VOLVO EX90

The Volvo EX90 is an electric SUV that’s big, spacious and comfortable to drive, with seven seats as standard. It’s the brand’s flagship car that’s designed to be an alternative to other posh EVs such as the five-seat BMW iX and Polestar 3.

However, obvious seven-seat EV alternatives are few and far between, with the closest being the Kia EV9. The Volvo’s considerably more expensive than the Kia, though, so it’s a bit like buying clothes from Stone Island – you’re paying extra for the badge, even if it’s not immediately obvious whether it’s worth the extra over a mainstream brand.

The exterior design is certainly a classy one. Volvo has been using similar designs for a decade now, yet its cars still look as desirable as they ever did. The EX90 gets a closed off grille and a cool evolution of the Thor’s Hammer headlights that sees the daytime running element open up to reveal the main beam beneath.

Inside it’s a lesson in minimalist design – where a Tesla looks plain and uninviting, the EX90 looks cosy and thoughtfully executed. It’s refreshingly calming compared with the in-your-face flashiness of a Mercedes cabin.

It’s spacious in the front two rows and easy to get comfortable, though storage is respectable if not hugely impressive for a car that could seat seven. Third row legroom is tight for adults, so it’s better-suited to young children.

Boot space isn’t quite as good as a Kia EV9, but it should be more than ample for most. There’s 310 litres behind the third row, equivalent to a small hatchback, but if you fold the third row you get 655 litres. There’s also a front boot, though it’s unlikely you’ll need to use that as there’s a useful space beneath the boot floor for charging cables and the like.

The main disappointment inside is the fact you have to use the touchscreen for everything from the usual music and navigation down to basic stuff like the glovebox and wing mirror positioning. You just spend too much time with your eyes off the road fiddling around for functions that are simply easier to do with buttons.

At launch the Volvo EX90 is only available in the highly specced Ultra trim with a choice of Twin-Motor or Twin-Motor Performance powertrains. These will be the most expensive combinations you will be able to get, and as such prices start at close to £100,000.

That makes it considerably less expensive than the Mercedes EQS SUV and G-Class Electric, but considerably more expensive than the seven-seat Kia EV9, which isn’t a million miles away in interior quality and offers more space, but slightly worse efficiency.

A single-motor version with less performance and, almost certainly, increased range, is on the way. This is probably the one to wait for, because it will cost less and could be capable of 300 miles to a charge in the real world.

Source: https://www.carwow.co.uk/volvo/ex90

DETAILS

The system itself is quick and clear, and Google integration means you might not even feel like you need to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto – that’s good news, because at the time of driving the car in late 2024, neither was actually available yet, instead slated to be introduced via an over-the-air update some time in 2025.

In terms of range, the Volvo EX90 has a massive battery, which offers an official range of 375 miles. This is a big, heavy SUV, though, and unsurprisingly efficiency isn’t great; we saw 2.4 miles per kWh, which isn’t terrible for this type of car but would equate to a range of around 260 miles. At least fast charging is very impressive, with a maximum speed of 250kW.

On the plus side, the Volvo EX90 is lovely to drive. Sure, you’ll notice speed bumps a bit more than you might expect around town, but as your speed picks up the road becomes buttery smooth. On the motorway there’s next to no wind and road noise to worry about, either.