Volvo EX90 Review 2024

The new Volvo EX90 is an electric seven-seat luxury SUV that sits alongside the updated XC90 as the Swedish company's range-topping model. Is this flagship SUV the ultimate family wagon? Read our Volvo EX90 review to find out. 

Put the words 'electric' and 'flagship SUV' together and you won't be surprised to discover that the EX90 is pretty pricey. Volvo's taken the decision to launch the EX90 in top-spec Ultra trim only for now, while it's only available with twin motor power.

This means that without some more affordable entry-level trims and single motor configurations to choose from, prices for the EX90 start at a hefty £96,225. That's a lot of money however you try to style it, but alongside similarly spec'd premium rivals like the Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW iX and Mercedes EQE SUV, it's competitively priced. If we can say that for a near-£100,000 car. 

So what do you get for your rather hefty investment? As we've touched on, the Volvo EX90 EV will initially launch in twin-motor all-wheel drive set-up. The regular Twin Motor version produces 408PS, for 0-60mph acceleration in 5.9 seconds, while the Twin Motor Performance model produces 517PS, for 0-60mph in just 4.7 seconds. We anticipate more accessible Single Motor versions to follow later. 

The new Volvo EX90 is powered by a huge 111kWh battery that gives both the Twin Motor version and Twin Motor Performance model a very good 374-mile electric driving range. Find a suitably powerful DC rapid charger and it will charge from 10% to 80% in under 30 minutes.

A distinctive feature of the new Volvo EX90 is its roof-mounted lidar sensor. We reckon it looks a bit out of place on the EX90 and detracts from the elegant lines of the rest of the car, but it's standard on all new Volvo EX90s. Not only does it enable the EX90 to deliver some incredibly advanced safety tech, but it will also means fully autonomous functionality can be implemented via an over-the-air update, as and when legislation allows.

There is also an array of eight cameras, five radars and 16 ultrasonic sensors, some of which allow the Volvo EX90 to understand if you’re distracted, tired or inattentive – gently nudging you at first, then becoming more insistent if you don’t respond. If the worst happens, it will safely stop and call for help. 

Inside and the interior is another leap forward - the EX90's cabin feels really luxurious and the quality is very high. This is something that's been enhanced by Volvo’s desire to phase out the use of leather in its car interiors. Instead, the new Volvo EX90 is available with plush, warm, wool-blend upholstery as well as a new trim called Nordico, that has the feel and appearance of leather. 

The interior tech of the new Volvo EX90 is built around a large, high-definition 14.5-inch central touchscreen. This runs Google Android Automotive OS, with built-in Google Assistant, Google Maps navigation and the Google Play app store. While some of the car controls can get a little buried in the menu, overall its a slick and polished system. And we have to make a special mention for the simply breathtaking 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins stereo system.

The launch price is high, but with the Volvo EX90 you're getting an incredibly high-spec car that'll whisk a large family around in extreme comfort.

Volvo boast that the EX90 is its quietest car, and once you get behind the wheel, you can't deny that they've got a point. Not only is the soundproofing excellent, there's not hint of wind noise and only very minimal tyre noise. Factor in the fact that the EX90 uses adaptive dampers and electronic air suspension to glide over various road surfaces, and the EX90 is an incredibly refined drive on a motorway or around town. And despite its size, it doesn't feel too large to navigate busy roads, while there's plenty of tech on hand, including a high-resolution 360-degree camera as standard. 

It doesn't just excel on those look drives, but it also impresses on windy roads. While the faff of having to driil down through the menu system to set the suspension to Firm is annoying, it helps make the EX90 feel more agile than it should. But that's just half the story as the EX90 also features a torque-vectoring device on the rear axle. This means that the EX90 can control the amount of power given to each rear wheel, allowing it to feel much more settled and controlled when exiting a bend at speed. Along with the rapid performance from the twin motors and the EX90's pleasingly weighted steering, and the EX90 can be a really enjoyable drive when the spirit takes you. 

At launch and the Volvo is only available as a two-motor set-up with two configurations to choose from. Though nothing has been officially confirmed, we expect to see a more affordable single-motor EX90 appear in 2025, especially as the closely related Polestar 3 is already available with a single motor. 

Back to the current choice of motors and the standard Twin Motor produces 408PS and 720Nh of torque, with power going to all four wheels. Top speed is limited to 112mph, but it'll hit 60mph in as little as 5.7 seconds - not too shabby for a large SUV. 

Alternatively there's the more powerful Twin Motor Performance offering. While it uses the same large battery as the standard car, power has been ramped up to 517PS and torque to 910Nm. This extra power means that it'll deliver a 0-60mph of 4.7 seconds - that makes it faster than a twin-motor Kia EV9 and only 0.2 seconds slower than the Polestar 3. 

Regardless of which model you choose, both have a quoted combined range of up 374 miles. If you're going to be primarily driving around town, Volvo reckons up to 464 miles is possible, though as is the case with all EVs, then are a number of variables that can reduce this.  

At a WLTP figure of 374 miles, the Volvo EX90 is significantly better than rivals like the Kia EV9, which has a range of up to 313 miles, while the Audi Q8 e-tron is capable of up to 330 miles. 

The Volvo EX90 comes with a wide selection of advanced safety tech, and much of this is due to the advanced lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor that is perched above the front windscreen. Working in conjunction with the EX90's other numerous cameras it allows the onboard safety systems to get a really detailed picture of what's going on around the car. The system is so advanced that if can not only detect vulnerable road users in complete darkness, while it's coverage means it can pick up other road users from up to 250 metres away. 

The system is designed to avoid potential collisions, while the uprated adaptive cruise control system in the EX90 (branded Pilot Assist) now includes Lane Change Assist. When indicating to move into another lane, the system will waiting until there's a safe gap before steering you into the lane. The EX90's sensors will also track you, assessing you head and eye movements to detect drowsiness and suggest you take a break. Should the worst happen and you fall asleep at the wheel, the EX90 can bring itself to a top and activate the hazard warning lights. 

For now, the EX90 is still to be crash-tested by Euro NCAP. 

If you're looking to tow with the Volvo EX90, it has a maximum braked towing weight of 2200kg.

The Volvo EX90 is a seven-seat SUV, so it has some pretty generous dimensions and officially measures 5037mm long, 1964mm wide (2113mm including mirrors) and 1744mm high. It's a big car, but it's still impressive how much space has been carved out inside.

Those sitting in the front will have ample space, with excellent leg and headroom. Move to the middle row of seats and again, there's plenty of space again - more than enough for a couple of adults to sit comfortably on a long drive, while the seats themselves can be easily tilted and moved forward for access to the third row of seats. Things are a little more cramped here as you might expect - it's not a place adults or tall teens will want to spend a long time, but smaller children should be fine. Don't need that third row of seats? There are buttons both in the cabin and in the boot that automatically lower the rear seats, while another press will quickly see them pop up, leaving you just to raise the headrests. 

With all rows of seats in place the EX90's boot capacity is still pretty useable at 310 litres. That's only 8 litres less than the entire boot capacity of the EX30. Drop the rear seats and the EX90 enjoys a decent 655 litres of boot space. With both rows of seats down you've got 1,915 litres of boot space to play with if you wish. There's also a 34-litre frunk that you can use for smaller items, though it's likely you'll use most of this space for storing charging cables. 

The Volvo EX90 has to have one of the nicest interior finishes you're likely to find in an electric SUV. Whether you choose the wool or non-leather Nordico trim, both have a premium feel, while this is complemented by a range of quality materials. 

The sophisticated interior design of the EX90 sees a large portrait-orientated 14.5-inch touchscreen display take centre stage. Using Google's Android operating system (and not to be confused with Android Auto), it features Google Maps and Google Assistant built-in. You can then build out the system yourself, downloading apps from Google's PlayStore, so you can add things like Spotify and Waze to your suite of apps.

The default display gives priority to Google Maps, which can also have a feed mirrored on the 9-inch digital dash set behind the steering while, as well as the head up display, providing turn-by-turn navigation. As the system is linked to your Google account, any recent Google Map searches on a desktop or smartphone will be available in the EX90, while it'll also display charging points on your route and estimate how much charge you'll have remaining once you reach your destination. 

It's a polished system and we'd be surprised if you were tempted to want to mirror your phone instead, but wireless Apple CarPlay is coming to the EX90, though it's not available at launch. 

With no physical buttons to access car settings, this is done via the touchscreen as well. Smart widgets appear on the screening below navigation, media and phone connectivity, while a contextual bar is permanently present at the bottom of the display to get you quickly back to the home screen, as well as control things like climate control and the hazard warning lights. 

The menu system is slick and responsive, but some settings do require you to drill down into the menu. Once you familiarise yourself with it, you'll get quicker at navigating the array of options. And don't forget, there's also Google Assistant on hand to make adjustments for you, including adjusting the temperature of the cabin.

You also have six USB-C ports on the EX90, as well as a wireless charging dock, though we'd have liked to have seen space for dual phone charging. 

A standout feature on the Volvo EX90 has to be the stereo system - the 25 speak Bowers & Wilkins system has to be heard to fully appreciate the quality of the system, but it's safe to say we reckon it's the best sound system you'll find on a car right now. 

For now, the Volvo EX90 will only be available as a Twin Motor model in top-spec Ultra trim, meaning prices look pretty punchy. The Twin Motor car starts at £96,255 and the more powerful Twin Motor Performance starts £100,555.

That's a lot of money, and when you initially compare this to other premium models, it does look expensive. However to achieve a similar performance and level of features as the EX90, an Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW iX and Mercedes EQE SUV will set you back about the same. Remember these are only five seaters. If you want a luxury seven-seat electric SUV, then something like the Mercedes EQS SUV will start at around £130,000. 

If you're not too fussed about the badge on the front of your car, then the seven-seat Kia EV9 looks like good value, with a top-spec model costing under £80,000. 

Charging from home and with a 7kW home wall charger installed, you can expect the EX90's 111kWh battery to be topped up from 0-100% in 15 hours - realistically you won't be charging from 0%, so you can expect quicker charging times. 

On the move and thanks to the 250kW DC charging, you'll be able to plug in the EX90 at a compatible fast charger and expect to wait around half an hour for it to charge from 10 to 80%.  

Though we anticipate more trim levels will be come available next year, at launch the Volvo EX90 will only be available in Ultra trim - the brand's top-spec trim level. 

In Ultra trim the Volvo EX90 comes comprehensively spec'd. Starting wit the exterior and you will find 22-inch alloy wheels, air suspension, rear tinted windows, a fixed panoramic roof, gloss black roof rails and flush door handles. 

Once inside and there are a number of highlights. Up front and the seats are not only heated, but also have a massage functionality, while the rear seats are also heated. There's four-zone climate control, wireless charging, six USB-C ports, a 360-degree camera, a large 14.5-inch touchscreen display, 9-inch driver display, head up display and a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins stereo system.