This is the Volvo EX90, a pure-electric replacement for the company’s XC90 flagship SUV. The EX90 boasts seven seats, a range of more than 360 miles from its huge battery and up to 510bhp from front and rear electric motors
Volvo EX90: styling
The Volvo EX90 keeps the XC90’s boxy shape and familiar Volvo styling features, such as its ‘Thor’s hammer’ headlights, the strong crease that runs down the car’s midriff and the C-shaped tail lights. Even its 22-inch steamroller wheels aren’t exceptional for a big SUV.
It’s the EX90’s EV-unique features that give it away as something new. You get a blanked out grille and flush door handles, but it's the rally car style air scoop above the windscreen that will set chins wagging. Unsurprisingly, it has nothing to do with rallying: it actually houses the car’s sensors, including its lidar…more on that in a minute.
Volvo EX90 interior: design, passenger space and boot capacity
The Volvo EX90’s interior has a minimalist design and a huge 14.5-inch portrait-style infotainment screen that is used to control most of the car’s functions. It is powered by Google – so expect scarily accurate voice recognition – and has 5G connectivity for quick over-the-air updates. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted as standard.
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Where you’d find rows of conventional buttons on an older SUV, in the EX90 you get vast swathes of luxurious trim pieces that give the cabin an uncluttered and relaxing atmosphere. Even the interior fabrics have a feel-good factor: the Nordic upholstery is a textile made from recycled materials.
Want to make the cabin feel even more inviting? Then you’ll be able to specify options like a full-length glass roof and Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system.
Generous interior space comes as standard, which means the EX90 has room for seven adults with enough room left over for a 310-litre boot, which isn’t far off a small family hatchback's boot capacity. Fold the third row of seats away and the boot capacity jumps to 665 litres, and with all the back seats folded away, total capacity sits at a colossal 1915 litres.
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Volvo EX90: battery, range and performance
The Volvo EX90’s large size – at 5037mm, it’s longer than the old XC90 – means it has the space in its floor to house an enormous 111kWh battery, which gives it a range of up to 364 miles. Charging speeds of 250kW means you can replenish the battery from 10-80 per cent in as little as 30 minutes and, thanks to bidirectional charging, you can even use your EX90 to power your house or pump electricity back into the power grid.
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The range will launch with a choice of two high-performance, four-wheel-drive models. Two-wheel-drive, long-range variants will come later.
The line-up kicks off with the Twin Motor Ultra which serves up 402bhp and gets the Volvo from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds. The 510bhp Twin Motor Performance tops the range and drops the car’s 0-62mph time down to 4.9 seconds. As with all new Volvos, the EX90 is limited to a top speed of 112mph.
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Volvo EX90: safety and autonomous driving aids
The Volvo EX90’s pod above the windscreen houses radar and cameras that give the car a 360-degree view of its surroundings. However, the Lidar – a range-finding laser – sensor is the big news. It can detect small objects from hundreds of meters away, whether it is day or night, giving the car more time to avoid an impending collision, either by braking or swerving around the potential accident. According to Volvo, it should reduce accidents by nearly 10 per cent.
Along with offering Volvo’s semi-autonomous driver assist system, which can now change lanes independently as well as accelerating, braking and steering, the EX90’s sensors mean it is the first Volvo to have all the hardware needed for full autonomous driving. An over-the-air update will make this feature available when UK laws catch up.
It is not just the exterior that gets clever safety technologies, either: the interior gets them, too. It's equipped with sensors and cameras that can detect when you’re drowsy and recommend that you stop for a break. If you do fall asleep at the wheel, the system can automatically pull the car to the verge, safely, before automatically calling for help.
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Volvo EX90: price and release date
The Volvo EX90 is available to order now with prices starting from £96,255 for a Twin Motor Ultra model, rising to £100,555 for the top-of-the-range Twin Motor Performance. Both can also be bought on monthly subscriptions of £1,599 (Ultra) or £1,699 (Performance). The Volvo competes with flagship seven-seater electric SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS, which has a starting price of nearly £130,0000.
We’ll be driving the EX90 in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on the CarGurus research homepage to read our full review.