2025 Volvo EX90 First Drive Review: The All-Electric Flagship Is Worthy Of The Title

The 2025 Volvo EX90 is an all-new all-electric SUV set to be the flagship of the Volvo lineup. It slots in above the gas-powered XC90 and plug-in XC90 Recharge giving giant households loads of selections fairly than forcing everybody in a single path. The corporate continues to be transferring towards being totally electrical by 2030, however for now there’s a mixture of hybrid, gasoline, and electrical automobiles.

All-wheel drive and two powertrain choices can be found with an EPA-estimated vary of as much as 310 miles. This new EV is already in manufacturing on the Volvo plant in South Carolina with deliveries anticipated to start later this yr.

First Drive occasions present our preliminary impressions of a car in a restricted surroundings underneath sure time constraints. Keep watch over CarBuzz for our complete Take a look at Drive evaluation which is able to observe quickly.

What’s New

The whole lot. That is an all-new EV that carries on with the styling of the present Volvo lineup, together with the distinctive Thor’s Hammer LED headlights, however with a modified grille, since there’s no want for airflow to an engine. It is an evolution of the Volvo look, not an pointless reinvention.

There’s seating for as much as seven individuals, making the EX90 well-suited for giant households. A roomy and enticing inside with a minimalist design creates a welcoming expertise with a variety of options and applied sciences. It additionally has a selection of two energy outputs together with loads of driving vary for street journeys.

Inside: An Elegant, Minimalist Aesthetic

Volvo just isn’t a flashy model, which is one thing we recognize. Not each automotive must have quilted, perforated, diamond-stitched, artisan-curated leather-based interiors with wooden trim from bushes in a renewable forest on the prime of a mountain on a duke’s property. It’s good to ease up on all that for a change. The EX90 has a clear, enticing, welcoming inside that’s refreshing in its simplicity.

That’s to not say that it’s plain, as a result of it’s a stupendous, fastidiously crafted inside with elegant particulars. As an alternative of leather-based, there’s one thing referred to as Nordico. It is a artificial leather-based that’s simpler to wash, extra sturdy, and manufactured from recycled supplies and resin from bushes in Sweden and Finland. Not that you simply’d know to have a look at it as a result of, though it doesn’t have the identical look as leather-based, it’s nonetheless a gorgeous materials with a premium look. If it’s to not your liking, there’s additionally a wool inside that brings some added heat and texture.

There’s seating for seven with optionally available second-row captain’s chairs that take that down to 6. Entrance seats are probably the most comfy, as you’d anticipate, however second row passengers gained’t complain even with the bench seat. The captain’s chairs, nonetheless, are the higher possibility with cupholders constructed into the armrests that come out with a light-weight press. Two can match within the third row, which has good room for adults of common peak, however preserve the tall of us up entrance. Accessing that third row is less complicated due to second-row outboard seats that fold and slide ahead.

Know-how: Say Goodbye To Buttons And Knobs

That is a type of issues that you simply’re both going to suppose is a superb step towards the long run or completely maddening. We fall type of within the center – for now. The EX90 has a big 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen that controls just about the whole lot. Merely choose what you need to modify from a menu, let’s say the facet mirrors, after which use the steering wheel controls to maneuver the mirrors into the fitting place. We like this strategy for its capability to maintain the inside clear and uncluttered, however it may be cumbersome to have a lot tucked into these infotainment menus.

A separate nine-inch digital instrument cluster sits in entrance of the steering wheel and there’s additionally a 13.2-inch head-up show. Connectivity permits for wi-fi Android Auto with Apple CarPlay coming quickly as an over-the-air (OTA) replace. There are USB ports for all three rows, and on the audio entrance, an out there 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system gives lovely sound all through the cabin.

Creating Daylight In The Darkish

The lighting within the EX90 can also be a novel piece of know-how. Conventional lighting inside a automotive is one thing that may trigger fatigue and eyestrain. It’s partly the sunshine spectrum and partly a delicate flicker that you simply don’t consciously discover. Volvo is fixing that downside with the usage of 72 SunLike LEDs situated all through the inside.

They create a extra pure mild with low reflection and a excessive shade index. This sort of lighting is already in use in buildings from colleges to houses to museums, however that is the primary time that it’s made its manner right into a automotive. These lights are utilized in all of the non-decorative areas of the EX90 together with the ceiling, flooring, door pockets, and trunk. It’s a small element that may make a big distinction, particularly on longer drives.

Exterior Lighting Takes Heart Stage With Thor’s Hammer

The outside of the EX90 is all clear strains and rounded surfaces. It’s a relaxed, low-key look that performs into the thought of harmonizing with the surroundings fairly than standing out. We like this strategy, and we like what is definitely the signature factor of the EX90. Whether or not in broad daylight or the darkish of night time, the Thor’s Hammer headlights look fantastic. When you see them, a Volvo approaching in your rearview mirror is straight away identifiable. It’s additionally exhausting to not smile when you understand your automotive has the God of Thunder’s well-known Mjölnir as part of its design.

When it comes to measurement, the EX90 is 3.3 inches longer than the XC90, though they share a wheelbase. Naturally, the electrical EX90 is far heavier – by round 1,000 lbs, relying on powertrain and equipment outfitted to every.

Powertrain: Twin Motors With Two Energy Outputs

The EX90 is provided with all-wheel drive and twin electrical motors with a 111 kWh electrical battery, however with two totally different energy outputs. The bottom Twin Motor delivers 402 horsepower with 568 lb-ft of torque and a 0-60 mph time of 5.7 seconds. The Twin Motor Efficiency takes a leap to 510 horsepower with 671 lb-ft of torque and a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds. Whilst you’ll get extra of a thrill out of the upper horsepower model, you’re unlikely to be disillusioned with the bottom engine.

Charging the EX90 is fast and simple. You should utilize a Degree Two charger, which is what most individuals select to put in at house, and your EX90 will likely be totally charged in about 10 hours. It might probably additionally use 250kW DC quick charging out on the street, which is able to take the battery from 10 to 80 p.c in about half-hour.

Driving Impressions: EV Energy And The Sound Of Silence

Each EV is quiet as a result of there isn’t any engine, however the EX90 takes the thought to a brand new degree. Highway and wind noise is sort of nonexistent, making for one of many quietest and most stress-free rides we have skilled in an electrical car. It matches completely with the serene inside design of the EX90. This automotive is an escape from the world exterior, offering a refuge the place everybody can loosen up. It’s actually a beautiful car to drive, however on the similar time, it’s not a mild-mannered one.

Our driving time was with the 510-horsepower Twin Motor Efficiency and it was downright exhilarating. Hit the pedal, and acceleration is aggressive, pushing you again into the EX90’s comfy seats. It additionally dealt with nicely as we took slim, twisting roads exterior Newport Seaside, California. Whereas some SUVs are sloppy in this sort of driving state of affairs, the EX90 lets you’ve gotten some enjoyable within the corners. It was a real shock to have an SUV this large and heavy ship such an pleasant expertise.

Whereas we beloved the facility and the dealing with, the infotainment setup is an adjustment. A lot is baked into the system that if you do not know the place to look, one thing so simple as transferring the steering wheel or facet mirrors might be irritating. That is even more durable when you’re on the transfer. Our sense is that it’ll develop into intuitive over time, however we anticipate a little bit of a studying curve.

Pricing and Verdict: A Flagship With a Premium Value

The 2025 Volvo EX90 outfitted with the usual Twin Motor is $79,995 for the Plus trim or $84,345 for the Extremely, excluding $1,295 vacation spot. Select the extra highly effective Twin Motor Efficiency in both trim and pricing will increase by $5,000. This displays this SUV’s standing because the flagship of the model. It isn’t a cheap car, however it does come very well-equipped in both trim and feels the a part of a premium EV.

Competitors contains the extra reasonably priced Kia EV9, the comparably priced Rivian R1S with higher off-road functionality, and the extra luxurious Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, which begins at round $100,000. The EX90 falls in the course of that checklist, making it one thing of a just-right possibility. Pricing is not outrageous. The inside, whereas not outright luxurious, continues to be comfy and enticing in its minimalism. There’s additionally loads of energy and a driving vary lengthy sufficient to deal with long-distance adventures. Households out there for a three-row automobiles who need to make the transfer to electrical would do nicely to contemplate the EX90.