Volvo’s flagship electric SUV, the EX90, has been around for a long time. Although it’s on the road a full year later than planned, some excellent technologies and features are still in the “learning” stage. Volvo promises some innovative features, but the technology still feels a bit like a minimum viable product.
We spent a few hours driving an early version of the Volvo EX90 in Newport Coast, California. Our tester was the dual-motor performance version with a dune look.
The EPA says the EX90’s 111 kWh battery pack has a range of up to 310 miles. The dual-motor performance version puts out 510 horsepower and 671 pound-feet of torque, while the lower version puts out 402 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque.
Volvo says both can charge from 10 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes using a 250 kW DC fast charger. While the EX90 is supposed to feature bi-directional charging, the system won’t work until a later software update.
on the road
Volvo’s interior and exterior design leans heavily toward Swedish minimalism. Its understated interior is incredibly relaxing. There is a 9-inch driver information screen behind the steering wheel that can display speed, mileage and map information. You also get a very clear head-up display that allows for similar customization.
Volvo runs its infotainment system on Google’s Android Automotive platform. This means you can simply ask Google to change many of your settings, such as maps, radio functionality, and even temperature control.
The vehicle has few physical buttons – just a large scroll wheel on the center console and a few buttons (including a hazard button) on the headliner. Everything else is controlled via the main 14.5-inch touchscreen mounted vertically on the dashboard, which is frustrating. Like Tesla, this includes adjustments to the steering wheel, side mirrors, seats, rain-sensing wipers, glove box opening, trunk height, lights, suspension settings, maps, audio and more.
While the system works well, it’s a pain if you just need to adjust something simple (like wiper sensitivity or efficiency settings) because it’s at least a few menus deep. Volvo considers these features to be a one-and-done option for owners. The EX90 can use your smartphone as a digital key—although you can also get a physical keychain.
Unfortunately, the digital keys we tried were questionable at best. While Volvo says it’s working closely with Apple to perfect the technology (and integrate CarPlay, which won’t be available until a later software update), the version we tried wasn’t reliable. More than once we had to open the Wallet app, find the EX90 virtual key card, and place it on the wireless charging pad for the car to recognize that the key was inside. Multiple people at a driving event had to do the same thing; some even had to have Volvo support plug in their laptops to get the car to recognize the key. Not very confidence inspiring.
Volvo also borrowed from Rivian’s experience and introduced the EX90’s advanced adaptive cruise control feature (called Pilot Assist). Instead of using a button on the steering wheel to activate the feature, you have to pull the right-hand drive selector lever down toward drive and hold it down for a moment when Pilot Assist is available (a gray steering wheel symbol will appear on the driver’s wheel ) information screen). When turned on, you can use the Lane Change Assistant to change lanes. While the process is a bit slow, it’s better and more predictable than many lane-change assist features on other vehicles.
On the road, the large SUV (a little larger than Volvo’s XC90) doesn’t feel unwieldy. The cabin is particularly quiet and comfortable. It’s surprisingly calming with pastel colors and minimal distractions. When you put the air suspension in the preset Comfort mode, you won’t feel any roll or vibration over broken pavement. While there’s a sportier ride available, it’s hard to predict whether owners will have the patience to dig five layers into the infotainment screen to get there. In Performance mode, everything gets slightly more intense, but this is no canyon carver.
The EX90 also features new interior sensors, including a radar system that can sense everything from the driver’s eye movements to whether children or pets are left unattended in the vehicle. While driving, I had to look at the infotainment screen as I tried to find the driving settings through the menus, and within a few minutes the car beeped to let me know I was distracted. The system is a bit sensitive, but not intrusive, and for drivers like most Los Angeles drivers who foolishly prefer scrolling on their phones instead of paying attention to the traffic ahead, the EX90 may be a necessary wake-up call.
Not ready for prime time yet
The EX90’s suite of security and technology features are provided by a number of well-known vendors, including Nvidia, Google, Qualcomm and Luminar. Nvidia’s ORIN computing platform, just launched this year, performs 254 trillion operations per second and helps the EX90 manage everything from security to infotainment and battery management. Qualcomm is responsible for the internal technology, while Luminar’s LiDAR is responsible for the vehicle’s external adaptive and safety features. Everything has to communicate seamlessly with each other, which is one of the main reasons why the EX90 has been delayed in coming to market.
That weird-looking bump at the top of the windshield is Luminar’s new Halo lidar, and just like the Polestar 3, the EX90 is one of the first vehicles to have it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work properly because it’s still in learning mode, which the company says collects data about real-world scenarios before “turning on.” Volvo says that once launched, LiDAR will help enable hands-free highway driving, leading to the inevitable “unsupervised” level 3 automation.
Both Luminar and Volvo say their focus is on making sure the systems are foolproof and safe before releasing them to the public. Volvo wouldn’t say when exactly that would happen, citing various regulatory and safety approvals in the countries where the vehicle will be sold. They note that the technology will be rolled out gradually and only on certain divided highways under limited conditions, much like General Motors’ Super Cruise system. There are reports that some advanced driving features will be available starting in early 2025.
Despite some technical issues and some pending features, Volvo’s EX90 is driving the process. As a minimum viable product, the EX90 is quite good. Future updates and bug fixes will make it the luxury car Volvo hopes it will be, with all the promised bells and whistles.
