Volvo EM90

FIRST DRIVE Volvo has entered the ultra-luxurious van market, but at the moment it's only the Chinese that will get to relax in its posh new EV

- Thomas Geiger

HOW times change. Where once the idea of ultimate luxury in a car typically took the form of a saloon from one of a handful of European brands, elsewhere in the world a very different type of vehicle has come to prominence: the ultra-luxury van. Now Volvo, owned by Chinese automotive giant Geely, has decided to jump on the bandwagon, releasing its gargantuan EM90 to customers in the Far East.

This type of car was initially made popular in Japan, where the Toyota Alphard - and its distinguished brother, the Lexus LM - currently dominate the luxury-car class. In fact, Lexus recently brought its LM flagship to the UK, where it has outsold the former LS saloon tenfold since its debut. Yet it's the Chinese who are pushing the segment toa new level, with the Li Auto Mega and XPeng X9 capturing plenty of attention, even in Europe.

Unlike a Mercedes V-Class, for example, the EM90 is not based on a commercial vehicle, but has been designed from the ground up purely as a luxury car. As such, the Volvo doesn't come cheap, even in China, where prices start at around 818,000 RMB (the equivalent of around £84,350) – putting it on a level with cars such as the Mercedes EQS.