advanced safety and convenience technology. It manages the vehicle's various functions through an intelligence platform called "Hugin Core," developed in collaboration with Nvidia, Qualcomm and others.

The safety system draws on five cameras, five radar units and 12 ultrasonic sensors, and supports next-generation driver-assistance functions as well as in-cabin occupant detection.

Won Seon-ung, chair of KAJA's Car of the Year selection committee, said the ES90 "reinterprets the 'Scandinavian luxury sedan' identity that Volvo has built through its 90 Series in the language of the electrification era."

Won added that "the 106 kWh battery, Volvo's first 800-volt architecture and the resulting 350 kW ultra-fast charging capability, combined with a certified range of 520 km, meaningfully raise efficiency and convenience for real-world long-distance use."

The ES90 went on sale in Korea in July, surpassing 3,000 pre-orders by the end of August. Domestic deliveries, led by the twin-motor variant, began last month.

Domestic prices range from 72.94 million won ($54,400) for the Single Motor Extended Range Plus to 95.41 million won for the Twin Motor Performance Ultra.