Mercedes-Benz Vito vs Volvo Es90

What's the difference?

The Vito 119 Panel Van LWB offers excellent performance and driver comfort, with styling and all-round refinement that could make it an appealing business partner. However, the absence of an ANCAP star rating and a sub-one-tonne payload limit could be deal-breakers for some tradies and fleets alike, along with a list price that exceeds its Toyota HiAce LWB equivalent by almost $30K. Therefore, only a potential buyer can decide if its positives outweigh its negatives.

More stylish than ever before, as quiet and refined as you'd expect from a luxury car and yet the stand out feature might once again be safety. Despite seemingly every new car being loaded to the gills with safety features, Volvo has managed to demonstrate industry best-practice and leads the way again.

I would encourage engineers from every other car brand to drive the ES90 to learn how to better integrate the modern suite of active safety features like forward collision warning and lane departure warning.

But beyond that, is the ES90 a car worthy of consideration? Well, pretty much everything it does the EX90 does too, so if you prefer an SUV that’s definitely worth consideration. But if you don’t want an SUV, if you prefer a sedan or just love to be different, the ES90 is a very attractive proposition in more ways than one.

Our LWB test vehicle rides on a 3430mm wheelbase, with 5370mm overall length and 1928mm width. Its 1916mm height ensures comfortable access to height-restricted areas like multi-storey car parks and underground loading zones and it has a reasonably tight 11.8-metre turning circle.

The rear-wheel drive chassis includes MacPherson strut front suspension, independent semi-trailing arm/coil-spring rear suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and rack and pinion steering.

It’s arguably the best-looking mid-sized van on the market with its bold frontal styling, purposeful wedge-shaped profile and elegant contours along its flanks.

The neat and functional interior has fabric-trimmed seats with an attractive speckled pattern on their facings. It also comes standard with a chrome interior package including air-vents, air con switch panel, interior door handles/surrounds and more.

The minimalist dash design results in a clean and uncluttered appearance. Even so, it still (thankfully) includes mechanical 'piano key' buttons for numerous functions and knurled barrel-style switches for controlling audio volume, cabin temperature, airflow direction and drive modes, to avoid the potential driver distraction of touchscreen prompts.

Discussing Volvo design will draw different opinions depending on your age. As a millennial, I grew up at a time when Volvos were, to quote a famous movie line from the 1990s, ‘boxy, but good’.

But over the past two decades Volvo has smoothed off those boxy edges and become one of the most style-conscious car companies in the world. It has embraced its now-unique place as a Scandinavian carmaker and uses softer edges and more Nordic design themes (such as light coloured interior woods) to ensure the ES90 is simply a good-looking car.

What it isn’t, at least not technically-speaking, is a sedan. That’s because it has a liftback rear-end design, rather than a traditional ‘three-box’ sedan with a conventional boot. That shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for anyone and it means it’s a far more practical design.

It also sits taller than a conventional ‘sedan’, which is an increasingly common trait for modern European sedans as they try to woo would-be SUV buyers. It’s not a lot, you certainly wouldn’t call it a tall or high-riding car, but it is noticeable.

Ends up as an ‘in-between’ design, neither one thing or the other. The closest thing it reminds me of is the short-lived BMW 5-Series GT, which is damning with faint praise, but it speaks to the challenge of making something that simply isn’t an SUV appealing to the modern SUV-obsessed market.

The very stylish cabin features that previously mentioned light coloured wood (at least in our test car) and that unique Scandinavian look. It’s the closest you’ll get to sitting in a Swedish lounge room on wheels.

With its 2068kg kerb weight and 3000kg GVM, our test vehicle has a 933kg payload rating which falls short of the one-tonne-plus capabilities of numerous rivals.

However, it’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer, which is 1000kg more than Toyota’s dominant HiAce. And with its 5500kg GCM rating (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) the Vito can carry its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight.

Access to the cargo bay is through sliding doors on each side with 822mm openings, or the single tailgate (optional rear barn-doors are also available). With load floor dimensions of 3061mm length and 1695mm width, along with 1270mm between the rear wheel-housings, it will carry up to two standard Aussie pallets or up to three Euro pallets, secured with a choice of eight load-anchorage points.

Standard equipment includes the cargo bay’s internal walls and doors being lined from floor to roof height. The optional Cargo Pack's solid metal bulkhead serves as both a noise insulator for the cabin and a sturdy cargo barrier, with large assist handles on each side and a full-width open storage area at its base ideal for storing ropes, straps, load-padding etc.

Access to the driver’s cabin is through doors with a relatively narrow opening angle. The seat padding is firm and well-bolstered, with the Cargo Pack’s two-seater bench offering sufficient knee clearance from the dash for central passengers.

However, central seat foot-room is limited for those with large boots and the bench seat also has no adjustment, so we’d recommend only short trips for a crew of three.

Cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and bin in the base of each door, with a smaller bin above. The dash offers storage slots below the air-vents, plus small-bottle/cupholders and three handy open storage areas across the dash-pad.

There’s also a single glove box, overhead glasses-holder and a useful-sized compartment hidden beneath the passenger seat which is accessed through a side hatch.

In terms of space the ES90 is very generous, which it should be given it's a five-metre long car. There’s loads of room front and the back so you’ll seat four adults in absolute comfort, and can squeeze in a fifth if needed. Thanks to the relatively flat floor, as well as the panoramic roof that can either be opaque or clear, the cabin feels spacious and bright even in the rear.

As for luggage space, the boot measures 424 litres, and obviously it’s very easy to access via the power liftgate. But it’s still not as big as an SUV. The EX90 offers up 655 litres of space in its five-seat configuration. Which is at least a small part of the explanation why SUVs have become the more popular choice.

But what really stands out in the cabin isn’t the space, it’s the technology. The ES90 Ultra’s multimedia system is centred around a 14.5-inch touchscreen that runs all the car’s key functions; you also get a 9.0-inch driver’s display.

Notably, Volvo has opted to offer Google’s operating systems built-in, which means while you can still run Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, if you have a Google account you can sign-in and have your contacts, address book and other details integrated into the car.

It’s a really fast system, too, supported by the most powerful software Volvo has ever put inside one of its cars. Having a big tablet-style screen is great and feels very modern, but if it runs slowly, with lag between commands, it’s not as useful. This Volvo system, particularly the transitions between menus and even the voice assistant, reacts with lightning-fast speed.

Then there’s the sound system we mentioned earlier. It’s a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins set-up with 'Dolby Atmos' and an app called Abbey Road Studios. This app has been produced in conjunction with the iconic recording studio made famous by The Beatles. The speakers and the app were all developed together to provide a superior audio experience.

The speakers themselves are incredibly powerful while staying crystal clear, with the Abbey Road app providing the ability to change the sound between 'Modern' and 'Vintage' settings that make you feel like you’re inside a recording studio.

Put simply, it is as impressive a sound system as I’ve ever experienced in a car.

The ES90 range consists of two models at the time of publication both powered by a single, rear-mounted electric motor, with the twin-motor option available on the EX90 SUV currently not offered in Australia (emphasis on the word ‘currently’).

The range begins with the Pure from $88,880, before on-road costs, and is completed by the current range-topping Ultra variant, which we're testing, priced from $107,990, plus on-roads.

That means it’s cheaper than its direct rivals in the luxury electric sedan market. Audi’s e-tron GT starts at more than $200,000, the BMW i5 line-up is priced from $155,900 and the Mercedes-Benz EQE range begins at $134,900. So, even with this more expensive Ultra variant, Volvo has a clear head-start on the competition.

And Volvo hasn't managed that by skimping on standard equipment. The ES90 comes loaded with adaptive air suspension, 22-inch alloy wheels, a comprehensive safety package (as you’d expect from Volvo) as well as an electrochromic panoramic roof, a smart key you can add to your phone and 'Nordico' upholstery - Volvo’s sustainable synthetic leather.

There’s also a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system, but more on that later…

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder intercooled turbo-diesel meets Euro 6 emissions standards using AdBlue.

It produces 140kW of power at 4200rpm and 440Nm of torque between 1350-2400rpm. This is paired with a smooth and intuitive nine-speed torque converter automatic, which offers three drive modes comprising 'Comfort' (the standard default setting), 'Sport' and 'Manual'. The latter’s sequential manual-shifting is via steering wheel-mounted paddles.

As the name suggests, the ES90 Single Motor is powered by a single, rear-mounted electric motor that drives the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission. The motor makes a healthy 245kW and 480Nm, so the 0-100km/h sprint time is 6.6 seconds - sprightly for such a big car.

As alluded to earlier, there is a Twin Motor, all-wheel drive ES90 variant available in overseas markets, with 500kW, but Volvo Australia is yet to confirm when, or even if that will arrive here.

Mercedes-Benz claims official combined average consumption of only 6.7L/100km but the dash readout was showing 8.3 at the completion of our 342km test, of which about one third was hauling a heavy payload.

This was lineball with our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, of 8.5L/100km. Any mid-sized van that can produce genuine sub-10L economy in 'real world' urban use gets a big tick from us and, based on our figures, should produce an excellent driving range of around 800km from its 70-litre diesel tank.

Built on Volvo’s 800-volt electrical architecture, the first Volvo to feature the technology, the ES90 is powered by a 92kWh battery that provides up to 554km of driving range on a single charge.

Volvo quotes an NEDC energy consumption of 18.5kWh/100km, with 300kW DC charging able to take the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 22 minutes. A full, empty to 100 per cent charge using a 16A outlet will take 10 hours.

It should be noted that the EX90 SUV will be upgraded to the 800V architecture with the 2026 model year introduction.

The Vito offers exceptional comfort for the driver, with the prestige look and feel of its leather-wrapped and height/reach adjustable steering wheel combined with a driver’s seat offering a fold-down inboard armrest, height/reach-adjustable lumbar support plus adjustable base-cushion rake and length.

A left footrest would be icing on this comfort cake, but in its absence there’s plenty of clear floor space in which to rest your left foot.

Eyelines to all mirrors are good and although the centre-seat headrest for the Cargo Pack bench partly blocks the central mirror’s rear view, most of the tailgate’s window remains clear.

Given the huge blind-spot over the driver’s left shoulder created by the cargo bay’s solid walls, the Vito’s blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree camera etc are effective in creating a safety zone in such a vulnerable area.

The steering feel is superb, as we’ve come to expect from Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles. Cabin noise remains commendably low even at highway speeds, during which the engine needs only 1700rpm to maintain 110km/h. However, tyre noise can become intrusive on coarse bitumen surfaces.

Engine response in city and suburban use is excellent, as the nine-speed auto efficiently keeps the turbo-diesel operating within its 1350-2400rpm peak torque zone. And 440Nm of torque is competitive for a van this size, ensuring strong acceleration with or without a load.

The driver-selectable Sport and Manual drive modes provide greater driver engagement and direct control respectively, but for most driving the default Comfort setting provides a commendable balance of comfort and engine response which allows the Vito to shine in a working role.

We proved this after loading 770kg into the cargo bay, which with driver equalled a total payload of 870kg which was only about 60kg under its legal limit. The coil-spring rear suspension compressed 50mm under this weight, which still left more than enough suspension travel to ensure there was no bottoming-out during our test drive.

This included our usual 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb at 60km/h, in which it downshifted to fourth gear and 2000rpm (bang in the middle of its peak torque band) to easily reach the summit.

Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, was impressive for an engine with relatively small displacement restraining almost 900kg in payload, requiring only one firm application of the brake pedal. Overall, it proved to be a competent load-hauler.

As you’d expect from a luxury, electric car the ES90 is a quiet and refined vehicle to drive. Being a Volvo, the company has used its experience where it matters, and there is excellent insulation from the outside world. Unlike some EVs that lose the engine and hope that just makes things quieter, the ES90 gives you a genuine feeling of insulation from the exterior hustle and bustle. 

Performance is adequate from the single motor but it’s by no means a sports sedan with only 250kW/480Nm and such a big vehicle. But it has the instant response that is an EV trademark so it has all the performance this type of car and the drivers it will attract would likely need. If buyers start banging on the door for more power, Volvo can oblige, but for now it does the job you expect of a luxury four-door.

While it has the sedan silhouette, the taller body and raised ride height on the air suspension are noticeable. You will find yourself looking up at SUV drivers, but not all of them. It’s roughly the same seat height as you’ll find in a modern small SUV, so a slight elevation rather than a big boost.

The ride is what you expect from this type of car. You can adjust the suspension and steering between ‘soft’ and ‘firm’ settings, but even with the latter selected there is a lot of compliance and the ride remains comfortable.

The steering is fine most of the time, but when you have to do parking maneuvers you certainly notice the ES90's steer-by-wire technology. The steering literally feels like an old computer game steering wheel set-up, with very little resistance as the wheel lightly spins from lock-to-lock. It’s not a bad feeling, but it is a bit odd and takes some getting used to.

The ultimate take-away from the driving experience is just how relaxed it is - quiet and effortless are the two words that probably best sum it up.

This is obviously the area that Volvo is famous for, but with seemingly every other brand forced to raise their own safety features over the years, does the Swedish brand still do anything special on this front?

Absolutely.

Put simply the Volvo suite of active safety systems is better developed and better integrated. Every rival car to the ES90 will have a similar list of features, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane departure assist, road sign information and more. But Volvo has made it work so well that unlike rival models, you never even think of turning them off, they don’t beep and bong ad nauseum, they only work if you need them in an emergency - which should be the standard.

One thing to note is the ‘bump’ on the roof (you may see in the images) to house a Lidar system. However, Volvo split with its supplier and has decided to abandon this technology for the ES90. That means the 2026 model year examples will not have the roof bump, but still come loaded with five radars, seven cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors for the excellent coverage of the surrounding environment.

The only thing that stops the ES90 being worthy of a 10/10 safety score is the lane keeping assist could do with some fine-tuning, as it has a tendency to move in the lane slightly too much.

There is no current ANCAP score for the ES90, but the EX90 SUV does, and given the organisation's previous sharing of scores between different models based on the same core underpinnings, there is no reason to believe the ‘sedan’ wouldn’t be just as safe.

The Vito comes with a five years/250,000km warranty which includes 24-hour roadside assistance.

Scheduled servicing is 12 months/25,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing for first five scheduled services totals $5555, or a pricey average of $1111 annually.

The ES90 is covered by Volvo’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which is competitive for the luxury market even if it’s shorter than the cover some mainstream brands offer.

Servicing costs are currently unclear, at the time of publication. Volvo Australia typically offers five-year servicing plans for its models but is yet to finalise the cost for its electric vehicles.

Despite its long history in Australia, Volvo still has a relatively small footprint in this country with only 28 dealers/service centres spread across the country. However, more are planned to expand that coverage in the coming years.