Volvo continues its push for electrification with the debut of the all-new EX90 electric SUV. The EX90 is the brand’s third all-electric model though the first to be based on the parent company Geely’s SPA2 platform which has also formed the basis of sister firm Polestar’s EVs including the recently revealed 3 SUV. Volvo says that the highlight of the EX90 is the technology packed into the car with the EV set to be the safest Volvo on the road.
“The Volvo EX90 is a statement for where we are, and where we are going,” said Jim Rowan, Volvo 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.”
While an all-new model from the grounds up, the EX90 carries the typical restrained design seen from Volvo. The nose features a blanked-out grille flanked by T-shaped headlamps with the Thor’s hammer pattern and vertical fog lamps lower down. The bumper features a prominent air vent at the centre with black cladding along the lower edge.
In silhouette the EX90 doesn’t stray far from the XC90. Volvo’s typical clean design is very evident along the sides with a clean shoulder line running the length of the vehicle. Creases on the lower door and atop the wheel arches add some more character to the side as does the light use of cladding along the lower edge of the vehicle.
The rear is characterised by C-shaped tail lamps connected by a blacked-out strip, a raked rear windshield and an integrated spoiler. Stacked lights sit on either edge of the windshield.
While the exterior bears resemblance to the standard XC90, the interior is decidedly more high-tech. In typical Volvo fashion, the interior design is minimalist with a large portrait central touchscreen housing all the in-car functions. The 14.5-inch touchscreen gets Google built-in, as with current Volvos, and features 5G connectivity for OTA updates. A second smaller screen sits behind the steering displaying all relevant information to the driver. As with th XC90, the EX90 will be a seven-seater with three rows of seating.
The highlight of the EX90 however is the technology packed in. Volvo says the EV will be the company’s safest car yet packing in “state-of-the art sensors like cameras, radars and lidar” paired with high-performance core computers powered by NVIDIA DRIVE and in-house software to paint a 360 picture of the car’s surroundings.
The NVIDIA systems, Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms, and in-house software combine to also run most of the core car functions from the infotainment to the battery management systems. The infotainment also runs Unreal Engine for immersive graphics and fast processing speeds.
The EX90 will initially be available as an all-wheel drive model pairing two electric motors with a 111 kWh battery pack. The system will offer a combined 509 bhp and 910 Nm of torque while also delivering up to 600 km of range (WLTP) on a full charge. The system will also support bi-directional charging with the vehicle able to act as a charger for other Volvo cars and more.
The EX90 will go into production by late 2023 in the US with production to commence in China in the following months.
