The all-electric Volvo EX90 is said to be the Swedish marque’s quietest and safest vehicle yet. We headed to Los Angeles to drive the model ahead of its local arrival in 2025.
The Volvo EX90 is a 7-seater luxury family SUV (or premium SUV, in #CarsAwards parlance) that features an electric powertrain instead of an internal combustion engine. If you think that means the Volvo XC90 will be mothballed, fear not – that model has been facelifted and will be around for a few more years.
This new Volvo is not assembled in Sweden or China, but in Ridgeville, South Carolina. The new EX90 is underpinned by the Swedish marque’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), but seeing as this platform is electric-only, it is dubbed SPA2. The long-serving XC90, by contrast, is based on SPA and we’re fond of the comfort, luxury and spaciousness the model offers. Does the EX90 tick those boxes too? You bet.
But first, look at it! When parked next to its XC90 sibling, the EX90’s exterior execution looks remarkably fresh, simplified and futuristic. It’s like someone applied an Instagram beauty filter to the XC90 (but with unreal levels of skin smoothening) and it remains to be seen where the front numberplate will be located.
Granted, the EX90 doesn’t need a gaping grille for cooling, but for us, the real highlight is the daytime running lights, which split open to reveal headlights! You’ve probably noticed the taxi-light-like bulge on the car’s roof: that houses the light detection and ranging (Lidar) scanner, but more on that tech below.
What’s on offer?
There are only 2 derivatives in the Volvo EX90 launch line-up: Twin Motor and Twin Motor Performance (we drove the latter variant in California). We expect that single-motor derivatives and lesser-specced versions will be released later, but our Swedish hosts remained tight-lipped about future offerings.
As its name implies, Twin Motor features a pair of electric motors – one on each axle. The Twin Motor kicks off the range with 300 kW and 770 Nm, while the flagship variant produces 380 kW and 910 Nm.
While it’s widely known – and, by now, expected – that most premium EVs accelerate rather rapidly, Volvo has taken a more restrained approach with the EX90 Twin Motor Performance. It is said to be capable of hitting 100 kph from a standstill in 4.9 sec (before going on to a limited top speed of 180 kph); the EX90 is no speedster, but that 0-100 kph time is quick for a vehicle that weighs around 2.8 tonnes.
Thanks to a 111 kWh (of which 107 kWh is usable) battery, the Volvo’s claimed range is between 570 and 614 km (WLTP). The vehicle supports DC fast-charging up to 250 kW, which allows 10% to 80% to be replenished in around 30 minutes. As a reminder, the fastest chargers in South Africa rank at 200 kW.
According to the EX90’s comprehensive tech sheet, the model will be available in 4-, 5-, 6- and 7-seat configurations and we assume the SA market will get the 6- (captain’s chairs) and 7-seat versions.
Sustainability is a key focus area for Volvo and, in that regard, the EX90 is a great example: 15% of the steel, 25% of the aluminium and 48 kg of the plastics used to assemble the model are recycled material.
The cabin is modern and minimalist in a way that (seemingly) only Volvo can be; it’s a pleasant, relaxing space. But the build quality and details truly stand out – it feels every bit as premium as Volvo says it is.
The Google-powered infotainment system has a massive (14.5-inch) portrait-oriented touchscreen, but unlike its EX30 sibling, the EX90 has a compact instrument cluster as well as a driver’s head-up display.
I appreciated having just the critical driving info (speed, range and the next navigation waypoint) in front of me – this is how I think all instrument clusters should be. Save the additional stuff for the main screen.
Space utilisation/interior packaging is also impressive. Perhaps Volvo engineers carted their own families around in EX90 prototypes to gain insights – the cabin’s storage solutions/workflow is that well resolved.
You can deploy the 3rd row of seats by simply pressing a button, the 2nd row can be manipulated with just one hand, and the load bay is reasonably spacious even when all seats are in use (unlike in bakkie-based Adventure SUVs). Also, as it’s an EV, you get an additional storage area in the front, um, “frunk”.
Rivals?
Right now, the big electric Volvo SUV has very few competitors in the local market. The BMW iX (which won the Premium SUV category of the 2023/24 CarsAwards programme) may have quirky looks, but it has the performance and technology to match the EX90, and don’t forget about the Mercedes-Benz EQE and EQS e-SUVs, but have yet to test either of those. Audi, in turn, will be launching the Q8 e-tron soon.
If you’re prepared to try a plug-in hybrid, then Volvo will sell you the XC90 T8 Recharge, which was recently updated and there are options from Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche and BMW too.
What is the Volvo EX90 like to drive?
Yes, it is a 3-row, 7-seater SUV, but “ease of use” must be one of its strong points. And it is! You can use either a smartphone or proximity key to unlock the Volvo EX90 and there’s no start button: You simply get in, put on your seatbelt and engage Drive on the switchgear behind the steering wheel – that’s it!
In the hustle and bustle of late-summer traffic on California’s Pacific Coast Highway (as we made our way to Laguna Beach and Dana Point), the suave Swede felt right at home and was comfortable rubbing shoulders with some huge American SUV stalwarts such as the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator.
Compared to those 2 ostentatious land yachts, the Volvo is demure and inconspicuous (and that’s how you use demure correctly in a sentence, kids.) And, as an EV, the EX90 is eminently tasteful, or to put it another way: a far cry from the outlandish Rivians and Tesla Cybertrucks that we saw during our journey.
Before our coastal cruise, we had the pleasure of taking the CA-74 Ortega Highway to Lake Elsinore, a fabulous stretch of near-perfect tarmac that twists its way inland from the coast. Now, while the road quality was some of the finest we’ve ever experienced, it made the Volvo EX90 feel outrageously good.
Even when rolling on not-insubstantial 22-inch aerodynamically-tuned alloy wheels and skinny tyres, the EX90 simply glided along on its 2-chamber adaptive air suspension with a stunning level of refinement.
I deliberately drove over a few ruts and manhole covers (only to feel how the Volvo’s ride quality would be affected by those road imperfections). Whereas the XC90‘s ride quality can feel a tad brittle at low speeds (and bigger impacts occasionally crash through to the cabin), the EX90 appears to have more forgiving damping. We have yet to drive the Volvo on our local roads but trust me, it rides impressively.
We often talk about how a car’s controls need to be well-balanced or “equally weighted” and, well, Volvo has achieved that with the EX90. Things are mostly just right: the sensitivity of the accelerator pedal, the light-but-accurate steering setup and feel, the low-speed control (which makes the car feel smaller) and so on. It doesn’t feel like a 2.8-tonne SUV rolling on low-profile 22-inch tyres, which is quite a feat.
Comfort levels, aided by the Volvo’s exquisite seats, are up with the very best in its class. The front seats look and feel the part and, importantly, they offer a veritable array of massage functions. The climate control is worth a mention too (considering it was 39°C outside) and while Volvo says its panoramic roof features special glass that helps to reduce the sun’s impact, there was no way to close it with a cover.
Driving on a winding canyon road presented the perfect opportunity to activate the Performance AWD mode, which sharpens up the throttle responses and brings the rear-wheel torque vectoring into play. You can also stiffen the ride quality and firm up the steering, but good luck trying to find those settings –they’re buried deep in the touchscreen menu. And can the EX90 be hustled along if you’re in a hurry?
The answer is yes, certainly. It’s poised and with just over 900 Nm a mere stab of the right foot away, it can get a move on. The car only feels hefty – which it is – when you need to brake suddenly, but for the most part, Volvo’s newcomer hides its weight well, due to the large battery being positioned quite low.
It’s nice to know that Volvo’s all-electric 7-seater can deliver punchy performance when required, but we doubt that many future EX90 owners will ever bother making minor changes to the vehicle’s default drive-mode settings. Besides, why would you want to firm up that near-perfect ride quality?
As for the cabin ambience, the Volvo EX90 is hushed inside with virtually zero wind and road noise… well, at least until you are travelling at triple-digit (in kph) speeds, I’d say.
Yep, it’s an almost spooky experience, but to limit the likelihood of awkward silences driving you crazy, Volvo relied on its long-standing partner Bowers & Wilkins to develop a superb 25-speaker audio system specifically for this vehicle. Fleetwood Mac and Bruce Springsteen have never sounded this good!
After chatting with several of the Volvo engineers who were involved in the development of the EX90, it became apparent that this new vehicle is tantamount to a supercomputer on wheels. There’s an insane level of computing power on offer, thanks to Volvo’s partnerships with Nvidia, Google, Qualcomm, etc.
The Nvidia Drive Orin system-on-a-chip can complete over 250 trillion operations per second and is responsible for safety, infotainment, and battery management, while Qualcomm’s Snapdragon handles the cabin tech. The main benefit of the extensive use of tech is that Volvo has future-proofed the model to a large extent. The brand claims that thanks to over-the-air updates, the EX90 will get even better.
Now, about that bulge at the top edge of the windscreen, which is Luminar’s lidar (light detection and ranging) system. Right now, it’s only gathering data and learning about traffic and roads. When it’s fully active, it’ll facilitate higher levels of assisted driving, but that functionality will take a while to be rolled out because there are legal hurdles to overcome. Also, Volvo admits the system does not work 100% yet.
We’re okay with that, as we’re satisfied with the brand’s Pilot Assist 2 adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist systems (as fitted to the EX90), which take the chore out of driving in traffic. Suffice it to say, a 360-degree camera system is present too, but we weren’t all that impressed with its resolution.
What’s not good?
If Volvo launched the EX90 (in its current state) in Mzansi now (September 2024), the model would likely cause biblical levels of customer dissatisfaction. Why? Because while all the hardware is present, the software to fully operate it isn’t; to fix that would require the car to receive at least 1 over-the-air update.
Key features like Apple CarPlay, some of the Lidar-assisted safety tech, bidirectional charging and even one of the Bowers & Wilkins audio modes will only be activated in early 2025. Imagine you are a US-based customer who’d just forked out more than $90k (just over R1.6 million) for a Volvo EX90 only to be informed that not everything in your vehicle works… yet. I have and I’d be more than slightly irritated.
For us South Africans who are keen to take the plunge with an all-electric premium SUV, I don’t think you have much to worry about, the EX90’s expected launch date coincides with the much-needed updates.
Our next gripe pertains to the user experience. As much as we applaud an uncomplicated, intuitive and responsive infotainment system, why are some core functions buried in the depths of the menu system?
Granted, some of the functions, such as adjusting the steering column and side mirrors, and opening the glovebox aren’t exactly used daily, but what happened to good old buttons? To reiterate, the cabin layout is the sheer embodiment of minimalism, so to enjoy that, you have to be willing to make some sacrifices.
When is the Volvo EX90 coming to South Africa?
Volvo has said it “expects (to) launch the new EX90 in South Africa in early 2025, with the first customer vehicles scheduled to arrive in the Republic towards the end of the 2nd quarter of next year.”
Our advice is to wait until all the features have been activated – and the software bugs ironed out – before you purchase the model.
Summary and Price Prediction?
When the EX90 touches down in South Africa, we reckon Volvo Car South Africa will be bullish and follow a similar strategy to what it did with the EX30 and launch the model with an aggressive pricing structure. That being said, the EX90 will be an ultra-luxurious and tech-laden electric flagship family car that will command a premium. We reckon it’ll be a minor miracle if the range starts from about R1.8 million.
Should you put Volvo’s newcomer on your premium SUV shopping list? Despite the need for some tweaked software and a few finishing touches, the EX90 is poised to be a ground-breaking vehicle – locally and internationally. The model’s tech is jaw-dropping, but the fact that it gets the basics so right –and then some – is even more impressive. This is not just a good electric car, it’s a good car full stop.
Want to purchase a new or used Volvo? Browse vehicles for sale
