An early convert to the concept of an all-electrified lineup, Volvo has taken a barely totally different tack to most different automakers because it electrifies its product vary. The place most would begin off with an enormous and costly electrical automobile first, it did the alternative, beginning out with small and inexpensive. Meaning it is now time for a flagship EV, an all-new three-row SUV referred to as the EX90, which we have pushed forward of US deliveries towards the tip of this 12 months.
That is later than Volvo deliberate, and as you will see, some EX90 options have fallen even additional behind and can should be enabled through software program replace sooner or later. As a result of whereas the EX90 is an effective demonstration of a brand new, tech-forward method to automotive design, it is also the newest instance of automakers adopting the “minimal viable product” method from the tech sector.
Volvo has developed an all-new platform for bigger EVs, which the EX90 will share with different manufacturers inside the Geely group, notably the Polestar 3 we drove just a few weeks in the past. The Volvo is somewhat longer than the Polestar, and in contrast to the SUV from the upstart startup, the EX90 is a three-row, with seats for both six or seven relying on whether or not you go for a bench or a pair of captain’s chairs for the center row.
The great
The SUV has a good-looking, well-proportioned form with some subtly creased angles, significantly across the rear wheels, though the roof-mounted lidar unit has led to comparisons with a London taxicab, and among the check vehicles blended somewhat too successfully with the dry Southern Californian panorama courtesy of their beige paint. As we now have come to anticipate from Volvo, there are a plethora of attention-grabbing design particulars in and out, with loads of storage nooks, grocery bag hooks, cup holders, and USB-C ports.
There are two powertrain choices on provide with the EX90 for now, a $79,995 Twin Motor model with a mixed 402 hp (300 kW) and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) or the $84,995 Twin Motor Efficiency, which raises the facility output to 509 hp (380 kW) and 671 lb-ft (910 Nm). In each instances, the rear electrical motor is extra highly effective, with clutch-based torque vectoring that additionally permits the rear drive unit to utterly disconnect the rear wheels for higher coasting.
Each variants use the identical 111 kWh capability (gross, 107 kW useable) battery pack, enough for 310 miles (499 km) of vary in response to the EPA check cycle. Recharging the pack takes as little as half-hour to go from 10 to 80 p.c state of cost with a DC quick charger (peaking at 250 kW), or 15 hours to cost from 0 to one hundred pc SoC with a 32 A degree 2 charger.
Volvo introduced solely the EX90 Twin Motor Efficiency to Newport Coast for us to drive, and the vehicles have been optioned with the $4,350 Extremely pack, which provides energetic air suspension and massaging seats, in addition to wi-fi cellphone charging. The usual Plus pack is already very well-equipped, however we’ll have to drive just a few miles in a single to see what impact commonplace coil springs and hydraulic dampers have on its journey.
The adaptive air springs did quite a bit to cover this SUV’s appreciable 5,688-lb (2,580 kg) curb weight. And the journey high quality was notably good, significantly at freeway speeds. The flip facet was not-so-great physique management over low-speed obstacles like potholes, highway development plates, and so forth; side-to-side motions might be higher managed to cease the seat bolsters from performing percussive upkeep in your kidneys. You can too really feel the torque vectoring at work, significantly in sluggish corners, including somewhat further agility to this massive SUV.