Volvo Es90 vs BMW X1

What's the difference?

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.

This new BMW X1 feels like it's been built by a team of parents because it’s one of the most practical and easy to use small SUVs my family and I have ever lived with and, trust me, they’ve seen a lot of test cars come through the Berry garage.

We loved the roomy interior with high ceilings, the clever storage everywhere from the giant door pockets to the floating centre armrest up front and big boot for our pram.

Entry and exit is easy through the tall and wide doors, something my back was thankful for every time I had to put our baby into her car seat.

Driving is easy, with great visibility and the engine that comes in the xDrive20i M Sport makes this X1 sporty and fun to pilot, too.  

The only drawback is the price, it's a bit expensive but at the same time you are getting a high-quality feeling SUV.

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.

This current generation of X1 arrived in late 2022 and finally looked more like part of the BMW SUV family with tall and boxy styling rather than the sleek, but raised hatchback it seemed to be before.

My test car had 'M Portimao Blue' metallic paint - a flattering hue that showed off the X1’s lines as you can see in the images.

I like the X1’s oversized grille which suits the angry looking front bumper that comes with the M Sport inclusions, but balanced by pretty headlights.

Inside, the X1 xDrive20i M Sport is modern and minimalist in design. I like the floating centre armrest in between the driver and front passenger and the way it creates a feeling of more space and adds more storage.

The double screens are nice, but we’re seeing this same design and tech now in budget cars such as the Chery Omoda 5 and Haval H6. BMW needs to be even slicker and more stylish if it wants to maintain its edge.  

If you like your SUVs sporty looking then check out the BMW X2, X4 and X6. These are coupe style SUVs (but with four doors).

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.

My family found the X1 xDrive20i to be one of the most practical small SUVs we’ve lived with thanks to its spacious interior, clever cabin storage and plenty of convenient features.

I need to point out the door pockets - they’re the biggest I’ve ever seen. They’re more door buckets than pockets and super helpful over the week not just for bottles but for everything else that I needed to dump out of my own pockets and into them.

The floating centre armrest up front looks like an ironing board and has a tonne of storage underneath.

The wireless charging is handy but the holster is a bit un-user friendly in terms of access, but it held the phone tight and stopped it becoming a projectile when driving, which is what you want.

There are power outlets galore, too, proximity unlocking, and a gesture tailgate.

Legroom in the back is excellent and there’s so much headroom throughout. 

The X1’s 540-litre boot capacity is excellent for the class and meant we could fit our baby’s big pram and the seven-year old’s scooter and still have room for the grocery shopping.

In the space of driving this SUV and writing this review the list price of the X1 xDrive20i M Sport has risen from $68,900 to $73,400. 

That price hike was part of an increase across the model range and all grades now cost more, even the entry-level sDrive18i which is now 13K less than the xDrive20i M Sport.

But you’re paying for the more powerful, athletic and only all-wheel drive one in the X1 range. 

You’re also getting loads of standard features in the xDrive20i M Sport. 

There’s the 10.25-inch instrument display with three different styles for your speedo and other gauges, while flowing into that is the 10.7-inch media screen with sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and digital radio. 

There are LED headlights, plus proximity unlocking, a head-up display, dual-zone climate control, a power tailgate, sports seats (the front ones are heated and power adjustable) and adaptive cruise control.

As the name suggests the xDrive20i M Sport is fitted with BMW M Sport goodies as standard. These include adaptive M Suspension, M leather steering wheel, M roof rails, M headliner and M interior trim. 

My test car also had $8900 worth of options fitted including the sunroof, Harman Kardon stereo, the ‘Vernasca Black’ leather seats and 20-inch M light alloy multi-spoke wheels.

Is it good value? Well, you do get a lot of nice things here but at a $13,000 premium over the entry grade, plus the $3500 price jump in the past few weeks, I’d say the value isn’t great.

If you’re trying to keep the cost down, the sDrive18i is the budget pick. 

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.

The X1 xDrive20i M Sport has a more powerful engine than the grades below it in the range - it’s a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol, four-cylinder making 150kW and 300Nm.

A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission does the shifting for you.   

This is also the only all-wheel drive X1 currently in the range.

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.

BMW says that after a combination of open and urban roads the X1 xDrive20i M Sport will use 7.4L/100km.

In my own testing my driving was mainly city and suburban, which uses quite a lot of fuel. We did dashes to birthday parties, the grocery shopping, school drop offs and all of it in busy traffic.  

I recorded 8.9L/100km, but that’s not overly thirsty considering I was carrying two car seats with children, and all the gear that goes with them. 

A small 45 litre tank means the xDrive 20i M Sport has a range of about 608km, which is on the shorter side.

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.

Only a week before testing the X1 xDrive20i M Sport I’d been reviewing a BMW 330e and going from the 3 Series to the SUV was like changing my seating position from being in a bathtub to sitting on a bar stool. 

Actually, the X1’s seat is far more comfortable than a stool and the refined quality is what you’d expect from BMW.

But compared to the low slung 330e the visibility and the upright driving angle of the X1 is very different.

It’s something you want in an SUV that puts practicality before performance.

As much as I liked the sporty sedan, as a dad I preferred being able to see better when parking in the X1, and this made life a lot easier.

Easy is a good word to describe what the X1 xDrive20i M Sport is like to drive - from that visibility to the light steering, comfortable ride and that great engine with all-wheel drive.

That 2.0-litre four-cylinder has more than enough grunt to run up the steep hills in my neighbourhood without struggling, the transmission is smooth and the all-wheel drive system adds a bit more reassurance in the wet weather.

All of this makes for an easy, enjoyable drive. 

The X1xDrive20i M Sport like all X1s scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2022.

A score of 88 per cent was given to child protection and the ANCAP report found that a 10-year old and six-year old in the second row had adequate to good protection in a front offset collision and a side impact. 

For child seats there are two ISOFIX points and three top tether anchor mounts across the second row.

As you would expect from a model that’s hasn’t even been around a year yet, the X1 xDrive20i M Sport has the very latest in advanced safety tech.

There’s AEB which is operational from 5.0km/h to 210km/h and also works at road junctions. There’s lane keeping assistance, blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert. 

There are curtain airbags for front and rear passengers, a centre airbag for the driver and co-pilot along with frontal airbags plus side chest and side pelvis airbags.

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.

The X1 xDrive20i M Sport is covered by BMW’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

A five-year/80,000km service plan through BMW will cost $2150. You’ll be looking to pay an average of $430 per service every 12 months.