The posh school run will never look the same again, as Volvo has re-invented its well-heeled family favourite for the electric edge. Swapping out the diesel power in favour of batteries, but retaining its seven-seat layout, this is the new EX90.
The EX90 is part of Volvo’s plan to become an entirely electric car maker by 2030, and it sits on the same SPA2 platform as the recently revealed Polestar 3. The Polestar’s job is to be sportier and sexier, and slightly more expensive. The EX90 is blockier and more upright, and will come with seven-seats as standard, unlike the five-seat-only Polestar. Neither will give you much change from €100,000.
Mind you, that lofty price tag is for the initial launch models, which will all be high-powered twin-motor, all-wheel drive EX90s. Eventually, somewhat more affordable, less powerful single-motor models should come to the market.
Performance version
The Performance version of the two-motor EX90 develops a very serious 517hp — BMW M5 power for a family friendly Volvo! — and 910Nm of torque, which is about enough to tug a battleship backwards. All of that is fed by a massive 111kWh battery, for which Volvo claims a one-charge range of up to 580km.
There will also be, at launch, a 408hp twin-motor version. Charging the battery should become a little easier too — the EX90 comes with a ‘plug and charge’ battery system, which in theory means that the car communicates with a public charger to organise payment; you just hook up and walk off, with no more waving of RFID cards or poking at smartphone apps.
At the rear, the EX90’s styling clearly owes a debt to the upright look of the current model, which means that space in the third row of seating should be generous. At the front, it’s a bit of a mixture of Polestar influence, and some of the look of the smaller XC40 Recharge. The new lights, which retain their ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED signature, look much slimmer and sportier than before.
Inside, almost all physical buttons have been done away with and the massive 14.5-inch screen in the centre of the cabin runs on a cutting-edge NVIDIA software system that uses a 3D graphics setup designed by the company that makes the Fortnite video game.
Google software
As with other Volvo and Polestar models, the screen also runs Google software, meaning that it’s easier to import your preferences for sat-nav destinations and so on from your phone or laptop, and you’ll be able to use your phone as a key. There’s a standard 5G modem connection for live services and over-the-air software updates, and for music lovers the stereo is supplied by Bowers & Wilkins, with speakers built into the headrests for the full Dolby Atmos effect if you pick the uppermost ‘Ultra’ trim level.
More importantly, Volvo says that the cabin: “is full of natural and responsibly-sourced materials. That interior composition also reflects our sustainability ambitions, such as being a fully circular and climate-neutral company by 2040.” Those materials include Nordico upholstery, a textile made from recycled materials including PET bottles and corks.
This being a Volvo you’ll be expecting it to be safe. Indeed, Volvo claimed that where the previous XC90 was concerned, no driver nor front-seat passenger had ever received a fatal injury when involved in an accident.
Safety shield
This EX90 looks to take that even further, using “an invisible safety shield” which scans the environment around the car with cameras, radars and lidar sensors to create a full 360-degree understanding of the surrounding environment.
Inside, there are more cameras and sensors which instead of watching the road watch you, and can detect if you’re drowsy or looking at your phone. Big Swedish Brother is well and truly watching you… Volvo says that the software and hardware is already ready for “unsupervised driving in the future.”
Space inside seems good. Even with all seven seats occupied, there’s a 310-litre boot, which expands to 665-litres if you fold the third row down, and a massive 1,915-litres with all the back seats folded. The EX90 rides on 22-inch wheels as standard, but anyone worrying about those making things too firm might be mollified by the fact that air suspension is also standard, at least on the two-motor models.
You will have to wait a little while yet, though. Volvo will start production of the EX90 at its new factory in Charleston, in America, next year and will expand that to its Chengdu, China facility in due course, but it’ll be early 2024 before the first customers get their cars.
“The Volvo EX90 is a statement for where we are, and where we are going,” said Jim Rowan, Volvo’s chief executive. “It’s fully electric with a range of up to 600 kilometres on a single charge, designed to further raise our safety standards, the first Volvo car to be truly defined by its software and part of a wider ecosystem, connecting to your home and your other devices. The Volvo EX90 is the start of something new for Volvo Cars in many ways.”
