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I’ve driven hundreds of new cars, but don’t consider myself a particularly harsh critic. Rather, I’m convinced that Australia’s harshest car critics are my partner and my father, who’ve both spent hundreds of hours in the passenger seat of new cars as I’ve driven them around Sydney over the last few years.
They complain when there are no physical buttons to adjust the volume, comment on the ride quality of the vehicle, how loud it is, how good the stereo sounds, and how high-quality (or low-quality) the materials inside the cabin are. Sometimes, I disagree with them, but most of the time, their opinion is invaluable. They’re the closest representation of a new car buyer you’ll find, and having been in so many new cars, they know what they’re talking about.
So, when Volvo Car Australia announced it was releasing a new flagship SUV called the EX90, I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel and show the nation’s most savage car critics around the new seven-seat, all-electric SUV.
Design & Convenience
Looks are subjective, but we could all agree that the Volvo EX90 is one good-looking SUV.
Great design language has always been a hallmark feature of the Gothenburg, Sweden-based brand. However, I think Volvo Cars has done a particularly good job here by melding the best of its Scandinavian design capabilities with cutting-edge technology.
You’ll instantly recognise the EX90 as an electric vehicle due to its modern design cues, including the closed-off grille that aids with aerodynamics and increases range. But there’s still plenty of Volvo here, perhaps most obviously in the modern interpretation of the “Thor’s Hammer” headlight design. It’s built from six elements to form the hammerhead and ten to form the handle as daytime running lights, which are the perfect addition to an otherwise minimalist silhouette.
Other key features to note are the flush door handles and, at the back left of the car, the charging flap, where you recharge the 111kWh lithium-ion battery (107kWh usable) that gives the EX90 a WLTP-certified range of up to 570km. My passengers were also impressed with the 250kW DC fast charging capabilities, topping the battery up from 10-80 per cent in around 30 minutes.
Technology & Interior Comfort
Like a Scandinavian living room, the minimalist, clean lines of the exterior continue inside the cabin, where a large 14.5-inch touchscreen, mounted in portrait mode, is the first thing my passengers noticed. It offers full-screen wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but we agreed that the car’s in-built 5G-connected Google system is even better to use, as it can help you find charging stations along your route for longer journeys.
There’s plenty more technology to talk about, but the next thing we discussed was the space, as we loaded our bags in the back for the weekend.
With all the seats in use, 377 litres of storage is available behind the third row, which is more than some cars have with the seats down. However, we weren’t using the third row for the first leg of our journey, so we folded it down automatically using the touch buttons in the boot. With the third row down, boot space increases to 822 litres. Fold all of the seats down, and you’ll find 1,945 litres of capacity.
Once loaded up, it was time to get on the road, and the next thing my passengers observed was the quietness of the cabin. This is, in fact, the quietest cabin in any Volvo ever. Combine that with the available Bowers & Wilkins High Fidelity sound system, which boasts no less than 25 speakers, 3D surround, and Dolby Atmos, and the hardest part of the road trip was trying to wrestle the controls from my passengers to put my preferred driving music on.
Safety & Performance
Volvo Cars Australia designed the EX90 to be the safest car it has ever made. It includes the full range of next-generation passive and active safety technology, all of which is informed by a set of advanced sensors, including external radar sensors and a front-facing Lidar sensor. Further, the systems are so well calibrated that they’re less intrusive on the driving experience. Touch-sensitive steering wheel alerts are just one example of this.
Safety features standard on the Volvo EX90 include:
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- incl. pedestrian, cyclist, animal detection
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Door opening alert
- Intersection autobrake – AEB Junction
- Lane departure warning
- Lane-keep assist
- Pedestrian, cyclist steering avoidance
- Pilot Assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane centring assist
- Rear cross-traffic assist
- Road sign information
- Run-off road mitigation
- Surround-view cameras
My passengers commented that the car is “smooth,” and without being reductive, it’s how most people describe a composed, well-balanced ride like that of the EX90. It’s very easy to drive long distances, which is exactly what buyers can do in an EV with this much range.
There’s more than enough power for overtaking on highways and around town, with up to 380kW of power and 910Nm of torque available in the top-spec EX90 Twin Motor Performance model. This very same model is capable of accelerating from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds, which is sports-car quick.
Next Steps
The Volvo EX90 is priced from AUD$124,990 plus on-road costs in the Plus Twin Motor specification as featured through this article. Alternatively, the feature-packed EX90 Ultra Twin Motor Performance is priced from AUD$134,990 plus on-road costs.
Both models are backed by Volvo’s five-year, unlimited kilometre manufacturer’s warranty for the vehicle itself, and an eight-year or 160,000 km warranty for the high-voltage battery.
You can head to the Volvo Car Australia’s website linked below or your local Volvo retailer to learn more.
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