First Drive: The 2025 Volvo EX90 Fully Electric SUV

Volvo’s caller range-topping, all-electric seven-seater looks acceptable to beryllium a standout successful the luxury EV abstraction – and coveted household car. 

The “less is more” doctrine is simply a cornerstone of Swedish plan and encapsulates the Scandi aesthetic ethos: 1 characterized by functionality, cleanable lines and a emotion of quality that Volvo has excelled astatine translating into cars. Crafted with precision and attraction to detail, their flagship electrical SUV is nary exception. For its planetary launch, Volvo showcased the premium three-row with scenic trial drives on Southern California’s iconic coastal Highway 101, the rolling hills of nearby Temecula Valley, and Volvo Landscape acquisition astatine five-star Newport Beach hideaway Pelican Hill. Aesthetically pleasing and highly functional the EX90 was a pleasance to drive. Smooth and whisper-quiet connected the roadworthy but finished successful sustainably sourced materials, it felt fantastic connected the inside, too.

The Safest Volvo Ever

Volvo is synonymous with safety, and galore of its innovations person go modular crossed the automotive industry, notably the three-point seatbelt and Side Impact Protection System (SIPS). In measurement with its “Vision Zero” conception (that nary 1 is killed oregon earnestly injured successful a caller Volvo car by 2030), the EX90 is designed to beryllium the “safest Volvo ever” and speaks to the brand’s assurance successful and committedness to precocious information technologies.

A caller multicamera driver-monitoring strategy (that includes 1 successful the dash and different underneath the steering file though determination are 8 full crossed the car) means checking mirrors and unsighted spots is good, but a distracted operator could effect successful a connection from the at-a-glance display. Surprisingly, it suggested my spouse looked bushed and should see pulling implicit to instrumentality a interruption on a peculiarly winding conception of the Ortega Highway. During our luncheon halt successful Temecula, exertion manager Eva Lahti, who has been instrumental to information improvement of the EX90, shared however Volvo’s Safe Space Technology caller occupant sensing strategy keeps an oculus connected things erstwhile the car is parked by detecting sub-millimeter movements. “Radar sensors are strategically placed passim the cabin, truthful if a favored oregon a sleeping kid is inactive wrong erstwhile you effort to fastener the doors, they won’t, oregon it volition nonstop a notification to cheque the interior,” she said.

A Computer connected Wheels

In summation to being the safest Volvo ever, the EX90 is besides the astir advanced. This means you tin hide the accepted fob and clasp your smartphone arsenic a cardinal to bash astir everything, including Remote Actions like ensuring doors are locked oregon warming up the centrifugal connected a acold greeting via the Volvo Cars App. Featuring caller AI-capable bundle with 5G connectivity for over-the-air updates, convenience and exertion integration is integral to this “smart and connected machine connected wheels” with preferred settings saved to profiles successful the app. When approaching the car, doors unlock, and mirrors and seats set arsenic if by magic – depending connected who drove it last.

Once down the wheel, everything successful the clutter-free dash - prevention for steering instrumentality buttons and a rotary dial for audio successful the cardinal console - is housed wrong a free-floating 14.5-inch tablet powered by Google that besides supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This means actions (moving mirrors, putting the rear windows down, adjacent acessing the mitt box) are reached via a bid of touchscreen steps. The interface will consciousness intuitive for the digitally savvy, though it was casual capable for maine to grasp basics from the rider seat. Also casual to find via a docked touchscreen fastener was the one-pedal thrust mode that we opted to power disconnected for our way that looped eastbound done Lake Elsinore to Temecula and northbound on Interstate 5 and Highway 101 backmost to Newport aboriginal successful the day.

Whether navigating canyon curves oregon cruising connected the freeway, the EX90 delivered a creaseless and composed ride. The steering felt airy and responsive, portion the computer-controlled dual-chamber aerial suspension absorbed immoderate bumps successful the road. Those looking for a sharper thrust tin entree the driving dynamics settings via the touchscreen to set the suspension and steering from “soft” to “firm.” Its twin-motor powertrain generates an awesome 510 horsepower, propelling the astir three-ton SUV from 0 to 60 mph successful conscionable 4.7 seconds – singular for its size.

Studio Quality Sound, Scandi-Chic Style

Thanks to zero artificial motor noise, the EX90 is arguably 1 of the quietest cars I’ve ever driven, making it adjacent easier to admit the exceptional Bowers & Wilkins dependable system. Available exclusively connected the Ultra trim (and a $3,200 enactment connected Plus models), it volition beryllium pugnacious for audiophiles to walk up. With 25 speakers, including immoderate integrated into the headrests, the situation dependable tin reproduce audio successful assorted spectacular modes, including 1 that simulates the acoustics of London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios. No substance wherever you beryllium successful the seven-seater, the acquisition is rather virtually arsenic awesome arsenic it sounds.

While sleek lines with subtle aerodynamic accents, positive a caller rotation connected Volvo’s Thor’s-hammer plan headlamps, are hallmarks connected the exterior, EX90’s elegant minimalism continues passim its glass-roofed cabin. Senior plan manager Marie Stark, a postgraduate of The Swedish School of Textiles who has worked with Volvo Cars for astir 20 years, took inspiration from fashion, Scandinavian furniture, and possibly astir notably quality erstwhile she incorporated sustainably sourced ash and birch wood accents into the dash trim - different Volvo first.

There are 4 colour and interior theme configurations disposable connected the 2025 EX90 but we experienced two: Charcoal paired with birch décor, coordinating zinc grey tailored wool-blend cloth made from recycled polyester and Vapor Grey exterior,and (my favorite) the Dawn interior with a airy ash trim and Dawn quilted leather-free Nordico upholstery with a subtle beachy-inspired Sand Dune exterior apropos for Southern California. 

Specs & Pricing

With 10 hours to a afloat complaint oregon speedy complaint enactment that volition get you to 80% successful fractional an hr (use the Volvo Cars app to find nationalist charging points, wage for and way charging progress_ and an EPA scope of 310 miles connected its 107.0-kWh underfloor battery, the EX90 is arsenic astatine location arsenic a regular operator astir municipality arsenic it is connected household roadworthy trips with the kids oregon play distant with friends. The EX90 Plus is priced astatine $81,290, but a top-spec Ultra, with the optional Bowers & Wilkins audio system, positive 22-inch wheels volition nudge things person to $100K. volvocars.com/us