The EX90, due in 2024, will sit alongside the XC90 as its electric-only sibling
Electric successor to Volvo XC90 is firm’s longest-range EV, and its most expensive car
The new Volvo EX90 seven-seat electric SUV has been unveiled, with new company boss Jim Rowan claiming it will set new standards for safety – and serve as a “statement for where we are, and where we are going”.
Due on sale in 2024, the new machine is effectively an electric-only equivalent to the current Volvo XC90. The EX90 is the third electric Volvo following the Volvo XC40 Recharge and Volov C40 Recharge, but the first to sit on a dedicated electric platform: the Geely Group’s advanced SPA2 architecture. It is closely related technically to the recently revealed Polestar 3, but unlike that model features a third row of seats.
The styling of the machine is based on the Concept Recharge that was shown last year. It retains familiar Volvo design cues, such as the blanked-off grille seen on the XC40 and the upright rear lights. It has also been honed for aerodynamic efficiency to optimise the range: Volvo claims a coefficient of 0.29Cd.
The EX90 will launch with a twin-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain with two levels of output. Twin Motor models will offers 402bhp and 568lb ft of torque, with Performance models offering 510bhp and 671lb ft of torque. Both offer a limited top speed of 112mph. Lower-powered single-motor versions are likely to follow.
Power will come from a 111kWh battery (107kWh usable), with an efficiency of 2.9 miles per kWh and a claimed range of 364 and 360 miles respectively. The battery can be charged at 250kW, offering a 10-80 per cent charge in 30 minutes.
At 5037mm the EX90 is slightly longer than the current XC90. It’s also wider than that car, but is slightly lowe, and has a kerbweight of 2818kg. There’s a 310-litre boot when seven seats are in use, which rises to 665 litres in five-seat mode and 1915 litres with both rows folded. At launch the EX90 will sit on 22in alloy wheels, with air suspension standard.
A major focus of the EX90 has been on the safety features, software and hardware that underpins the machine. Most notably, it will feature a Lidar as standard – it will be an option on the Polestar 3 – with the sensor mounted on the front edge of the roof. That will complement a range of other interior and exterior sensors and cameras to power advanced driver assistance and safety systems.
Initially, that will include an upgraded Pilot Assist system, and a steering support function that will help changing lanes. Volvo says the systems will eventually it to offer an over-the-air subscription update that will offer “unsupervised autonomous driving” in certain conditions and places. The interior sensors can gauge eye concentration to warn about driving while distracted or drowsy
The new safety kit, along with the EX90’s infotainment and battery management systems, will be powered by a core software system that uses advanced Nvidia Drive platforms along with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Cockpit platform mixed with in-house Volvo software.
The interior dashboard is built around a 14.5in central touchscreen that features Volvo’s Google-based infotainment. The model features a 5G connection as standard to aid with over-the-air updates.
At launch, only the range-topping Ultra trim level will be offered, which includes the Lidar, driver monitoring system, a panoramic glass roof, and a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system featuring Dolby Atmos.
The interior is finished in Nordico upholstery, a textile made from recycled materials including PET bottles and corks. There’s also four-zone climate control, and a three-year Care Offer package that includes three years of servicing.
Owners will be able to use their smartphone as a key for the car, with the firm’s app also designed to give access to an ‘ecosystem’ of services, including public charging stations and smart home charging management. The EX90 will support ‘Plug and Charge’ which, when launched, will automatically start charging the machine and sort payment when it is plugged into a compatible charger.
The EX90 will also support bi-directional charging, allowing it to send power to a home through a bi-directional wall box. That service will initially be offered in select markets.
The interior also features extensive use of natural and “responsible-sourced” materials. Overall, Volvo says that the EX90 contains 15 per cent recycled steel and 25 per cent recycled aluminium, along with around 48kg of recycled plastics and bio-based material – about 15 per cent of the total plastic used in the car.
Production of the Volvo EX90 will begin in the firm’s plant in Charleston, USA late next year, with manufacturing at the firm’s Chengdu, China plant following at a later date. Volvo says it is aiming for manufacturing at both facilities to be climate-neutral by the time production starts.
Volvo has given indicative pricing for the EX90 for when customer deliveries begin in early 2024. The EX90 Twin Motor Ultra will start at £96,255, with a fixed Care by Volvo subscription costing from £1599 a month. The Twin Motor Performance Ultra model will be priced at £100,555, or £1699 a month on subscription.
For comparison, the Polestar 3 is priced from £79,900, but that is for models without the Lidar sensors that will be standard on launch EX90 models.
Volvo has committed to becoming an electric-only brand by 2030, and says that the EX90 is the first of one new fully electric car that it will launch each year in the build-up to that. The firm hasn’t confirmed what will follow the EX90, but it is known to be working on an entry-level SUV to sit under the XC40, and an electric equivalent of the current XC60 will likely also be a priority.
Source: Autocar
